4.5⭐

Inspired by his mother’s Red Cross experience during WWII, Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea is a remarkable work of historical fiction, that gives us a glimpse into the contribution of women of the Clubmobile Corps of the American Red Cross to the war effort.

In 1943, several women sign up with the American Red Cross to volunteer their services in the Clubmobile Corps in WWII Europe. Their task was making and serving donuts and coffee, offering a taste of home to those serving on the front, in an effort to boost morale. These young women would be traveling across Europe operating a Clubmobile, a specially designed bus equipped with apparatus for frying donuts and making coffee and stocked with chocolate, cigarettes, magazines chewing gum and so on. Among the “Donut Dollies” as they were referred to, were Irene Woodward, a New Yorker from an affluent family, who flees from her engagement with an abusive partner and Dorothy Dunford, a Midwestern farm girl from Indianapolis, who sells her farm after the death of parents and who lost her brother to the War. Initially not too impressed with their job description, neither of them is aware of the perils they will face, the horrors they will witness and the indelible imprint it will leave on their lives.

We follow them through their training in the United States to WWII-ravaged Europe as they live through bombardments in London, to the air bases across Europe into the trenches as they follow the Allied troops through D-Day, Battle of the Bulge, the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp and onwards as they witness devastation, experience loss and meet several people who would impact the way they perceived not only the realities of war but also how important the role they were playing was. Even though Irene and Dorothy are very different individuals – their backgrounds, their perceptions of their job and how they react to all that they witness and experience – they form a deep friendship. Needless to say, their experiences leave them with scars- both emotional and physical.

The story gives us an insightful glimpse into how women contributed to the war effort on the front - a Red Cross initiative that has rarely been featured in WWII fiction (this is the first time I have come across any reference to the Clubmobile Corps). The author writes with much sensitivity and compassion while depicting the significance of the lighthearted moments of comfort, friendship, music and laughter among those for whom “tomorrow” was uncertain. I loved the moments of camaraderie and between Irene, Dorothy and the troops they meet as well as the moments Irene shares with Hans, the fighter pilot with whom she develops a close bond. The story does start slow and it took a while ( around the twenty percent mark) for me to fully engage in the story but I am so glad that I continued to read. Informative, insightful and profoundly moving, this is a story that will touch your heart. For those who enjoy WWII fiction, I would not hesitate to recommend this novel.

Many thanks to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for the digital review copy f this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on May 30, 2023.

War equipment. You want to make me snooze, describe vehicles, or even worse, war vehicles. I know that’s not what the book is about, but even a teeny bit of truck bluck (which only happened at the beginning of the book) made my eyes glaze over and my head say, “Really?”

First of all, let me say that you can throw donuts at me all day; I know most people just loved this book, and here I am giving it a lowly 3 stars. I don’t say “donuts” lightly, because in fact there are a lot of donuts here—being savored by soldiers, no less. This book is about a couple of women in the Red Cross who run a donut truck for the troops in Europe during World War II. The story is based on the author’s grandmother, who actually had that job. It was completely fascinating to learn that there were women in trucks doling out donuts to soldiers back when. A totally unusual setting and great descriptions of what these women’s lives were like. I’m impressed that a male author could get into women’s heads so well. The author made his grandma proud.

I sure changed my story as I read. The first half I mostly hated—very bored and not invested in the characters at all. There was too much description of trucks and nature. I threatened to skip and considered going AWOL altogether. But near the halfway mark, I suddenly was glued to the page; I suddenly loved the characters, loved the tension, loved the story. The women had all these harrowing experiences trying to dodge bullets and bombs together, and their interaction with the soldiers was intense and endearing. Meanwhile, the two women were complicated characters and they had a complex, rich friendship. The women were so cool, so strong, so brave, I loved it. I really felt like I was there on the front lines. I was surprised that a war book could grab me like this—it probably happened because the book was about women, and I could relate to them better than to men in the trenches. There was lots of sadness as soldiers died and hearts got broken. I teared up in parts.

Then the ending really really annoyed me. It was confusing to the nth degree. I struggled to make sense of it and was left so unsatisfied. It seemed like the author tried to get artsy—and for me, it failed. It was all ghost-y, who what where. I wish someone would explain to me what really happened. It must be just me because I don’t see other reviewers complaining.

So the first half was 2 stars, and the ending was 1 star. The huge chunk in the middle was pure 6 star. So I came up with 3 stars and I’m sticking to it. But that middle, that poignant and exciting middle! Oh it made me think, it took me to a place where I never in a million years would go on my own (me, on a battlefield?), and it completely absorbed me.

