💃The Girls Who Stepped Out Of Line💪

These are the untold stories of the women who changed the course of World War II compiled by Major General Mari K. Eder (US Army, retired).

Full disclosure, I am only halfway through these stories but I can 100% guarantee that this is a five star read for me. I think I knew it from the very beginning and I definitely knew it after reading the introduction.

Each story is written with heart. You get to know each remarkable woman, where she has come from and what drives her. This style - fiction-like in a non-fiction book - is fantastic and so easy to read!

Another aspect that I am loving is that occasionally there is an overlap or connection between the women!
It’s amazing to read of all of the ways women were able to ‘step out of line’ (ie away from convention) and achieve so much.

Big thanks to @netgalley and #Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this one. It is now available wherever books are sold!! Definitely recommend trying to get your hands on a copy 🤗

I like to think that I read a lot of books like this--quick biographical sketches of women. This one, I had only heard of Virginia Hall and I love that! Let's tell all of these stories and so many more.

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line
author: Major General Mari K. Eder
Sourcebooks

Women who served as unsung heroes during the time of World War II have their legacy honored in this gripping novel by Major General Mari K. Eder. The stories of these fifteen women are inspiring, uplifting, and humbling. Praise is due to Major Eder for her deep research and appreciation of these women, as well as her fascinating writing. This non-fiction account has a place on the bookshelves of those who love history and reading about strong women who truly left a legacy of courage, bravery, determination, and hope. We need more books like this of trailblazing women, both military and non-military, who serve as role models for future generations.

Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide a review.
#NetGalley #GirlsWhoSteppedOutofLine #sourcebooks

“The Girls Who Stepped Out Of Line” recounts the incredible stories of fifteen women who answered the call during World War II not only to serve but to also make history. They overcame fears, witnessed unspeakable acts of war, and created the future. It is impossible to condense these lives and experiences into a short review, so I am listing each name with a short sketch.

There is nothing to say better than what they say for themselves.


1. Alice Marble -- international tennis star. “I did what I’ve always done. I fought.”
2. Hilda Gimpel Eisen -- Germans and Russians in the woods. “You either make it or you don’t. You have nothing to lose.”
3. Stephanie Czech Rader – X-2, a spy. “What the heck was I gonna do with a dumb gun?”
4. Elizabeth Peet McIntosh, Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Fake News. “I speak Japanese.”
5. Virginia Hall Goillot – a reporter writing stories with imbedded messages. The CIA named a building for her.
6. Mary Taylor Previte – Japanese internment camp (in China) as a child. “Making a mistake, even when you’re so young as fourteen, can leave you marked for the rest of your life.”
7. Ruth Gruber -- war refugees and wounded U.S. servicemen heading to safety in the United States. “From this moment, on my life would be forever bound with rescue and survival.”
8. Dame Mary Sigillo Barraco -- the real world of a dark prison cell. She told her story, the meaning of patriotism, and the strength to be found in faith and resistance.
9. Berendina Diet Eman -- The Hague, the Netherlands, coordinating shelter for Jews. “I thought that, whatever would happen to me, God was in control.”
10. Ida and Louise Cook -- the gray areas of smuggling “We weren’t the James Bond type— we were just respectable Civil Service typists.”
11. Marion Armstrong Frieswyk – Power Maps a career field that didn’t even exist, “We’re doing war work for the government. It’s Oh. So. Secret.” (The OSS)
12. Elizabeth Bemis Robarts – a work so secret it she did not know what it was until 1995, but it shortened the war by two years. “It was mind-boggling to find out the truth.”
13. Ola Mildred Rexroat McDonald – Millie could not drive a car but she could fly. “After all, nothing could be better than flying.”
14. Katherine Flynn Nolan – nurses went the whole way, from the beaches of Normandy through France right into the heart of the Third Reich. “We were dirty, weary, and chilled to the point of numbness.”
15. Charity Adams Earley – a two-year backlog of mail for troops .“We have a job to do and we’re going to get it done.”

“The Girls Who Stepped Out Of Line” by Mari K. Eder is a MUST READ book for all generations.

Thank you to @netgalley @sourcebooks for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Inspiring. I can’t stop reading about women during wartime. And this non-fiction book is a great addition to historical books preserving the strength, perseverance and resilience women showed during WWII. It was a pleasure to read about the 15 women who were unknown heroines such as the Jewish refuge who fought the Nazi or the spy who was a tennis star. Whether you’re a history buff or not, you might enjoy this book.

