The first time I’ve ever read about the telephone operators that worked the lines during WWI was when I read GIRLS ON THE LINE by Aimie Runyan. I really like Runyan’s writing style. The characters are fully developed and the scenic descriptions are very vivid. But the things I liked most about the story were the historical references and the relationships in this novel. I love Ruby and Andrew and how that played out in print. I enjoyed reading the Ruby and Nathaniel interactions as well. I really liked the community of women in this novel too – supporting each other in tough times at home and abroad. There were a couple parts of the story that read a little thin but they were far between. I also liked how it ended. I will definitely read more by Runyan in the future and think this was a good historical fiction selection for book clubs and individuals to read.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This review is a few days late and for that, I apologize. Life, ya know? Released the 6th, grab this book NOW.

So, when I first started this book I thought, “Ruby has gumption” and wondered if there was a way we could bring that word back (honestly, it’s a gem). And low and behold, that word was used to describe her a few pages later. Clearly, the author does a bang up job of portraying her characters and I got it right.

I love me some historical fiction and was blown away by Runyan’s last book, Daughters of the Night Sky, so I was very excited to read this. I was not disappointed. Runyan writes about girl power in a time that needs it. Her writing fascinates me and her thorough research is clear throughout her stories. This book, Girls on the Line, is based on the Hello Girls of WWI. These ladies made it their duty to connect those on the front lines to those coordinating the battles and beyond. They went through training, they were close to combat, and had to learn and relearn more codes than you or I could ever imagine. I mean, these ladies were bad ass.

The main character Ruby is from a well to-do family of Philadelphia high society and her mother has life preplanned. She is engaged to Nathaniel and will succumb to a life of duty to her husband after the war. But then opportunities arise and (with that gumption), goes for it. And kicks ass.

Not only is Girls fascinating from beginning to end, there is a part of history I never knew about, provided to me within the fictional characters of the story. Runyan even includes a little history and background at the end, which I truly appreciated. I know I’m about to go down some rabbit holes reading up on the Hello Girls!

Girls on the Line is a phenomenal look into WWI history and I highly, highly recommend reading it. You’d be amazed at some of the issues that align with today’s climate.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

This is a great book which is appropriate to read as we remember the 100th anniversary of the first world war. The story is framed around Ruby a young American woman who has trained to operate a telephone exchange as her contribution to the war effort. Ruby had been educated and could speak fluent french. It was soon recognised that she would be an asset to the war effort in France. Ruby was delighted at the idea of being sent to France although she realised that her parents wouldn't like the idea. She was engaged to be married to a 'suitable young man' who was already fighting at the front. Eventually she went. The story develops around her life France. The other young women she met. Alongside the story about the war runs a social commentary about the life Ruby would have been expected to live in America. Women were marriage material usually to someone their parents chose. Ruby loved her parents dearly but could not bear the social norms that were expected.

The novel gives a taste of how awful it was for those fighting at the front but focuses more on the women's every day lives. Needless to say there is a love story in there as well but this is definitely not the main facet of the book.

I learnt a lot from reading it about how much was done by this group of women and how they had to fight after the war to get the recognition they deserved. It was well written and the characters came alive.as well as being informative..

INCREDIBLY MOVING!

Girls on the Line by Aimie K. Runyon is an incredibly moving novel about the trailblazing “Hello Girls” the nickname given the women operators in the Army Signal Corp in WWI. Ruby Wagner is already a trailblazer of sorts in that she works as a telephone operator and she’s engaged to the son of a well-connected family. Runyon’s exquisite historical fiction will take you on an emotional journey with Ruby as she leaves a life of privilege in Philadelphia, PA to serve her country after her brother dies in the war. She wants to serve so other families won’t have to lose sons, brothers or husbands. Ruby is sent overseas were she serves with a great group of other women who come from different backgrounds and a couple with early backgrounds in Canada. They quickly decided to pool their knowledge and hone their skills. They all understand they must work together as a team and do their very best to help get the correct information back and forth from headquarters to the front lines.