Please hold on to your donuts and check all the other reviews. The other reviewers had a whole book of excitement, I think.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Publication date: May 30, 2023

Good Night, Irene
By Luis Alberto Urrea


By now you must know that I love a book that shines light on courageous women and the bonds of friendship that make them stronger together. On both of these points, Luis Alberto Urrea delivers big in his newest release - Good Night, Irene.

It’s 1942 when petite New York socialite Irene Woodward enlists with the Red Cross to escapes an abusive fiancé.
Dorothy Dunford is a Midwestern farm girl born of Danish pioneers and is an imposing Valkyrie of a woman. Irene and Dorothy are each fleeing the confines of their everyday lives. These young women chose, like so many men, to join for service War effort and perhaps adventure. They are skeptical when assigned to dole out donuts, coffee and a bit of conversation to the GIs. Dorothy and Irene soon discover just how indispensable these comforts and reminders of home are to the men. The two women couldn’t be more different, but the camaraderie, hardships, and horrors of war cement an enduring friendship and hope for tomorrow.

I know, I know, do you need another WWII book? Yes, you do! Urrea spins a personal and bittersweet tale honoring his mother’s experiences serving in the Red Cross. Ride along as the “The Third Girl on the Truck” and have your hearts warmed, broken and pieced back together again as you meet these heroic women.

Many thanks to author @Urealism, @LittleBrown, and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this digital ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Good Night Irene is a lovely historical fiction book about a little-known part of WWII involving the Donut Dollies. The action and brutality are fierce in this depiction as well as the love, passion and regret.. Luis Alberto Urrea has crafted a beautiful story of friendship.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Wow! This book blew me away. I am speechless. An excellent WWII historical fiction novel that kept me on the edge of my seat, and educated me about the little known 'Donut Dollies' of the Red Cross Women. This gorgeously written historical thriller was amazing. It was absolutely lovely! Think Kate Quinn or Michelle Moran - that level of quality of writing. There are so many WWII historical fiction books in the market nowadays, but this one stands out from the rest because of its unique subject and the wonderful atmosphere of the novel. Every phrase was poetry, and the descriptions were so vivid it was like I was there. In short, it was unputdownable.
This book was everything I had been wanting and missing. Excellent dialogue, solid world building, independent, likeable heroines, romance. I just savored each page and was very sorry when it ended. I will definitely be buying this book in print! TEN STARS!

Did I read the same book other reviewers did? I slogged through this VERY long book, whose story doesn't start until the 50% mark. Oh there were words the first half, but they read like (bad) non-fiction - all descriptions and no character development or much of a plot. I'll give you that the ending was sweet but jeez oh Pete, I suffered to get there. It was interesting to learn about these Red Cross volunteers during WWII but if you're looking to spend time with memorable characters, this isn't the book for you.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good Night, Irene started slowly but built with surprises as each chapter took me further into WWII and the dangers American women encountered. Irene and Dorothy never met until they were grouped in New York as volunteers for the Red Cross. The two women and many more signed on to help even though they didn't have nursing skills and had no intention of being in the middle of combat.

The Red Cross assigned Irene and Dorothy to groups called "Donut Dollies." The mission of these women was to travel to assigned destinations to make coffee and donuts for the GIs. They were not expected to nurse soldiers; their remit was to serve coffee, smile, and be cheerful. The women were given a bus to drive fitted with coffee urns and donut mixers. The story is paced just right, with all the elements of a budding friendship and fleeting love amid the horrors of war.

I love LAU's writing style and stayed glued to the book, enjoying it all. This will be a hit for those who love historical fiction, good novels about female heroes, and love.

The publisher provided this ARC via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It comes out on May 30, 2023

This was my first time reading a book by Urrea. I have heard of some of his other big title books, and I think this one will be right up there with the rest of them!

Forget about the story line for a second, because the writing alone was wonderful. I could picture every little detail mentioned and see the characters so vividly.
The story line was great. I've always been interested in the Red Cross history & stories of the women involved, and this exceeded any expectations I had for it. It's both entertaining & light, and emotional & informative. I mostly, enjoyed it because of the characters and Irene specifically. She is fun, humorous, headstrong, and dedicated.

I would recommend this book if you're looking to get into historical fiction as a genre, or somebody who has always loved the genre!

During World War II, the Red Cross recruited young women to work at the front lines of the European conflict zone, not to nurse but rather to operate military buses, called Clubmobiles, from which they dispensed donuts, coffee and a little bit of “home” to war weary GI’s. This is the story of two such women who become fast friends, trying to help each other survive the nightmare of the European front. Urrea’s prose, plot and characters together deliver a hard hitting picture of the drudgery, comradeship, deprivation, cruelty, heroics, stoicism, fear, sacrifice and idiocy that are war.

