Lumber Jills: The Unsung Heroines of World War II
by Alexandra Davis ill Katie Hickey
Two hands willing to work and one stout heart.
 | During World War II, 8,500 British girls joined the little-known Women’s Timber Corps. They were armed with nothing but four-and-a-half pound axes, six-pound saws, and the willingness to pick them up. The average Lumber Jill was eighteen years old, and while these girls came from all walks of life, most of them had never lifted an axe before. Author's Note Lumber Jills: The Unsung Heroines of World War II is the story of women whose service to their country is less well-known. None-the-less, their story is intriguing. Davis frames her rhythmic text within a numerical construct. Beginning with "one pair of woolen socks pulled up to the knee," she chronicles the work of young British girls who volunteered to support the war effort by felling and cutting trees, then hauling the logs to the mill by wagon teams. |
What begins as four brown boots, multiplies into sixteen train cars and then twenty-seven new girls signing up to serve. The number of girls rapidly increases throughout the pages. Two hundred cheerful girls learning the basics of logging, doubles to four hundred and eventually reaches two thousand Lumber Jills.
By the book's conclusion these girls have cut ten million trees, which are used to create telephone poles, roadblocks, pitprops, crates, fences and gates. An extraordinary accomplishment. While the mathematical details are interesting, it is the combined efforts of these young women, willing to leave home, learn new skills, and work together in support of their country that is most impressive.
| Hickey maintains a forest-inspired color palette: primarily using greens and browns. Girls wear thick sweaters and loose-fitting pants tucked inside boots. Every face has rosy cheeks. All appear to be smiling. Nothing seems difficult or particularly disagreeable. The rhythmic quality of the text makes it an excellent choice for reading aloud. Numerical factoids scattered throughout the pages could serve as the basis for an interesting Infographic. An Author's Note fleshes out the story, providing additional background material. It is worth noting that Davis mentions women throughout North American who were involved in the timber industry, before and during World War II. | |
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March , 2019 Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company ISBN: 978-0807547953
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