This was a very interesting read. Each chapter tells the story of a brave woman during WWII. From fighting with the Resistance, to working as a nurse on the front lines to becoming a WASP, all of these women made a difference, yet their stories were never told. Most of these women where in their early twenties and all they wanted to do was help people and do their part for their countries. These women, along with countless others, never got any recognition for the impact they had until decades after the war was over. I’m so glad that Mari K. Eder is helping them get the recognition they deserve.

What can i say that hasnt been said and it would come off as a similar review too other peoples reviews?

This story was a very inspiring,powerful,informative story. These women risked everything during WW Ii. This is a must read for sure.

Thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for letting me read this beautiful, courageous story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks (nonfiction) for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line is an informative, compelling, and moving compendium of stories. Eder shares the real stories of real women, shedding light on some of the often-overlooked women who were heroes in their own right in World War II. It is incredibly well researched but doesn’t come across as mere facts on a page; each chapter—all focused on a different woman’s story—is uniquely captivating. I was drawn in from the very first page, which featured the famous quote from Alex Borstein’s 2019 Emmy’s speech, a personal favorite of mine, and I was not disappointed.

For a deeper look into the lives of some of the unsung heroes of the Second World War, pick up The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line, out now!

Author Mari K. Eder published the book “The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II” in 2021. It was released a few days ago. This is the first publication by retired US Army major general Eder.

I categorize this book as ‘G’. The book tells the stories of women who rose to extraordinary levels. Each met the challenges of what was happening around them in WWII. Most I had never heard of before. They served in many different ways. One was a journalist. Some helped Jews escape from Nazi Germany. Another was a young girl held in a Japanese POW camp in China. Several served in an official capacity - OSS, SOE, WASP, WAVE, WAC, or Nurse.

Each chapter of this book tells the story of a different exceptional woman. Most but not all are women from the US. This book will appeal to those interested in WWII. It will also serve as an inspiration to young girls.

I enjoyed the 6.5+ hours I spent reading this 400-page WWII history. The book did not just dwell on the women's WWII experiences. Their later lives and accomplishments are also discussed. In the later chapters, I did begin to feel that the book was getting a little repetitive. It is a very readable history. Perhaps a few chapters should have been left out and those expanded into a second book along the same lines. I give this book a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line by Mari K Eder is a wonderful nonfiction book that is a fascinating collection of real-life women that went above and beyond in a multitude of avenues during the events of WWII.

I truly loved reading about all of these brave, selfless, courageous, and impressive women that in some way contributed to the success of the county and the allies during the war. I find it invaluable for current-day young girls, adolescents, and women to be able to read such accounts of heroic women in the past to know how resilient we are, what we are capable of, and how we as the human race, and society, can overcome if put to the test.

The wonderful array of accounts, some involved with military operations, some outside of these events, all important, and all somewhat under the radar thus far (and unjustly so!). I am so honored to be able to experience and learn about all 15 of these brave and impressive women and will forever be changed and grateful for all that they risked and added for the betterment of all.

An excellent collection and book.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Sourcebooks(nonfiction) for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

In a quote often attributed to Winston Churchill, we find these words of wisdom: "Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it." He was paraphrasing George Santayana, whose words were "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Either phrase works when discussing history. Perhaps the better quote for this book would be Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's "Well behaved women seldom make history."
In a day and age where women seem to be more focused on breaking the glass ceiling or excelling because... well, Feminism; This is, instead, a collection of women who - despite society's ideas that women should be - at most school teachers and receptionists (and then only AFTER they were married; because unmarried women were "unreliable" and "flighty") if they worked at all out of the home - these women "served, fought, struggled, and made things happen, in and out of uniform." (Prologue to The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line)

From the very beginning, The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line is a powerful read of how women have served the United States of America in her greatest time of need; wartime. Do NOT skip the prologue to this book. Maj. Gen. Mari Eder does a phenomenal job of informing the reader that while men are typically seen as the heroes during all of the wars fought by Americans, women have played a pivotal role as well.