GOOD NIGHT, IRENE
BY: LUIS ALBERTO URREA

If ever a historical novel deserved all of the stars in the sky including the moon, this novel is it. It didn't just speak to me with words it sings. Exquisite and powerful writing is what you will get if you read this novel. It celebrates Luis Alberto Urrea's mother's experience in the Red Cross during World War II. War changes people. I have read an over abundance of World War II novels, but nothing as stunning and brilliant as this one. This talented author writes so intimately I felt as if I was a participant. I quite simply have never read anything like this before, and I loved it from cover to cover.

It is filled with momentum so that the pacing is fast, and packed full of action. It is also very suspenseful, representing the most perfect or typical example of quality or class. When I started reading this I said to myself this is my kind of book. The writing is extremely strong displaying this author as a gifted storyteller.

Irene is from New York City, and she decides after many jobs that are unsatisfying, that she wants to do something worthwhile. She joins the Red Cross as a Donut Dolly. She will be on the front lines with younger GI's driving around in what's called a Clubmobile. She is escaping a physically abusive relationship with her fiance who comes from a political family. She doesn't tell anybody that she joined the Red Cross, knowing she will miss New York in 1943, for the duration of the war. She has dropped her engagement ring down a storm drain into a New York City street intersection.

Irene still has to pass her training in Washington DC where all of the Red Cross volunteers are meeting. In Washington DC in her hotel she meets Ellie from Chicago who is her roommate and, along with Dorothy will turn out to be the three assigned together in the truck. Irene also meets Dorothy from Indiana who is mourning the death of her father, mother, and her brother. Dorothy is six feet, two inches tall and is nicknamed Stretch. Irene is nicknamed Gator. These three will make up the trio of making Donuts, and coffee. They also are to be comforting to the young GI's who they will serve. Their job is to make the Donuts and coffee in their truck serving any soldier who approaches. Their role is to be the girl next door, a mother or older sister giving an encouraging word before a soldier goes off to battle that he might not return from.

The women are told to dress warmly in case they end up on the front of the European theater. They are also told to dress light in case they are serving in the tropical Pacific. During a talk from a female Captain she tells the women to "Never Let them See you Cry."

This is just from the beginning, therefore not spoiler territory, and sounds mundane, maybe even trivial. What these women face during their tour will change them forever. I have read too many World War II books, and wasn't planning on reading more. When I saw that this was written by Luis Alberto Urrea, I made an exception. Prepare yourself to read the most uniquely written historical novel that will change forever how you think of World War II. There is so much detail written I guarantee that you will be changed after experiencing this roller coaster ride of a reading experience.
It is about the enduring bonds of friendships forged while experiencing being on the dangerous front lines of war. These women are in the thickest part of the action. The object of the tour of duty is to survive.

Who do I recommend this masterfully written, unforgettable, and by all means the most original historical novel to? Everyone! Both men and women will not be able to put this down once you start reading it. It is available soon, so be sure to pre-order this masterpiece that deserves to win an award. Add this to your to be read list, but make sure you don't skip this one. This author was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for a work of non-fiction called, "The Devil's Highway," now in its 30th paperback printing. He also was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is a recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award among many other honors. I have mentioned these accolades to assure you that this author can write.

Publication Date: May 30, 2023. Available very soon!

Thank you to Net Galley, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Little, Brown and Company for generously providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. My opinions are entirely my own.

#GoodNightIrene #LuisAlbertoUrrea #LittleBrownandCompany #NetGalley

An utterly amazing and heartbreaking story of two women and a truck during WWII. The ARC Clubhouse truckers were amazing heroes who kept the men going, one sinker at a time!

Urrea's new novel, the second of his I've read, is said to be based on his own mother's experience as a Red Cross worker in Europe during World War II. The story is centered on two American women: Dorothy, a country girl from the midwest, and Irene, a New Yorker from a wealthy family who ran off from her family and her fiance after he apparently hit her (it's never made clear exactly what prompted her departure). These two, and numerous others, were trained to run mobile coffee-and-donuts stations, often near the front lines; the idea was to serve as a comforting reminder of home for the soldiers, a source of solace and good cheer..

Much of the book was slow-moving, and though it was filled with descriptive writing, there was a sense of distance between the reader and the characters and events described. The scene moved abruptly from boring inaction to explosive violence -- as is typical of actual war zones, I suspect -- which made it difficult to sustain engagement at times.

