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briarwren's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
lbolesta's review against another edition
2.0
Didn't like the sideplot and I hope the character isn't in the following books.
holly_keimig's review against another edition
4.0
So, I don't think I could have picked a better time to read about preparing for a war. The world is crazy right now with everyone quarantined at home to help wage war on a virus we know very little of. The parallels in this book are not hard to spot. I always enjoy these novels and this one was no exception. It traces the Kopp sisters in a training camp for women as they prepare to help with the war effort in 1917. The story focuses on another girl that ends up as their tentmate and shows her story of healing, while also showing what the Kopp sisters have to do to come to terms with the wars raging inside them as well as the literal war at their doorstep. I always especially love the part at the end of each book where Stewart details what parts of the book are based on real events. It adds so much to the story. If you haven't picked up this series yet, you really should. An inspiring look at the early war effort from the perspective of women.
kleonard's review against another edition
5.0
Hurrah for the return of the Kopp sisters, who in this latest book are off to a women's national service camp on the eve of WWI. Constance soon finds herself in charge of the operation, while her sisters throw themselves into their various passions with gusto. Constance soon finds that she enjoys teaching hand-to-hand combat and firearms safety and skills, and by the end of the book has decided where her future might lie. Along the way, there's the story of a former sex worker who rose to fame as the "other woman" in a murder case, and her fears of being discovered, which of course she is, albeit only by Constance and a few trusted others. As always, the book is well-written and engaging, and historically engaged. Readers don't have to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this one, although it would help to explain a few things glossed over in this book. I can't wait to read the next one.
majo_barr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
princessfabulous's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
geisttull's review against another edition
3.0
I love this series. this one captures the kopp sisters' personality, but i miss their usual roles.
toniclark's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, this was just wonderful! I was a little worried about whether this book would live up to my expectations, since Sheriff Heath had been voted out of office and Constance had lost her job. I wondered whether the sisters’ stint at a military-style training camp would be anywhere near as interesting as what I’d enjoyed of their lives in the past. I needn’t have worried. Amy Stewart has come through with a most engaging and satisfying story. One of my favorites in the series. She’s a wonderful writer and a master at blending fact and fiction to create a compelling story and unforgettable characters full of charm and wit. These are among my all-time favorite novels. (As soon as I read the first one, in digital format, I bought the hardcover and have preordered every one since.)
I can think of very few other authors of whose novels I’ve read five or more, at least not since my teen years. (Margaret Atwood is one, and Stephanie Barron another. And short story collections by Alice Munro. I can’t think of anyone else!)
Given the end of Kopp Sisters on the March, I’m guessing that a sixth Constance Kopp book in the works, and I hope we won’t have to wait too long!
I can think of very few other authors of whose novels I’ve read five or more, at least not since my teen years. (Margaret Atwood is one, and Stephanie Barron another. And short story collections by Alice Munro. I can’t think of anyone else!)
Given the end of Kopp Sisters on the March, I’m guessing that a sixth Constance Kopp book in the works, and I hope we won’t have to wait too long!
lisawreading's review against another edition
4.0
Long live the Kopp sisters! This brilliant series continues strong, as fearless Constance Kopp and her sisters Norma and Fleurette leave behind their New Jersey farm to attend a women's training camp. The US is on the verge of joining the war in Europe. Young women, mostly of privileged families, sign up to attend a National Service School to learn military bed-making, bandage-rolling, and some basics about marching in formation and understanding signalling.
For most of these women, it's not particularly serious. Most will go back home to mommy and daddy afterward -- but for some, it's a stepping stone to sailing for France, where they hope to join the war effort in whatever way they can. And for one woman in Kopp Sisters on the March, the camp and France represent an escape from her intolerable, scandal-ridden life.
When the Kopp sisters arrive at camp, it's the year after Constance has lost her job as a sheriff's deputy, after the election of a new sheriff who has no interest in or tolerance for women in law enforcement. Constance is adrift and rather hopeless, until she ends up being put in charge of the camp after the camp matron is injured. Under Constance's direction, the camp takes on a more disciplined and focused feel, and she even introduces secret hand-to-hand combat and shooting lessons for the small group of women who are determined to be taken seriously and prepare themselves for the war.
