In Their Own Words

The contributions of American women to World War I often are neglected, perhaps because of a mistaken impression that as the official U.S. participation was two years in duration, its female contribution must be equally short. The few collections of World War I writings by women are composed of mostly British contributors, with only a few American women represented, and even those tend to be only the most prominent (e.g., Edith Wharton). The Department of Veterans Affairs report "America's Women Veterans" states that more than 10,000 American women served in the war; of the nearly 200 listed as casualties, four occurred under combat conditions. Countless others worked in private or nongovernmental relief efforts or in initiatives connected to Allied nations. Still others reported on the war.

In Their Own Words: American Women in World War I restores American women's role in the war through their first-person accounts, thus providing a fuller picture of their participation.

"Reading these letters I have never been more grateful to have lived most of my life in times of peace. The horrors of war are brought passionately to the heart and to the senses. Yet the selfless and inexhaustible courage of the women in this book set a beacon of such light I too want to excel, to be all that I possibly can. Could a book give any greater gift?" Anne Perry, author, Reavley WWI quintet

About the Editor
Writer-editor Elizabeth Foxwell's interest in women's contributions to World War I was sparked by the work of Testament of Youth author Vera Brittain; her Georgetown master's thesis on Brittain's World War II period received distinction. A specialist in the history of mystery/detective fiction and the recipient of Agatha and Dove awards, she lives outside of Washington, DC.