Gone to Soldiers

Gone to Soldiers follows multiple characters during World War II through interconnected narratives that span the globe. The stories take place across various theaters of war including France, the Pacific, and the American home front. Each chapter alternates between different perspectives, including a female pilot ferrying planes, a French Jewish teenager in the Resistance, a military intelligence officer, and factory workers in Detroit. The characters' paths intersect at key moments while they navigate their individual challenges and roles in the war effort. The novel integrates historical events and military campaigns with personal experiences and relationships. Through detailed research, Piercy presents both combat operations and domestic life during wartime. The narrative examines gender roles, Jewish identity, and social transformation during a pivotal moment in history. The book raises questions about how war shapes individuals and society while highlighting perspectives often overlooked in traditional war literature.

Readers appreciate the detailed research and multiple narrative perspectives that bring different aspects of WWII to life, particularly the often-overlooked roles of women during the war. Many note the book's authentic portrayal of both combat experiences and home front struggles. Common praise focuses on the character development and how the storylines interconnect. Readers mention becoming invested in specific characters, particularly Bernice and Jacqueline. Several reviews highlight the depiction of women in manufacturing and intelligence roles. Main criticisms include the book's length (770 pages), difficulty keeping track of multiple characters, and slow pacing in certain sections. Some readers report abandoning the book due to its complexity. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.24/5 (5,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (430+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.1/5 (900+ ratings) Reader quote: "The characters feel like real people who lived through one of history's most significant events. The women's stories especially ring true." - Goodreads reviewer

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🔹 Marge Piercy interviewed over 100 World War II veterans and survivors while researching the novel, spending more than five years gathering firsthand accounts and historical details. 🔹 The book weaves together ten different narratives, including those of women who worked in factories, a female pilot, a Jewish resistance fighter, and a male war correspondent, offering a comprehensive view of both the home front and battlefields. 🔹 The novel's title "Gone to Soldiers" comes from a traditional Yiddish folksong that was popular during WWII, reflecting the book's significant focus on Jewish characters and experiences during the Holocaust. 🔹 Despite its epic length (769 pages), the book became a New York Times Best Seller and is considered one of the most ambitious literary works about World War II written from multiple female perspectives. 🔹 The character Bernice's storyline as a female pilot was based on the real-life Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), who flew military aircraft during WWII but weren't officially recognized as veterans until 1977.