...[an] entertaining series about three fiercely feminist sisters who refuse to believe that men are meant to rule the world ... There may be less humor this time, but the story is ultimately more gripping and satisfying as it makes abundantly clear the continuing societal dismissal of women’s worth, even when the fate of the world is at stake ... Beulah and Constance couldn’t have foreseen that they would have to reckon with their past at the women’s camp, but they come out of this story more powerful and self-confident.
America's entry in the war is still in the future as the book ends but what it lacks in action it makes up for in the cramped, all-in-this-together atmosphere of the camp. When one woman whips open her tent to introduce its martini-swilling residents with, 'Girls, meet the girls,' Kopp recalls the breezy fun of classic, female-centered movies such as Stage Door.
Told in Stewart’s nimble, witty prose, this fifth in the popular series is based largely on fact and offers a paean to patriotism and the role women have played in war, even a century ago. Devoted fans will be pleased with the tantalizing hint Stewart provides about what lies ahead for Constance.
... readers can rejoice, because Constance (and her sisters, Norma and Fleurette) are back, and in her typically thorough style, Stewart has managed to give them a new plot line that is not only consistent with their characters but also a well-researched glimpse into a lesser-known aspect of First World War history ... Beulah’s story offers a dark mirror to the Kopp sisters’ own, as her history reveals how the intersections of gender and class drastically reduced a young woman’s ability to overcome the accident of her birth, not to mention her own missteps. At the same time, Stewart continues to round out her portrayal of Constance, Norma and Fleurette, crafting them into bold and remarkable characters with whom readers will be delighted to spend even more time.
A slam-bang finale mostly compensates for the fuzzy focus of this installment ... Plenty of loose ends are dangled for future volumes as Constance and Beulah both make peace with their pasts and plans to move forward. A bit messy, but perhaps required to recalibrate this deservedly popular series for future volumes.
A thrilling mix of history and feminism, this new 'Kopp' story contains the same captivating storytelling as the first one, with plenty of nuggets for series fans.
