Sara Hammel shines light on the group of women who volunteered for a controversial and ground-breaking study to determine if women could serve at the same level as men in our military. That study certainly proved that focused training could open new doors for women who choose to serve in the armed forces. What no one expected was the camaderie and deep bonds that would form between these women. They had no inkling that they would cheer each other on and that blind belief in each other, the desire to make a difference, and to compunction to cheer each other on would be the lasting repercussion.
This memoir was engaging and interesting and quite enjoyable.

I received a dARC from the publisher via Netgalley; this is my honest review.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In 1995, Sara and 39 other women participated in an Army research study to see if with an efficient training program not any more demanding of Army resources than a typical male training regime, women can be trained to handle physically demanding tasks as well as men. This is Sara's story.

This book is part light-hearted memoir, and part analysis of women in the military from roughly 1950 to today. The memoir parts, where Sara goes into her time as part of the study were the best written, and motivational. The parts where Sara expanded to discussing women in the military in general were randomly inserted, and lacking the academic chops to make them meaningful. While it's overall a good story, the author's immaturity and disorganization cause it to jump around a little too often. I'd call it entertaining, but not engrossing; I easily put this book down several times and had trouble picking it up again.

I really wanted to like this book, and tried to enjoy it, but I just could not get excited about reading it. It has a fascinating background (I had never heard of the study before seeing this book), but it felt like a chore to read. This book was not one of my favorites- I found the format difficult to connect with - interspersing Catherine’s story with the story of the study, and also weaving in the politics surrounding not only the study but also the general question of women in combat,

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book and a great story! Being in MA, it was so nice to see a story of Strong Women, right in my backyard. The writing was great, you could really feel the struggles of the women but their sheer determination. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

The Strong Ones takes you on the journey of civilian women volunteers in the 90’s for the Natick strength study to help women in the military. These women and their trainers worked tirelessly to help prove the strength of women and their capabilities. Author and participant, Sara Hammel, gives us a look into the blood, sweat and tears that went into the program, while also showing how when women come together they can accomplish whatever tasks they are given. I enjoyed reading how she learned to embrace her body and who she was, and the connections she found.
(I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.)

I really enjoyed this book!! I am in the military so I was very interested in the subject material and stories of the women in the study. I like the way the author melded a memoir style with a non-fiction narrative of the study. At first I wanted the author to settle between one, but I thought it really helped the pacing and readability of the book. Highly recommend if you have any interest in feminism, athletics, the military, or even just interested in the reporting process.

A damm fine book!!! The writing was interesting and engaging and the story told was moving and inspirational!

I was excited to read this book because I know one of the participants in the study and because I like books about strength training, women, and gender studies/differences. I read an early copy and got notice that an updated version was available after I was nearly finished. I thought the content was great - good detail, well written - but there's a little room for improvement in the organization. I like that Sarah wove her personal story and journey into the larger story of the group experience, but there were moments when either she repeated herself or introduced something that didn't quite make sense in the spot she placed it. I still think it's a solid book and I would definitely recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book. The author captured the highs and lows the civilian women experienced while undergoing their difficult training, and I enjoyed how she brought their distinct personalities to life. I enjoyed the friendship that grew almongst the women, and how competitve they became with the other groups. The pacing of the book is excellent as well. The story was rushed, and she didn't overwhelm the reader with unnecessary information or dialogue. Also, learning about the work life of a new journalist is interesting, especially learning how quickly they have to write their stories, and the variety of topics they have to write about. I was very pleased to have been allowed to review this book, and look forward to reading any future book this author writes.