Runyon has written a beautiful novel that delves into what real life in WWI must have been like as she envelopes you into Ruby’s story. It’s as though you become one of the characters yourself! You feel the tension the “Hello Girls” are under as they continue to connect calls while having to learn to learn new complex codes sometimes on a day’s notice. They go through all the rigors of war together as they are sent to the front. The girls truly become FAMILY. You can’t go through those life-changing experiences and not be drawn together. It makes you wonder how they will ever adjust once they get to go home. What about the these bonds they’ve formed? They’re not the same innocent girls they were when they left home! Ruby has changed the most. She has made the biggest decision to change everything about the plans her parents had planned for her future. She believes she found herself and her future while overseas. A story for the ages! I was provided an ARC of this book by Lake Union Publishers and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “GIRLS ON THE LINE” By Aimie K. Runyan

Aimie K. Runyon, Author of “Girls on the Line” has written an intriguing, intense, captivating, riveting, enthralling and amazing novel. The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction and Fiction. There is a touch of Romance and Suspense. The timeline for this novel is around World War 1. The author describes her colorful cast of characters as complex and complicated, possibly due to the circumstances.

I love that Aimie K. Runyon describes the importance of women and the part they played during World War 1. Although it will be many years until women were given the same benefits as the men in the army during war, I appreciate seeing that women were heroes, and worked in dangerous situations to save their country. One of the ways that women did help out was by being switchboard operators, and constantly manning the phones.Often they had to learn new codes. The women in this story had to know French, and wound up going to France.

Ruby Wagner is one of my favorite characters in this story. She seems to exist in two types of life. One is the wealthy “line” in Philadelphia where she is engaged to a prosperous gentleman that belongs in her “circle”. After Ruby’s brother dies, Ruby is determined to do her part. The other “line” in World War 1, as an operator in horrible conditions, and in the way of bombing and fires. Ruby works hard, and becomes a supervisor, and has girls that have to follow her orders. Ruby has to follow orders as well, and at times it is difficult.

Ruby is considered one of the “Hello Girls” and sent to France. She meets and makes friends. One of them is a medic that wants to become a physician. Will Ruby’s worlds collide? I recommend this novel for those readers who enjoy Historical Fiction. I appreciate the research that the author has spent hours and hours on. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

GIRLS ON THE LINE BY AIMIE K. RUNYAN BOOK REVIEW
Mom wants a comfy life for her daughter. Too bad her daughter wants more out of life & she isn’t afraid to go out of her comfort zone to find it. Following her heart, Ruby heads to France to help the US in WW I.

MEET RUBY
First, I need to say I love Ruby. She is strong-willed, determined & so smart. Ruby is one of those rare people who doesn’t tell you how to get the job done. Instead, she shows you. As she puts in her application to be a “Hello Girl” she is fearless against every challenge that comes her way. Although I finished Girls on the Line, I’m not sure I’m ready to let go of Ruby.

SERVICE WOMEN
Let me tell you, Aimie researched the heck out of Girls on the Line. Reading through her Author’s Note is amazing. A friend sent her an article on the under-celebrated “Hello Girls”. In the 1970’s, an attorney fought for these women to receive benefits and honor for their military service. They fully deserve it.

Reading through what their job entails is intense. Imagine receiving a call, connecting the cal and translating it in a different language knowing one mistake could alter the course of the War. Throw in an everchanging system of codes to thwart spies and you’ve got yourself a very stressful work environment. Oh, and the women are working, resting, studying & sleeping- without electricity no less. Don’t get it twisted, these women play a huge role in the War. I’m glad Aimie helps bring their important story to life.

THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! Ruby is such a fantastic & memorable character. Also, I love stories (especially true!) about badass, strong women who persevere. If you’re a fan of historical fiction & strong women you’re sure to love Girls on the Line.

Be sure to check out The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. It’s another tale about undercelebrated women.

Special thanks to Aimie K. Runyan for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical and entertaining book set during the WW1.. Women were trained and sent abroad to be switchboard operators behind the lines connecting our troops to the front lines. They had to learn, almost daily, special codes to try to keep all of their conversations top secret, in case the enemy should have access to any of these calls. The operators worked many long hours, living in selective housing, having to abide by blackouts with bombs going off in the area. I'm sure it was a highly stressful job for all of them!
I was an operator for a local phone company for many years before retiring. I learned how the operators started back in the beginning using switchboards to connect calls. This sounds like the same setup in the book, so I was able to visualize them on their job.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy. My review and opinions are entirely my own.
Congratulations to the author for such an entertaining book. I strongly recommend this to anyone looking for an informative book, that also includes some romance.

