Canary Girls: A Novel

In the midst of World War I, when British factories saw an exodus of men enlisting, a group of women stepped up to fill the void. Dubbed the "munitionettes," these cooks, maids, shopgirls, and housewives answered the call to arms, risking their lives to build the weapons the military desperately needed. Among them was nineteen-year-old former housemaid April Tipton, who, inspired by her friend Marjorie's tales of higher wages, plentiful meals, and comfortable lodgings, took a job at the Thornshire Arsenal near London, filling shells in the Danger Building.

Joining April was Lucy Dempsey, the wife of Daniel Dempsey, an Olympic gold medalist and star forward of Tottenham Hotspur. With her husband away serving in the Footballers' Battalion, Lucy resolved to do her part in hastening the end of the war. When her coworkers learned of her connection to a footballer, they invited her to join the arsenal's ladies' football club, the Thornshire Canaries.

The Canaries soon acquired an unexpected fan in the form of Helen Purcell, the boss's wife, who was deeply troubled by reports that the Danger Building workers were suffering from serious, unexplained illnesses. These women, affectionately dubbed the "canary girls" due to the lurid yellow hue of their skin, were exposed to a range of chemicals in their work, and Helen suspected a connection between their maladies and the substances they handled. Joining the arsenal administration, she became the canary girls' staunchest, though often unappreciated, advocate.

On the football pitch, the class distinctions and fears for their men at the front fell away, and the Canary Girls found a sense of camaraderie and courage. As the war dragged on and tragedy took its toll, they persisted, proud to serve and determined to outlive the war and rejoice in victory and peace.

The story of the "munitionettes" and the Thornshire Canaries is a powerful testament to the resilience and bravery of the women who stepped up to support the war effort. Their story, as told by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini, is a lively and illuminating exploration of the sacrifices and triumphs of these remarkable women, who risked their lives to build the weapons that would help bring an end to the war.

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