Most books on World War II focus on the fighting. This book takes a different approach and focuses on what was happening in the United States from the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the death of President Roosevelt. I found it interesting to compare certain aspects of how people reacted during this time to the 2020 pandemic. This book brought up important historical events such as how women got involved in the war, how people learned to be resourceful with rubber in short supply and scrap metal being collected for war materials. Innocent Japanese Americans were sent to camps, and food rationing with stamp booklets were the norm in grocery stores. Many people planted Victory gardens with any available space.

A family in the book from Long Island had five sons that went to war. All returned. Other families were not as lucky.
New York City was alive and welcoming with broadway shows.

Science discoveries such as air conditioning, computers, radar, and medical research happened during this time.

It’s not surprising that we tend to forget times past, but it was a part of our past, just like how one day the 2020 pandemic will be part of history and will be another time we persevered and made it through.