I love historical fiction because it's a chance to learn something through the art of story. And by that definition, Girls on the Line excelled. On its surface, it was about friendship, romance, and family with the backdrop of World War I. But subtly, it demonstrated how women of the era had their feet in both the Victorian times and the new world. It was quite a life to straddle. Equally compelling was learning about the women who operated telephone lines even quite close to the front lines and didn't get proper recognition from the government until the 1970s. I don't say this often about a book, but put this one at the TOP of your TBR list.

Girls on The Line by Aimee Runyan tells us so much about an often overlooked piece of war history. I have seen old footage with telephone messages from the front line relaying timely and sensitive information that was essential to the war. But I never stopped to think about how in the United States at that time we still needed operators to connect a call... of course, we would need phone operators to travel with our military to help facilitate this process overseas. Runyan provides us with a great historical fiction story about a young woman who is compelled to do her part in the war. I highly recommend this book! I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

Girls on the Line by Aimie K. Runyan

Having watched my grandmother work the hospital telephone switchboard when a teen I was eager to read a book that stars a switchboard operator. I learned more about the Hello Girls and their job in the war and found their work and lives interesting. The camaraderie, effort expended, socializing, people met, impact of war and loss and so much more were intriguing. Having been through a few wars myself I could also relate to those aspects of the story even though it took place one hundred years ago. I found the writing to be well done if a bit slow in some ways. It had the feel and character of the past and was an interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

Historical fiction is my favorite genre of books to read and Girls on the Line is a book that enforces that feeling so much. This is a story woven around a fictional character, Ruby, who could easily be an actual figure from American history of the "Hello Girls" from WWI. I learned so much I had never known just reading this book.
The author takes the reader on a journey of women who want to fight for their country by using their skills as phone operators and improving communications in the heart of the war on the frontlines in France. These women are placed in conditions that were less than ideal, in areas that were less than safe and with equipment that was lacking but they were vital in winning the war.
The character of Ruby is a strong and courageous woman with a heart of compassion for her family, fellow women who serve and especially her country. Ms. Runyan has created a realistic story of what it was to be a female in a world where women weren't accepted in occupations outside of the home. From her initial start in an office being an telephone operator to the challenge of enduring the strenuous testing to be accepted to serve, and then her being shipped overseas so fulfill her obligations, Ruby shows tenacity to do what she knows is right. Throw in the story of a societal engagement to a man who goes to war and Ruby not loving him as anything other than a "friend", to falling in love with a soldier becoming a doctor, you've got a storyline that keeps the pages turning.
The setting of the war in France is well described in this novel. It's a war zone. It's not pretty. It's nerve wracking to hear the cannons, gunfire and see the killed and injured. "We can't pretend there is anything logical or just about war. It feeds on the good and the wicked alike." This novel is so realistic in that I "saw and felt" the hardships our service people endured. It's filled with wonderful characters and even a bit of an "espionage" mystery.
This is a very detailed, captivating and well written story I immensely enjoyed reading.
I want to thank Lake Union, Netgalley and Ms. Runyan so very much for the honor of reading this wonderful book.

Set towards the end of WWI, Girls on the Line was a fascinating look at the women who served as telephone operators for the U.S. Army. The story focuses on Ruby, who is engaged to Nathaniel and set to become a society wife just like her mother before her. After her brother, Francis, was killed in action, however, Ruby becomes even more restless and longs to help in the war effort. Keeping the home fires burning and knitting socks for the soldiers overseas just isn't enough for her.

Already working as a telephone operator, Ruby jumps at the chance to do her part and applies for the job. I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a woman's role in the signals corps and would highly recommend it for fans of historical fiction, strong female characters, and a bit of romance.

If you enjoyed this one, I would highly recommend Daughters of the Night Sky (4 stars) by the same author!

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Location: Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), New York City, France (Chaumont and Paris), and Germany (Coblenz)

Story of Ruby and the GIrls on the Line during World War 1.. Great historical fiction read, seems to be very well researched. A story about an unknown, ground breaking role of brave women who served their country as members of the Army Signal Corps.Very captivating! Thanks to Net Galley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read the advanced copy.

