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Mare's War

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Mare's War tells of two journeys. In a car speeding (or not, depending on the driver) across America to a mysterious reunion are two teenage girls (who had their own, more teenagerishly appropriate plans for the summer) and their grandmother, Marey Lee (known as Mare), who planned the trip. And on the way, their grandmother tells them the story of her first journey, seventy or so years before, when she escaped from her home in Bay Slough, Alabama and went to war.

The two sister, Octavia and Talitha, squabble, fret, drag their feet, and send occassional postcards of complaint to friends and family (shown in the book, in a nicely light touch), but as the miles pass. and their grandmother's story unfolds, the tone of the postcard messages begin to change. Their grandmother's life as Marey Lee, an African American teenager in the Women's Army Corps has them fascinated. The friendships she made, the prejudice she encountered, and the historical pagent of which she was a part are spellbinding stuff. This is an eye-openingly powerful narrative that educates without didactism, filling a blank space in the history of World War II without ever loosing sight of Marey Lee, the girl.

It was a story that sure kept me enthralled (although I'm glad I didn't have to drive 2,340 miles from California to Alabama in summer with my sisters and grandmother to hear it).

Davis manages to make her teenagers in the present interesting people in their own right, and not just vessels created to receive Mare's story, but their sibling relationship and 21st century teenage angsts pall in comparison to what their grandmother went through (to give them credit, they relize this). In essence, Mare's War is first rate historical fiction, set in a modern narrative that, I think, makes it much more accessible and appealing to teenagers than Marey Lee's story, served straight up, might have been.

This was a book I couldn't put down, that I recommend enthusiastically to fans of WW II historical fiction, historical career stories, and roadtrips!

Going on a road trip with their wacky grandmother, Mare, is not at all how either Octavia or Tali wants to spend their summer. However, at Mare's insistence, they reluctantly agree to accompany her all the way across the country for some mysterious family reunion in Alabama.

The girls don't know how they will survive all of this time cooped up together with each other and with Mare. Before they even leave the driveway, Mare is already driving Tali crazy with her smoking and Tali's headphones are equally unacceptable to Mare. The two make a pact to banish cigarettes and headphones for the trip, and do a pretty good job of keeping their word.

To whittle away the hours as Mare drives, she tells stories of her younger years. Both Tali and Octavia are astonished to hear some of Mare's stories about growing up in the Great Depression and running away from home to serve in the WAC (Women's Army Corps) during World War II. Mare's struggles at home made joining the army seem like a wonderful proposition. The army provided a place to live where she would be safe from harm and fed three good meals a day.

However, even though the WAC helped defeat the enemy in Europe, the segregation that Mare and the colored soldiers in 6888th Battalion, Company C face proves much harder to vanquish. Nevertheless, Mare's tough spirit and pride from her army days will always remain an integral part of who she is. After all she has been through, it is no wonder Mare thinks Octavia and Tali are spoiled.

By the end of this trip, all three women grow closer and develop a newfound appreciation and respect for one another.

Tanita S. Davis weaves a thoughtful tale, alternating chapters between the modern day road trip and Mare's stories of the olden days. Readers who enjoyed Sherri L. Smith's FLYGIRL will also love this tale with a similar historical background.

Reviewed by: Amber Gibson

Tanita Davis's "Mare's War" is a good example of a book which can entertain as well as educate. It presents an interesting glimpse into a historical reality that most people are probably only vaguely familiar with - the service of African American Women's Army Corps members during World War II. But at the same time, the book is good fiction. The believable, engaging and dynamic characters hook us in while the plot offers enough suspense to pull us along.

The book alternates between "Now" sections in which Octavia and her petulant older sister are forced into an extended road trip with "Mare" , their grandmother, in order to go to some mysterious family reunion, and "Then" sections in which Mare reveals events of her childhood and how she ran away to serve in the Army without her mother's consent. Although annoyed with missing their summer, the girls get drawn into Mare's story despite themselves.

The "Then" sections are, in my opinion, the more vivid and engaging sections. Mare's narrative voice and dialect add life and humor to the story. Her sheer hard-headedness get her through her fear and enable her to do her duty with pride, even in the face of covert and overt racism. The "Now" sections primarily serve to frame Mare's story and wrap it up in a tidy package. As the story progresses, however, Octavia and Talitha develop and grow in a way that gives them importance in themselves.

There are some minor flaws with the book. I was somewhat bothered by the use of the present tense in Mare's story - after all, she is supposedly telling her granddaughters about events well in the past. I understand why Ms. Davis chose that route, however. Past-tense narration would not have the immediacy that's so engaging in Mare's story. There's also an incident that takes place on the troop transport to Europe in which a character is severely injured, possibly dead. We don't hear any more about her for several pages, at which point we learn rather off-handedly that she's fine and dandy. And finally, either their road trip really was extremely meandering, or else Ms. Davis took some artistic license with her geography. At one point they are entering New Mexico. Many pages later they are back in Arizona, then a few short pages later they are in central Texas.