Overall, I found the novel interesting, but not compelling, and still, a worthwhile read for the knowledge imparted.

Such a fun read! This is a different take on WWII from the perspective of two Red Cross workers who drive around Europe providing coffee and donuts to the troops. Sounds mundane, but it is anything but, as they make friends, provide counsel, discover romance, and develop a tight friendship that lasts forever. Their often valorous and heroic efforts are way above and beyond their job descriptions, traveling from the Battle of the Bulge to Buchenwald. This fictional tale is based on the author's mother's experience and I am so curious to know which parts and how much were from her actual experiences. I have heard the speaker present and he is fabulous!

*4.5 stars rounded up. 'Women are called upon to piece the broken world together.'

Irene Woodward decides on the spur of a moment in October, 1943, to leave her cushy life in NY, as well as her rather abusive fiancé, to join the American Red Cross Corp on the 'chow and charm circuit.' These volunteers will be sent to the front lines in groups of threes to run clubmobiles from which they will pass out freshly made donuts and coffee to the GIs. But most importantly, to smile and flirt and keep up the men's morale.

Irene is joined by Dorothy, a 6'2" Indiana farm girl who is more interested in driving the vehicle than cooking. The third on their team is Ellie from Chicago who quickly decides this life is not for her after a few glimpses of the realities of war. So Irene (Gator) and Dorothy (Stretch) have to carry on short-handed for most of their stint of duty.

I knew little of what these Red Cross volunteers did during the war so this story was quite eye opening. These women were definitely heroes. They learn life lessons and grow as people, fall in love, and suffer losses, but for the most part, keep smiling. The author found a way to make the ending the best part of the novel. Just loved it!

Here's a link to a touching letter from Luis Alberto Urrea about meeting the Red Cross Clubmobile woman who worked with his mother, Phyllis McLaughlin, during WWII: https://mailchi.mp/e/donut-dollies-19...

Based on his mother’s service in the Red Cross during WWII, the author introduces the reader to the “Donut Dollies” whose assignment was making and serving donuts and coffee to soldiers by driving a modified big truck to the front lines thus providing a morale boost. This well written story of Irene and Dorothy chronicles not only the hardships and horrors of war, but the physical and emotional toll it exacts. The descriptions of locations, weather, and equipment really added body to the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC to read and review.

Wow….
“Good Night, Irene” is quite marvelous. I couldn’t have gotten into this book faster or with more reading gusto if I tried.
Ha….and I’ve been in a low mood…..
But, if ever a book got me out of my own miserable thoughts….(at least a temporary time-out), “Good Night, Irene” did the trick.

I’ve always said….in my own life > my most satisfying times have been when I’ve worked on an important project with others and ‘from’ our working hard together (in the trenches so to speak), real profound, meaningful friendships, developed.

I was reminded of that: POWERFUL friendships grow from
working our asses of with others….’together’.
But MY GOD…..Luis Alberto Urrea inspired me to no end…..
[he did in another way in “The House of Broken Angels”, too….a very different book]…. > the book where I ‘first’ marveled at his storytelling.
But in this novel……Urrea takes his inspiration (which becomes ours), from his own mother….and ‘her’ Red Cross experiences during WWII > and his STORYTELLING is OFF THE CHARTS…

JUST FABULOUS…..a very satisfying book that any die-hard reader will not want to miss……
It has everything!!!

I felt the full range of emotions. (even a little teary now)
I gasped frequently with emotions shifting rapidly….happy, sad, heartbreaking, heart-rendering…. moved by the experience of being so transformed …tossed into this story myself….feeling the courage, the fear, the devastating violence, the exhaustion, the friendships, the power, the unbelievable humanity.

I was overwhelming moved ….especially moved by the last chapters …..

THIS NOVEL HAS A BEAUTIFUL SOUL. DON’T MISS IT!!!

NON-SPOILER excerpts:
“I’m on my way to war. There. I said it”.
“What branch? WAC? WAVES?”
“Red Cross”.
“He seemed to relax. Bedpan commando. Still, nursing’s tough duty”.
“Not nursing”.
“Oh yeah? What, then?”
“Clubmobiles”.
“What the hell is that?”
“Mobile service. Comfort, moral support. As I understand it, we’ll be backing the troops in the field. We make coffee and donuts. In trucks”.
“You what?”
“Coffee. And donuts”.
“He laughed”.
“Clubmobiles, she explained. A red cross club….on wheels”.
“Donuts. He shook his head. I heard it all now”.