An interesting look into the “Hello Girls” of WWI - the women who join the war effort as telephone operators! This was something I really knew nothing about and found fascinating. More than the history in this novel, the relationships between Ruby Wagner and those in her life, from her wealthy Philadelphia society parents, her dear friend Evangeline who her family views as just the maid, her fiancé Nathaniel and of course, her fellow Girls on the Line, were all written so well that they truly gave life to these characters.

Girls on the Line is a beautifully written story that revolves around Ruby Wagner, a telephone operator who applied to serve with the US Army Signal Corps as an army telephone operator after the death of her brother, Francis, a soldier with the Eleventh Engineer Regiment.

I enjoyed this book very much and found it hard to put down. The story flowed so well I devoured it in one sitting. I love the characters and admired the strength and courage of the women who enlisted to serve the Signal Corps as telephone operators during WWI. I love how they supported one another. I came away from this book with a smile seeing as everything worked out pretty well for everyone in the end. I warmed up to Ruby's mother knowing she meant the best for her daughter.

The author's note at the end of this book is a must-read—It's obvious that Aimie did a great amount of research in writing Girls on the Line. The book is full of information and details to draw the reader in.

This is my first book by Aimie K. Runyan and she has become one of my favorite historical fiction writers. I look forward to reading more from her. Highly recommended to lovers of historical fiction.

Pages: 368
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (6 November 2018)

Ruby was working for the phone company and planning her future wedding when her whole world was shook up. Her brother had been killed in action. She wants to honor him by doing some service work herself. They have a need for operators overseas, too. She signs up to go and manages to pass the interview and tests. She's going overseas to France.

Lake Union Publishing and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on October 6th.

She's been part of high society at home (and bored with it) but she needn't worry about having too many luxuries in the service. She's made a chief operator and must train those who are not as competent on the job. She's never been a boss before it doesn't take her long to catch on. Their work is hard (lots of calls, many coded and coding changed often) and they worked long days. They tried to get enough rest but it wasn't always possible.

She becomes friendly with a medic and ends up visiting injured men. One of them dies while she's singing him a song and holding his hand. He was young. And he's only one of many deaths...

She has done what mother has wanted for almost all her life but she suddenly knows she doesn't want to marry the society man she's engaged to. She's in love with the medic. She visits her fiance and ends the engagement and then marries her love. She's sure her parents will have a fit but she doesn't care.

This is fictional account of a historical event. The women who served were not rewarded as the men were. They had to fight for their bonuses for service.

It's a very enlightening read of what the conditions were like during WW1 and how many hardships they suffered. Men didn't respect women then (sounds familiar, doesn't it?) and they had to be careful. I found this read very interesting and enjoyed. If you have an interest in history, here's a good way to be entertained by it.

Terrific historical fiction about a little known group of very brave women in WWI. This is also about Ruby's personal growth, from. young woman of privilege to one who serves others. It's clearly been carefully researched but that pales beside the wonderful characters. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. If you've never read Runyan, this is an excellent example of her work and I suspect that after this you will seek her out again.

Aimie K. Runyan has weaved another amazing story with Girls on the Line. These ladies were not in my history books, and I was so glad to learn of their existence. I love the amount of research the author puts into developing her books. Her characters are wonderful and her writing is so easy to read. I so look forward to reading more books from her.

I really enjoyed Girls on the Line by Aimie K. Runyan! A very interesting angle on WWI, from the perspective of the Hello Girls, which were the women operators in the Army Signal Corps, being the key to phone communication during the war in Europe. A beautiful fast paced story of love, friendship, and patriotism. Strong women, with a deep sense of "doing their part", going on a limb, into unknown territories. It was wonderful, well researched and well written. I received an early edition copy for my review. All opinions are my own.

A Tale of Two Times. This book was a fascinating look at how World War One truly marked a demarkation in American history that is often times glossed over between the tumult of the American Civil War and the birth of the modern American Superpower in WWII, though I do not think it quite as glossed over as the author implies in her notes at the end of the book. The story presented here truly examines the author's thesis in detail though, and presents a moving drama within that framework. An excellent book that brings attention to one of the conflict's groups of unsung heroes, this book could well do for the 'Hello Girls' what other recent books did for the ladies of the Apollo program in NASA.