I was captivated from the first page, which quotes:

"My grandmother turned toward a guard - she was in line to be shot into a pit - and said, 'What happens if I step out of line?' And he said, 'I don't have the heart to shoot you, but somebody will.' And she stepped out of line. And for that, I am here. And for that, my children are here. So step out of line, ladies. Step out of line!" - Alex Borstein, 2019 Emmy Awards Acceptance Speech

This collection of true stories will inspire you. They are stories of seemingly ordinary women doing extraordinary things; becoming unsung heroes among the Greatest Generation. They should be remembered. They should be talked about. Let's start here. With this book. Give it a read. It's worth every minute.

Pros: These are actual women who lived actual and normal lives.

Cons: These women served during WWII. There are a LOT of terrible things that happened during that time. War is never easy and the atrocities that occurred during WWII should never be forgotten; or we will be condemned to repeat it.

Overall: 5 stars. It's history that needs to be shared.

Look for The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line at your local bookstore. Request it from your local library. It hits shelves today.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my opinion. With the exception of the quoted material, all opinions expressed herein are my own.

This is a compelling, informative book about real, courageous women—many were unknown to me until now—who fought for their country and made a difference during WWII. Their stories were compelling and fascinating, exemplifying the “Greatest Generation” in our history. Thank you to the author for her military service and for the research and work she put into telling the stories of these brave women. I would love to see this book in every high school history class. I appreciate NetGalley and Sourcebooks for sharing this amazing book with me in exchange for an honest review.

ONE WORD: INSPIRATIONAL

I have often wondered, why we hear so few stories of the women, who aided in the war effort during WWII. Apparently, I have not been the only one. I applaud Eder for taking on this mammoth effort - and for pulling it off so spectacularly!

👍 What I Liked 👍

Premise: I cannot stress how amazing I feel this premise is! To finally give this women the recognition they so truly deserve is wonderful and just right. They deserve to have their stories told and acknowledged at last. Without them, the war would not have gone the way it did.

Women: There were so many different women from all walk of life. And they contributed in so many different ways, spy work, topography work, education, documenting, helping refugees etc. I loved the variety of these women.

Blend: The way this was written and told was so great. It is a great blend of storytelling and biographical facts. I enjoyed the feeling of viewing them closely and getting into their minds as well as seeing their lives from afar. Wonderful!

Sometimes I feel the most engaging stories are about real people and this book sure is proof of that fact. Most chapters take about 30 minutes to read and describes one woman her struggles and achievements. Today’s generation doesn’t have much of a clue that it wasn’t that long ago that the attitude towards woman in the workforce was very different from what it is today and that it is thanks to woman like the ones described in this book that it slowly improved over the years.
Each woman was unique in their own way. We do not hear much about them and most people have not heard of them. Only four names were familiar to me because at one point I had read their biographies.
Mari Eder gave each women described in her book the attention and gratitude they deserved which they did not get at that time.
These 15 are only a small number of all the women that contributed during the World War II in various jobs, typical male jobs. Most of them went back to been a housewife caring for husband and children afterwards.

A wonderful book of the lives of many women who received little recognition at the time but who were instrumental in accomplishing tasks that led to the victory in WWII. From spies to code breakers to journalists to airplane pilots, these women led amazing and sometimes dangerous lives doing what only they could do. Their lives are inspirational, and even though they received little recognition at the time, as documents became declassified, their value to the war efforts was recognized and many share a place with their make counterparts.
Well researched and based on documentation and interviews, these stories of ordinary women inspire generations of women to achieve greatness.
Great reading for anyone who wants to know more about the roles and contributions women made during the war. My only criticism is that I wanted to know more about each of these amazing women, many of whom have not had other books written about them.
A great addition to women's history.

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II by Mari K. Eder is a fascinating set of biographies featuring women heroes and their actions during World War II. I wasn't already familiar with most of them. At the most, I might recognize a name but no next to nothing else about them, but there's so much more I'd like to know about their lives and efforts now. I'm especially interested in getting to know Ida and Louise Cook. Those two sisters sounded like they made quite a team. Reading about women's experiences during wartime, especially WWII and the WASP, is one of a topic I can't resist and this author did a fantastic job of telling their stories.

Retired U.S. Army Major General Mari K. Eder brings to life fifteen heroes from the Greatest Generation, women who are mostly unknown but who helped to change the course of World War II in immeasurable ways. Each chapter is devoted to a different woman, well researched and brought to life under the author's capable hands.

