The New York Times Book Review - Keith O'Brien
In A Thousand Sisters, Wein has finally written the nonfiction narrative that seems to have been living inside her. Young adult readers are going to appreciate it: a powerful tale about real women who waged war against the Nazis, and won.…Wein hasn't just brought a lost generation of airwomen back to life. A Thousand Sisters should inspire a new generation of young girls—and boys, too. This story proves what every child should know: A woman can do anything.
From the Publisher
A masterful writer of fiction turns her powers to nonfiction (that alone is cause for celebration) to tell us an action-packed World War II story, full of thrills and tragedy, over-the-top heroism and tiny details that make her scenes and people come to life.” — Steve Sheinkin, author of Bomb and Undefeated
“What a writer! And an historian, too! Told through the superbly researched, powerful and poignant stories of the women involved, Elizabeth Wein gives due to the Soviet Union’s valiant women flyers of World War II.” — Candace Fleming, award-winning author of The Family Romanov
“A powerful tale…. This story proves what every child should know: A woman can do anything.” — New York Times Book Review
“A richly detailed work of nonfiction.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“[A] complex and inspiring story...This important book soars.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Wein relates episodes of daring, heroism, and tragedy that fully match male-centric war stories but also acknowledges that there were gender-related tensions to be overcome regarding competitive flyboys and skeptical commanders.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Exceptionally well researched … [and] packed with lively detail.” — ALA Booklist
“[An] affecting introduction to these courageous, determined pilots, mechanics, and navigators.” — Publishers Weekly
“An easy, friendly writing style — deceptive, given the acuity of Wein’s perceptions and the extent of the material she manages — invites readers into the company of a formidable sisterhood.” — Horn Book Magazine
ALA Booklist
Exceptionally well researched … [and] packed with lively detail.
Horn Book Magazine
An easy, friendly writing style — deceptive, given the acuity of Wein’s perceptions and the extent of the material she manages — invites readers into the company of a formidable sisterhood.
New York Times Book Review
A powerful tale…. This story proves what every child should know: A woman can do anything.
Steve Sheinkin
A masterful writer of fiction turns her powers to nonfiction (that alone is cause for celebration) to tell us an action-packed World War II story, full of thrills and tragedy, over-the-top heroism and tiny details that make her scenes and people come to life.
Candace Fleming
What a writer! And an historian, too! Told through the superbly researched, powerful and poignant stories of the women involved, Elizabeth Wein gives due to the Soviet Union’s valiant women flyers of World War II.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Wein relates episodes of daring, heroism, and tragedy that fully match male-centric war stories but also acknowledges that there were gender-related tensions to be overcome regarding competitive flyboys and skeptical commanders.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Wein relates episodes of daring, heroism, and tragedy that fully match male-centric war stories but also acknowledges that there were gender-related tensions to be overcome regarding competitive flyboys and skeptical commanders.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Wein relates episodes of daring, heroism, and tragedy that fully match male-centric war stories but also acknowledges that there were gender-related tensions to be overcome regarding competitive flyboys and skeptical commanders.
Kirkus Reviews
2018-10-23
In her first work of nonfiction for teens, Wein (The Last Jedi, 2017, etc.) details the complex and inspiring story of the only women combat pilots of World War II.
The "Great Patriotic War" was already under way by the time Marina Raskova—a famous, record-breaking pilot—convinced the Soviet Union to create women's air regiments. Using photographs and primary source quotations, Wein brings these regiments of young women to life, tracing their harrowing experiences before, during, and after the war. A detailed overview of the Russian political and social landscape in the first half of the 20th century is interwoven throughout the narrative, contextualizing the Soviet Union's involvement in World War II. Wein thoughtfully addresses her readers' contemporary understanding of identity politics, acknowledging the homogeneity of her white (despite the ethnic diversity of the USSR), straight subjects and the ways that Soviet ideologies about gender align with or differ from the expectations of contemporary American readers. The Soviet women's experiences are placed in context through comparisons with the roles of women pilots in the Royal Air Force and the United States military. Vivid descriptions of their personal sacrifices and the deep bonds they formed connect readers to the story. Careful footnotes provide information about unfamiliar vocabulary, and pagelong sidebars round out the history with tangential but fascinating facts.
For readers invested in military and/or feminist history, this important book soars. (source notes, bibliography) (History. 14-18)