“Have you any advice?”
“Sure, he said. Don’t do it.”
“Thank you for your insight, she crossed her arms”
“Cover your ass, how about that?”
“Sorry to bother you”.
“Look, it’s no place—“
“For a girl?”
“She turned toward him. I intend to serve my country, she said, and this is what they’ll let me do. I have never made a doughnut in my life. I don’t know how to drive a truck. And the coffee I’ve made has been known to incapacitate its victims”.
“So tell me, Sarge—you’re the expert. How will I do?”
“Well, he said. You’ll do swell”.

“You’ll be shocked. You’ll think you’re strong, you’ll think you’re tough. You’ll think you can take it. You cannot take it. And then you will not be shocked anymore. That’s what war does so you so can keep on going. You will be in mortal danger besides our boys. You will do things, some of you, that should win medals”.

It turns out… It was not very easy to be able to produce donuts.
“That infallible donut machine splurted globs and wads of misshapen, over wet dough to splash into the hot grease, abominations that were then fried into donuts resembling golden underpants and topographical maps of ancient lands”.

Miller’s Law: “Never Let Them See You Cry”.

*The Red Cross “Coffee-Donut” girls came into existence in 1917…..during the Great War…..
when…..the boys (who lived in squalor and horror), once asked a group of ladies if they had anything sweet to eat.

Kudos to Luis Alberto Urrea > TERRIFIC worthy - deeply substantial book to write.

Memorable ….one of my favorites.

Urrea’s novel is historical fiction, but is based on the life his mother lived as a Red Cross Donut Dolly in WWII. Women who had no medical training volunteered with the Red Cross to provide a taste of home—coffee and donuts—to American GIs.
Irene Woodard from New York City escapes an abusive fiancé and joins the Red Cross to do her part in WWII. She befriends Dorothy, a 6 ft blonde from the Midwest, and the two of them drive a Clubmobile across Europe, following troops from the Battle of the Bulge to the liberation of a concentration camp at Buchenwald. But one night a horrific accident occurs, the Clubmobile goes over a cliff, and Irene has to live with the thought that she killed her best friend.

I choose to not read as much WWII historical fiction as I once did because all the plots were starting to blend together. However, when I read the synopsis of Good Night, Irene, I felt that instant attraction. This is the tale of two American women- Irene and Dorothy who join the American Red Cross and travel overseas becoming "Donut Dollies" making and serving doughnuts to men in uniform.

There is a good mix of humor and hardship in this book and only a dash of romance( thank goodness!) because a lot happens to these two characters. I liked that the author was inspired to write this novel because of his mother's own personal history with wartime and the Red Cross. The descriptions made me feel like I was journeying along with Irene, Dorothy, and the "ever-changing third girl." I imagine that the story will eventually make it to the screen. It's a good story!


#GoodNightIrene #NetGalley

Expected Review Date 30/05/23
Goodreads review published 14/05/23

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow - this was powerful. Irene and Dorothy sign up for the Red Cross during WWII for their own personal reasons and meet during training. I had never heard of the women who had donut and coffee trucks to boos the soldier’s spirits and I have read a LOT of WWII fiction. Based on the author’s own mother, the two women experience the true horrors of the war like no other, while also discovering who they are and what they are capable of and building a friendship that will last a lifetime. Highly recommended.

We seem to be in the midst of an explosion of historical novels set in WWII. Whether a book is about people who survived despite incredible odds, carried out incredible feats of resistance, loved and lost and found relatives and other loved ones despite incredible odds, or carried out acts of atrocities, the spigot seems to pour out more and more until it's hard to tell them apart. Luis Alberto Urrea brings two important assets to the table in Good Night, Irene - his newest novel that's set in Europe during World War II - that differentiates this book from all the others. First he brings us a fascinating but little-told story of the Red Cross's Clubmobile service, staffed by young American wome, who were tasked to bring coffee, donuts ("sinkers"), smiles, and a bit of home - with some flirting thrown in - to the many soldiers who carried out the bulk of the fighting in the European Theater of Action. Second, he is able to bring to characters to life that is far superior to the superficiality that many other books in this genre offer. As "Donut Dollie" Irene and her Clubmobile colleague and eventual close friend Dorothy move from training in England to the battlefields of post-D-Day central Europe, readers are brought more and more deeply into the mud, the hardships of daily life, the life-threatening attacks through battle after battle, the hopes of a future life with a sweetheart who is off fighting in other places, and the horrors of a newly liberated German concentration camp. I do not want to spoil the ending but will say only that Urrea handles what could have been an overworked situation better than any other I've read. Highly recommended.