The narrative is split between Constance and her sisters and the historical figure Beulah Binford. As the author explains in her notes, there's no record of the real-life Beulah attending such a camp, but it seems like a great fit for her to place her in this story. Beulah was the "other woman" in a highly publicized murder case, and while she was never charged with a crime, she was dragged through the papers and became one of the most notorious women of the time, forcing her to live under assumed identities and live in hiding. I didn't realize until I got to the end of the book and read the notes that Beulah was a real person -- this made her parts of the story all the more fascinating and tragic, seeing how an uneducated, resourceless woman could end up having her life so thoroughly ruined.
It's a bit jarring to have the action in a Kopp sisters book move away from law enforcement and local police work to a military setting, but it tracks with the timeline of the real Kopp sisters, and seems like a natural choice for them in the context of the US's war preparations. As always, Constance is a strong character who doesn't back down and who is determined to improve the lives of the women around her. I'm less fond of her sisters -- Fleurette is flighty as always, and Norma and her pigeon-obsession are a bit much to take -- but their family dynamics are always fun.
As with the previous four books, I listened to the audiobook version, becuase the narrator is so gifted when it comes to portraying the sisters and the various other characters. As I mentioned in my reviews of the other audiobooks, she makes each character come alive, and as a listener, I really got the essence of each character's personality through Chrsitina Moore's presentation.
The author's notes at the end of the book are essential reading (as they are in all of the Kopp Sisters books). Amy Stewart provides the historical context, explains her research, and makes clear which parts of her story are from the record and which are her invention. It's fascinating to see how she so skillfully weaves together fact and fiction, and really remarkable to learn just how much of these women's lives actually happened.
And as I've said in each review I've written for the books in this series:
If you haven't had the pleasure of reading the Kopp Sisters books yet, start with Girl Waits With Gun, and then keep going!
For most of these women, it's not particularly serious. Most will go back home to mommy and daddy afterward -- but for some, it's a stepping stone to sailing for France, where they hope to join the war effort in whatever way they can. And for one woman in Kopp Sisters on the March, the camp and France represent an escape from her intolerable, scandal-ridden life.
When the Kopp sisters arrive at camp, it's the year after Constance has lost her job as a sheriff's deputy, after the election of a new sheriff who has no interest in or tolerance for women in law enforcement. Constance is adrift and rather hopeless, until she ends up being put in charge of the camp after the camp matron is injured. Under Constance's direction, the camp takes on a more disciplined and focused feel, and she even introduces secret hand-to-hand combat and shooting lessons for the small group of women who are determined to be taken seriously and prepare themselves for the war.
The narrative is split between Constance and her sisters and the historical figure Beulah Binford. As the author explains in her notes, there's no record of the real-life Beulah attending such a camp, but it seems like a great fit for her to place her in this story. Beulah was the "other woman" in a highly publicized murder case, and while she was never charged with a crime, she was dragged through the papers and became one of the most notorious women of the time, forcing her to live under assumed identities and live in hiding. I didn't realize until I got to the end of the book and read the notes that Beulah was a real person -- this made her parts of the story all the more fascinating and tragic, seeing how an uneducated, resourceless woman could end up having her life so thoroughly ruined.
It's a bit jarring to have the action in a Kopp sisters book move away from law enforcement and local police work to a military setting, but it tracks with the timeline of the real Kopp sisters, and seems like a natural choice for them in the context of the US's war preparations. As always, Constance is a strong character who doesn't back down and who is determined to improve the lives of the women around her. I'm less fond of her sisters -- Fleurette is flighty as always, and Norma and her pigeon-obsession are a bit much to take -- but their family dynamics are always fun.
As with the previous four books, I listened to the audiobook version, becuase the narrator is so gifted when it comes to portraying the sisters and the various other characters. As I mentioned in my reviews of the other audiobooks, she makes each character come alive, and as a listener, I really got the essence of each character's personality through Chrsitina Moore's presentation.
The author's notes at the end of the book are essential reading (as they are in all of the Kopp Sisters books). Amy Stewart provides the historical context, explains her research, and makes clear which parts of her story are from the record and which are her invention. It's fascinating to see how she so skillfully weaves together fact and fiction, and really remarkable to learn just how much of these women's lives actually happened.
And as I've said in each review I've written for the books in this series:
If you haven't had the pleasure of reading the Kopp Sisters books yet, start with Girl Waits With Gun, and then keep going!