RosietheRivetermeetsALeagueofTheirOwninNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorJenniferChiaverini’slivelyandilluminatingnovelaboutthe“munitionettes“whobuiltbombsinBritain’sarsenalsduringWorldWarI,riskingtheirlivesforthewareffortanddiscoveringcamaraderieandcourageonthefootballpitch.EarlyintheGreatWar,menleftBritain’sfactoriesindrovestoenlist.Strugglingtokeepupproduction,arsenalshiredwomentobuildtheweaponsthemilitaryurgentlyneeded.“BetheGirlBehindtheManBehindtheGun,“therecruitmentpostersbeckoned.Thousandsofwomen--cooks,maids,shopgirls,andhousewives--answeredtheirnation’scall.These“munitionettes“workedgruelingshiftsoftensevendaysaweek,handlingTNTandotherexplosiveswithlittleprotectivegear.Amongthemisnineteen-year-oldformerhousemaidAprilTipton.ImpressedbyherfriendMarjorie’sdescriptionsofhigherwages,plentifulmeals,andcomfortablelodgings,shetakesajobatThornshireArsenalnearLondon,fillingshellsintheDangerBuilding--difficult,dangerous,andabsolutelyessentialwork.JoiningthemisLucyDempsey,wifeofDanielDempsey,OlympicgoldmedalistandstarforwardofTottenhamHotspur.WithDanielawayservingintheFootballers’Battalion,Lucyresolvestodoherbittohastentheendofthewar.Whenhercoworkerslearnsheisafootballer’swife,theyinvitehertojointhearsenalladies’footballclub,theThornshireCanaries.TheCanariessoonacquireanunexpectedfanintheboss’swife,HelenPurcell,whoisdeeplytroubledbyreportsthatDangerBuildingworkerssufferfromserious,unexplainedillnesses.Onecommonsymptom,theluridyellowhueoftheirskin,earnsthemthenickname“canarygirls.“Suspectingaconnectionbetweenthecanarygirls’maladiesandthechemicalstheyhandle,Helenjoinsthearsenaladministrationastheirstaunchest,thoughoftenunappreciated,advocate.Thefootballpitchistheoneplacewhereclassdistinctionsandfearsfortheirmenfallaway.Asthewargrindsonandtragedytakesitstoll,theCanaryGirlspersistdespitethedangers,proudtoserve,determinedtooutlivethewarandrejoiceinvictoryandpeace.
