Reviews

Good Night, Irene: A Novel by Luis Alberto Urrea

thesandymorello's review against another edition

4.0

This is such a satisfying novel. Based in 1943, Irene enlist with the Red Cross. She makes friends with Dorothy and together they become are part of an elite group of women - The Donut Dollies.

Inspired by his mother's own Red Cross experience, Urrea delivers an amazing story about women's heroism in WW II.

Urrea is also a creative writing professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Oh how I would love to take his class!

I listen to this on LibroFM ❤️

pegish's review against another edition

5.0

[b:Good Night, Irene|63023640|Good Night, Irene|Luis Alberto Urrea|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1680589126l/63023640._SY75_.jpg|91330399] This was a life interrupter book for me but I didn't zing through it as I wanted to savor the story. I loved the characters, the story, the details of war and war equipment, etc. It is based on a true story with very little information left of the Red Cross' Donut Trucks, but there was information to flesh out the stories based on different people but rolled into the fictional characters to carry the load.

djhalp111's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.25

bethtate's review against another edition

5.0

Goodnight, Irene is an historical fiction account of women who joined the Red Cross during WWII, providing coffee, donuts and American voices for the soldiers in Europe. This was a wonderful story filled with joy and heartbreak, intense at times, lighthearted at others. I recommend it highly.

shannon_heupel's review against another edition

emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

lovegr8tbks's review against another edition

5.0

Loved the book. I had never heard of these women before. Another great story of women doing their part during the war

left3000's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

nansjemma's review against another edition

2.0

DNF at 53%. Disappointed, as I LOVED other works by this author.

bangkok67's review against another edition

5.0

Good Night, Irene started slowly but built with surprises as each chapter took me further into WWII and the dangers American women encountered. Irene and Dorothy never met until they were grouped in New York as volunteers for the Red Cross. The two women and many more signed on to help even though they didn't have nursing skills and had no intention of being in the middle of combat.

The Red Cross assigned Irene and Dorothy to groups called "Donut Dollies." The mission of these women was to travel to assigned destinations to make coffee and donuts for the GIs. They were not expected to nurse soldiers; their remit was to serve coffee, smile, and be cheerful. The women were given a bus to drive fitted with coffee urns and donut mixers. The story is paced just right, with all the elements of a budding friendship and fleeting love amid the horrors of war.

I love LAU's writing style and stayed glued to the book, enjoying it all. This will be a hit for those who love historical fiction, good novels about female heroes, and love.

The publisher provided this ARC via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It comes out on May 30, 2023

tonyakp39's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0