After an unwanted southern migration, an upside-down world in 1943 offers military wife and mother, Maggie Slone, a job at Charlotte's largest wartime employer--the massive and dangerous Shell Assembly Plant. Meanwhile, military wife and Alabama native, Kora Bell's steadfast determination enables her to navigate the challenges she faces as a Black woman seeking employment under Jim Crow. A shared love of literature begins an unlikely friendship between Kora and Maggie, and the two work together to unify the plant's workforce. Stringent rules are necessary when the air is charged with gun powder and polite society, until Maggie and Kora must break them in order to support their families, end the war, and bring their husbands home. Told from two perspectives, Poster Girls is driven by the true but forgotten events and accomplishments of a diverse group of American women, both relevant and necessary to stop modern cycles of misundestanding.

Cynical young gossip columnist Jane Benjamin joins FDR’s Office of War Information, a propaganda unit, to find a Wendy-the-Welder poster girl to urge more women to the shipyard work essential to America’s winning World War II—and, incidentally, to make herself into the new Hedda Hopper. But somebody doesn’t want those women at work. During a five-day contest to beat the world speed record for building a liberty ship, Jane investigates the lives of the first women welders and learns more about her flyboy former lover’s secret post–Pearl Harbor mission—and her cynicism begins to melt. But when inspectors find and publicize a series of flaws in the contest-week welding, the women welders are blamed. Worse, two poster girl candidates are killed. Are they being sabotaged by a belligerent male shipyard supervisor? The industrialist shipyard owner with a history of controlling women? Or someone else trying to diminish the success of the US liberty ship program? To find out, Jane must choose between her professional ambition and service to the women welders—before the murderer harms another girl and America’s best chance of winning the war.

Beccy Cole's inspirational memoir from the heart of Australian country music. Beccy Cole has country music in her blood. Daughter of a country music star, Carole Sturtzel, she is one of the most popular country singer-songwriters in Australia today. This is the story of her life - in her own words. At fourteen, Beccy was performing in her mother's group, Wild Oats. By her late teens, Beccy had teamed up with the Dead Ringer Band - Kasey Chambers' family band - and had attracted the attention of the country music world by winning the Star Maker quest: the same award that started the careers of Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, James Blundell and Gina Jeffreys. It was just the first of many awards and accolades for this multitalented woman with a big heart. With refreshing candour, Beccy shares her story: leaving everything she knew to pursue her dream, making a name for herself with her own band; her marriage and motherhood; her subsequent divorce, becoming a single mother and maintaining the nurturing love of family. Performing for the Australian troops in Afghanistan. Coming out, and what it has meant for her and her fans. Taking control of her own life - and finding love. Heartfelt and honest, Poster Girl is the inspirational memoir of a strong woman who epitomises the authentic spirit of country music, and of Australia.

OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK! Having begun his plan to turn Omui into an independent trade hub, Haruka sets about improving the local shopping facilities in record time. But his behavior doesn't go unnoticed, and the lord of an exploitative neighboring territory doesn't take kindly to the idea of Omui going independent. Cue the deployment of an invisible menace... One who relentlessly takes notes! Haruka can't exactly enjoy his loner life with a stalker shadowing him at every turn, but what's a man to do? Our hapless hero decides to just go about his business diving for more dungeon treasures. Surely the situation will just solve itself, right? Right?

The Connors used to be lucky. People came from miles around to stay in their hotel and bask in the light of its luck-granting chandelier. But the family feuded over who would inherit the chandelier, and when Great-grandpa Edmonton died, it, too, was lost. Ever since that day, the Connors’ luck became a curse. For twelve-year-old Shiloh Connor’s family, this means having to move every year, and never getting to stay in a forever home. It means unexpected allergic reactions, like rashes around the color yellow, or bad spelling after eating cranberries. Worst of all, Shiloh herself is gradually becoming invisible. When word reaches them that the chandelier has been sighted, Shiloh sees her chance to lift the curse and get the luck back. That is—unless her no-good cousins get to it first. (For ages 9-12)

Practical, inspiring ideas for making your wedding more meaningful—and less money-draining. Goodbye, caterers. So long, wedding coordinators. Here is the bride’s guide to thinking outside the wedding-industry box. In this, the only comprehensive do-it-yourself wedding book, you’ll find everything you need to pull off a personalized celebration. No cookie-cutter weddings here! With how-to info on flowers, invites, food, the ceremony, and more, The DIY Wedding makes it easy to spend less and create an event that is entirely original. Inspiring ideas, countless resources, budgeting tips, contract templates, plus start-to-finish projects ease the planning pressure. Say “I do”—do-it-yourself style!

Open from 1942 until 1945, the Hollywood Canteen was the most famous of the patriotic home front nightclubs where civilian hostesses jitterbugged with enlisted men of the Allied Nations. Since the opening night, when the crowds were so thick that Bette Davis had to enter through the bathroom window to give her welcome speech, the storied dance floor where movie stars danced with soldiers has been the subject of much U.S. nostalgia about the "Greatest Generation." Drawing from oral histories with civilian volunteers and military guests who danced at the wartime nightclub, Sherrie Tucker explores how jitterbugging swing culture has come to represent the war in U.S. national memory. Yet her interviewees' varied experiences and recollections belie the possibility of any singular historical narrative. Some recall racism, sexism, and inequality on the nightclub's dance floor and in Los Angeles neighborhoods, dynamics at odds with the U.S. democratic, egalitarian ideals associated with the Hollywood Canteen and the "Good War" in popular culture narratives. For Tucker, swing dancing's torque—bodies sharing weight, velocity, and turning power without guaranteed outcomes—is an apt metaphor for the jostling narratives, different perspectives, unsteady memories, and quotidian acts that comprise social history.

In more than nine decades of Girl Scouting, a vast popular and material culture has given rise to a wealth of Girl Scout history collections. More than an identification guide to uniforms, insignia, and other Girl Scout objects, this work also documents when changes occurred and why new items were introduced. Placing these objects in context, this essential guide provides a discerning look at the history and development of the Girl Scout Movement in the United States. Scholars and aficionados of Girl Scout history, costume history, women's studies, popular culture, and dress will welcome this indispensable and definitive resource. This new, expanded edition, with hundreds of illustrations, photographs, and tables, is indisputably the go-to source for information on all Girl Scout uniforms, insignia, awards, and handbooks, as well as dolls, postcards, posters, calendars, and more--from the founding of the Girl Scouts in 1912 through the present day. "An invaluable resource to Girl Scout councils managing a history collection. And, beyond that . . . an informative and intriguing glimpse . . . into the evolution of a Movement that . . . today is the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls." --Cynthia B. Thompson, chair, National Board of Directors, and Kathy Cloninger, national chief executive officer, GSUSA "An indispensable reference for collectors; a fascinating resource for anyone interested in Girl Scouting, this comprehensive guide to Girl Scout memorabilia is firmly grounded in the history of the Girl Scouts of the United States. Mary Degenhardt and Judith Kirsch show us what Girl Scouts wore and read, and explain how changes in uniforms, insignia, and publications reflect the evolution of Girl Scout programs and the expansion of opportunities for American girls. Reading this book is like walking through a fine museum where material culture brings the past to life." --Anastatia Sims, author of Negotiating Boundaries of Southern Womanhood