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Fruits of Victory: The Woman's Land Army of America in the Great War

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Elaine Weiss' book Fruits of Victory tells the story of the woman's land army, which was organized by women to bring in the crops while men were off at war in WWI. With disdain from the government women from the suffrage movement, labor movement, garden clubs, universities and high society raised funds, recruited volunteers and with difficulty convinced farmers to employ tens of thousands of women in the fields for equal pay with men. It is a great tale and remarkable that the same dismissive approach toward women in the early 20th century allowed historians to ignore this whole episode of American history.

Ms. Weiss telling of the tale is done is a very engaging manner focus on many remarkable characters that made the land army a success but also address the social and political mores of the time that the organizers and foot soldiers of the land army had to overcome.

I would hardily recommend the book to any fan of historical novels as well as those interested in women's rights, the social history of the 20th century or WWI.

"Fruits of Victory: The Woman's Land Army of America in the Great War" is a true tour-de-force. Weiss has uncovered an extraordinary organization, completely forgotten by academic historians and everyone else, and brought it to life. It's fascinating to read her sparklingly-written story of how a coalition of women's college faculty, women's club activists, and just-plain self-activated women from all over the country assembled an organization that could put tens of thousands of women to work in the nation's farm fields in the midst of World War I. At the same time, Weiss creates vivid sketches of some truly remarkable people, women like Edith Diehl, one of the finest bookbinders of the 20th century, but also a born-to-lead officer of the Land Army who ran its "West Point" on the Wellesley College campus. I heartily recommend this book to anyone with a shred of interest in American history or sociology or the US role in World War I or women's history.

An excellent, easily readable book that explains how women took things into their own hands to help the country maintain an adequate food supply in time of need while the government sat on its hands. The book provides detailed history in an entertaining style to show how Suffragette leaders of the day turned from their single focus issue,along with activist women college students, to help the country in its time of need. These women mobilized themselves with minimal help from men and with no help from the federal government. The book shows how American women identified a national problem and developed a pragmatic solution while improving their image and self worth. The book should be of interest to American studies, women's studies, and Reagan Conservatives.

I purchased this in support of NPR. I find the book very interesting, lots of details. I had not known about this part of history and am enjoying reading about the drive, creativity, intelligence and fortitude of the women who made the Land Army happen. I look forward to the remainder of the book and plan to pass it on to my friends.

I saw where the author was going to give a speech at a General Federation of Women's Club function and thought the book sounded interesting. While it was not spellbinding it was interesting, something I had never heard of before and no one else I talked to had heard of the Woman's Land Army. During the 2nd world war, I know that my mother and others of the town went out and hoed in the beet fields in Montana. I babysat a neighbor's children so she could go out too.