Please read the latest review of Mollie’s War.  Thank you, Anastasia for a wonderful review:

A tale well told, May 22, 2013   By Anastasia

Countless books have been written about World War II. Myriad movies have covered any and all aspects of the war from The Longest Day to Schindler’s List. Some give us the grand picture while others focus on one aspect or issue. Mollie’s War, a personal collection of letters written during World War II, gives the reader insight into a little-known yet essential branch of the army, the Women’s Army Corps. But even more than that, this collection of sisterly correspondence transports us to a stressful yet somehow more innocent time. Through her letters, Mollie emerges as a real person, a young Jewish girl from Detroit who surprisingly enlists as a WAC and recounts her experiences in boot camp and in the European theater. The phrasing and slang of the times makes the reader experience every detail right along with Mollie.

I had four uncles in World War II, one in Europe, three in the Pacific. Thankfully, they all came home and lived good, long lives. They wrote letters but we could seldom get them to talk about the war. Since I wasn’t born until after the war, I have no personal frame of reference. Reading Mollie’s book changed all that. A real person emerged: a person full of life, and spunk, and dedication and patriotism. How grateful I am that she and her sister saved all their letters, and that she and her daughter compiled them into this amazing memoir.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Cyndee Schaffer honored her mother’s service in the WAC (Women’s Army Corps) from 1943-1945 by compiling her letters into the book “Mollie’s War: The Letters of a World War II WAC in Europe.” Watch a special presentation by Cyndee here:
http://ow.ly/kxPvJ

I was at the Pritzker Military Library on Friday for a wonderful program—Destination Unknown, the letters of a Red Cross girl.   Her daughter, Kathie Cox gave the presentation.   Amazing how similar her mother and my mother were in their determination to help the United States in WWII.    And how well they each documented their experiences….

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day (March 8, 2013) and I am happy to say that I will be spending it at a Women Veteran’s Tea with women veterans of different eras attending.   It is held at the Evanston Vet Center on Howard Street in Evanston.

Thank you to good friend and fellow author, Barbara Froman (author of Shadows and Ghosts), for asking me to write a guest post on her blog.   Please read my guest post in Barbara Froman’s blog:
http://beyondwillowbend.blogspot.com/2013/02/guest-post-by-cyndee-schaffer-my-mama.html

My friend from Phoenix just called me.    She saw “Mollie’s War” on sale on ebay for from $41.86 to $93.15.    Quite amazing.    Wonder if they will sell any copies?    Please let me know if you want to purchase an autographed copy from me for much much less!
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Mollies-War-The-Letters-of-a-World-War-II-WAC-in-Europe-2010-Paperback-/102892875?_tab=1&_trksid=p2047675.l2644#alurl-/ctg/Mollies-War-Letters-World-War-II-WAC-Europe-2010-Paperback-/102892875?rt=nc&_dmpt=US_Nonfiction_Book&_pcategid=378&_pcatid=4&_pdpal=1&_sgz=1&_trksid=p5360.c0.m312-state-15_all_qqq_qqq

I just want to share an experience from the round table discussion with WWII Veterans at the Wilmette Library last week. One of the gentleman shared a story—he received a note from President Obama congratulating him on his 100th birthday!
I had such a good time sharing “Mollie’s War” with the WWII Veterans. They all commented that they knew the women soldiers had a tough job.

I met a gentleman, Phil Wertz, at the Lincolnshire Morning Star Rotary where I spoke this morning.   He mentioned that the Wilmette Library has a roundtable discussion with WWII Veterans the third Wednesday of the month and asked me if I could present my program next Wednesday (January 16) at 10 AM.   I am very excited to speak to Veterans about my mother and the role of women in military during WWII.  He said that there are only two women who attend but neither of them were Veterans.

“Mollie’s War” is now being promoted on the askdavid website.   For more information, please view:
http://askdavid.com/reviews/book/world-war-ii/3365

 “The services were conducted in a synagogue which was spared in the fires set by the Nazis Nov. 9, 1938, in nearly every synagogue in Germany. The New Year’s services were combined with a rededication of the synagogue. Chaplain Vida (Army) and Dr. Neuhaus (Frankfurt civilian rabbi) conducted services. The services were certainly well attended by our Army and Navy personnel. There were a lot of high ranking officers there, too. As for the civilian Jews, there were very few left to attend from this once large community of 34,000 Jews. Beck, these Jews were not dramatic, nor did they carry-on, but one could discern readily the untold suffering they had experienced these many years. They held their heads high—and we were all proud to be a part of them. Yes, the Germans watched us walking in the synagogue and out—they were hanging out of their windows eyeing us carefully. Not one remark was passed; nor did they even speak amongst themselves, that is, while we stared back at them. This was a great day and one I shall never forget. Although I really didn’t want to come to Germany, it was worth it just to see all this.”