These women were scientists, prisoners, smugglers, informants, linguists, and even tennis players. The one thing that they all had in common were that they gave everything they had, in service of their countries and fellow citizens. The strength, perseverance, and determination of these woman was inspirational and proved the point that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

A true test of a good book is how many times a reader talks about the content, often to anyone who will listen. I can honestly say that I finished reading this book two weeks ago and I am still talking about it. This book interested me to the utmost degree and I strongly believe that others will be captivated as well. For these reasons, I highly recommend The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line by NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

An absolute must-read for anyone, history buff or not. Eder’s “The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line” is not merely a recounting of the same World War II stories we have all heard before but a complete unearthing of those that have never been told. Each chapter is dedicated to a separate woman who pioneered into realms previously unexplored or disallowed to females.

Whether a code-breaker, special forces operative, resistance fighter, or concentration camp survivor, Eder gives each woman the attention they deserve but had not previously received. In doing so, she weaves together a compilation of just a sample of the courage and determination of women during the Second World War to show that, while women helped immensely on the home front, they also didn’t shy away from sitting in the cockpits of warplanes and trenches of battlefields in the name of service to their countries, families, and fellow citizens.

Trigger Warnings: rape, miscarriage, death of a spouse, depression, attempted suicide, antisemitism, death, genocide, starvation, violence, racism, torture, concentration camps and ghettos, forced sterilization,

“They broke all the rules, including some not even written yet. They invented, they advanced, and they persisted.”

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line tells the story of the women who were heroes during World War II who until recently, were unknown in the history books. These women broke barriers, invented amazing things, were spies, and saved hundreds of people and their story is finally being told.

This was a wonderfully informative, and at the same time heartbreaking, book. These women put everything on the line to serve their country, to save people, and at the end of the war they were quickly forgotten, at least until the files from WWII became unclassified. Of the 400,000 women who contributed during WWII, this book discusses 15 amazing women who made a difference and saved lives. These women did not have an easy time but they persevered and did their jobs, and they are finally being recognized for that.

Like I said, this was wonderfully written and researched. These women were fascinating to learn about and it is extremely sad that they are just now being recognized 76 years later. Not only does Eder discuss what these women did during the war, she tells us what they did with their lives after the war. I really enjoyed learning about what these women did after the war was over.

If you are interested in WWII history, or learning about remarkable women, I highly suggest picking up this book. It is well researched, informative, and eye opening to learn about all these women, what they went through, and the barriers they had to break to succeed.

Written by Army Major General Mari K. Eder, Retired, this is a collection of non-fiction stories about women during the World War II era that stepped up to life’s challenges in ways that saved lives and helped to change the course of history.

Spy, refugee, nurse, resistance fighter, pilot… it didn’t matter as all showed courage above and beyond what could ever have been expected of them. All of the women who are recounted in this book were amazing. I’m sure they didn’t think so, but given the ability to do what had to be done, they lighted a path for others to follow.

One thing that I must remark upon is that in the aftermath of WWII, so much talent was suppressed when women were forced in many ways to not work. I can only guess what could have been accomplished just here in the United States had these and other women been treated as equals. What a waste of talent.

The writing overall was crisp, clean, and coherent. The only area that I thought was weak was a later chapter (Chapter 17) that discussed what had happened to the women in the book in later years, and then shifted more toward talking about how the various professions had changed over time. Chapter 16 also discussed what happened to the women after the War. I thought that Chapter 17 could have been edited more and been more organized, possibly with subheadings. It felt a little “wordy” in comparison to many of the biographies at the beginning of the book. Perhaps Chapter 16 and 17 could be organized in similar ways as they covered a similar overall topic.

Just a note about Gen X versus Baby Boomers as mentioned in the text. In the early 1980’s, two national news magazines (United States) had headlines about Gen X. They said that it started in 1963. If you look up various websites in 2021, it has been reclassified as 1964 for most, and some mid-1964. I remember the classification as I was born at the end of 1963 and have always considered myself Gen X, especially where the lack of available jobs for that generation is concerned. Gen X definitely DID NOT start in the 1970’s as the author states. I guarantee it!

Overall a very interesting read with life stories that must be shared.

Thank you to Mari K. Eder, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eGalley of this book. I have not received anything in return for my review and am providing an honest review with my opinions.