One of my favorite things to do is wander around a book festival.  However, I had the pleasure of meeting this author before it even started!  I was sitting and listening to awards at the North Texas Book Festival when Elaine sat down beside me.  What an interesting person!  She has authored books about some incredible women, won an award for her documentary film, is a Publisher and creates beautiful earrings.  Check out everything HERE.

This book was a sweet and heartwarming story about her mother.  Being a bit of a history buff, I really enjoy it when I get an inside peek into the lives of an actual historical hero.  The inner strength that Betty Nugen had to leave a small farm and join the military when they were just creating a place for women is clearly reflected in this book.  Elaine does a wonderful job allowing the reader to step into the experiences of her mother.

SUMMARY

Before the USA was thrust into World War II, Betty Nugen was a farm girl in the mountains of West Virginia. When Congress created the WAC—the Women’s Army Corp—she knew that was where she should be. Serving her country. Elaine Fields Smith gathered information from memories of her mother, Betty, from family stories and historical facts to create this story of a young woman who found a new life away from the only home she ever had known. Before Betty passed away, Elaine had a question: “Why did you join the WAC? Was it to get off the mountain?” Her answer was as solid as a rock. “Certainly not. It just seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.” That may be true, but the WAC did get her off that mountain and into the arms of the man she would love forever.