The 150,000 women who served in the Women's Army Corps are now seen as the undersung heroes of the Second World War. This memoir describes the life of a WAC enlistee who would serve in England when it came under attack, France immediately after the Allied invasion, and Germany after VE Day. From her experience in basic training in Daytona Beach to the climactic moment when she saw the Statue of Liberty as her ship approached American shores upon her return home, this work provides a glimpse into the life of a woman in uniform during this crucial time in American history.

War, tragedy and a shameful secret... When Molly Mason's father dies in a pit accident, she is left penniless and alone. She finds work in a local factory, and cheap lodgings .However, when Molly rejects her new landlord's advances, his revenge is swift: she finds herself accused of theft and thrown in prison. As the prospect of war grows ever close, Molly finds herself fighting a more personal battle, trying to find anyone willing to overlook her scandalous past...

A group of 20 Irish immigrants, suspected of comprising a secret terrorist organization called the "Molly Maguires", were executed in Pennsylvania in the 1870s for the murder of 16 men. This work offers a new interpretation of their dramatic story, tracing the origins of the Molly Maguires to Ireland and explaining the growth of a particular structure of meaning.

Publisher Description

Easter 1916. The Great War rages in Europe with two hundred thousand Irishmen fighting in the British Army. But a small group of Irish nationalists refuse to fight for Britain and strike a blow for Irish freedom. Caught up in the action in Dublin, is twelve-year-old Molly O’Donovan. Her own family is plunged into danger on both sides of the conflict. Her father, a technical officer with the Post Office dodges the crossfire as he tries to restore the telegraph lines while her wayward brother runs messages for the rebels. Molly a trained First Aider, risks her own safety to help the wounded on both sides. As violence and looting erupts in the streets of Dublin alongside heroism and high ideals, Molly records it all. The Proclamation at the GPO, the battle of Mount Street, the arrival of the British Troops. But will Molly’s own family survive and will she be able to save her brother? This is her diary.

Short stories tell how Molly deals with change when World War Two sends her father overseas and her mother into the Red Cross, and how she learns to be responsible, a good student, and a good friend.

Even though he is away serving in an English hospital during World War II, Molly's father finds a way to make the family Christmas very special.