There are few surprises in the book - most events can be guessed well in advance. But the book doesn't hinge on the suspense of what happens next - we sense from the beginning that everything will wrap up tidily. The drama comes rather from the dynamics between the characters as they learn more about their family and themselves and how the characters grow into themselves and closer to each other through their experiences.

I recommend this book for junior high and high school kids of all races as an antidote to white-washed history texts that often leave blacks feeling like slavery was blacks' only "contribution" to history. It's important for all kids to be aware of the contributions of black women during World War II, and this book provides an excellent vehicle for that understanding.

Marey Lee Boylen, known as Mare, is not a typical grandmother. For Octavia and Talitha, the prospect of a forced, cross-country road trip with their unpredictable grandmother is daunting, even if the mode of transportation is a red sports car. The already tense family relations quickly deteriorate as an argument erupts over Tali's use of headphones and Mare's smoking. After the two agree to a no headphones-no smoking pact, Mare passes the time by sharing stories about her youth in rural Alabama and her service in the 6888th African American battalion of the Women's Army Corps during World War II. What follows is a powerful story of a young woman's struggle for independence and her strength in the service of her country in the face of racism and segregation. For Mare, the Women's Army Corps is both an opportunity and a reminder of the realities of race relations in 1940s America.

Davis tells the story in a series of alternating chapters. Headings of "Then" and "Now" differentiate Mare's narrative from younger granddaughter Octavia's reflections on the trip. Mare is strong, colorful character. But the secondary characters are equally compelling. Each member of the 6888th is an individual, from practical Peaches, who helps Mare learn to properly make a bed for inspection, to Ruby, the city girl from Texas who can't boil water. The diversity of African-American experiences is reflected in the descriptions of these women. Mare's granddaughters are strong, young women in their right whose respect for their unusual grandmother grows over the course of the trip. The chapters written from Octavia's point of view will help draw young readers into the story, Davis' vivid descriptions of Mare's exploits will hold their attention.

Mare's War grew out of Davis' search through military records for information on her own grandmother. Through this story she sheds light on a little known era of American history and reminds readers of some of the unsung heroes of the war. Interested readers will find resources for further information in the author's acknowledgements. This book would make an excellent addition to any library. It deserves to be read because it is, quite simply, a wonderful book.

Mare's War
Mare's War will appeal to several audiences: teenage girls who will identify with Octavia and Tali who are dragged on a road trip with their 80-year-old grandmother, Mare; African Americans who will appreciate the example of a strong female character in the Army during WWII; and teachers in 6th-9th grade who can use this book as a supplement to African American studies.

I liked it because of how the author, Tanita Davis, wove history and character education lessons into Mare's interaction with her granddaughters, simultaneously teaching that young people can learn a lot from their grandparents' histories. In this excerpt she has just explained to Octavia that Claudette Colvin was her same age (15) when she refused to give up her seat on the bus:

"The people who dragged her kicking and screaming off of that bus certainly were what you could call white supremacists," Mare continues. "She had to have known that something was going to happen if she kept sitting where she wasn't wanted. But she stayed seated," Mare goes on, flicking a glance over her left shoulder and smoothly changing lanes. "Sometimes you just have to to act on the strength of your convictions, no matter what someone else might think." (p.88)

Mare's War flip-flops from the threesome's present day adventures as they drive from California to Alabama, their destination for an alleged family reunion. Although the girls begin the trip bored and complaining, they (and the reader) are quickly engrossed in their grandmother's stories. The girls learn of Mare's struggles with her loyalty to protect her younger sister, her desire to leave her small town existence and create a life of her own, and her longing to win her mother's approval--at the same time that she handles prejudices directed against blacks.

Solid and well written historical fiction, with some fresh ideas and fun. Sisters Octavia and Tali are required to accompany their high-spirited grandmother ("Mare") to a family reunion across the country. The story alternates between Then and Now, and tales of Mare's adventurous life as one of the first black women in the US Army in World War 2, and Tali and Octavia's modern lives. I wasn't overly thrilled that Mare is encouraging Octavia to drive (though Octavia is underage and doesn't have a license) but that's probably just me. A few things seem rather clunkily dropped in for the education value (reference to Claudette Colvin; Joe Louis The Brown Bomber) but that's the great thing about historical fiction -- you can learn while you are having fun.

This was a wonderful book. I loved the way that the chapters switched between the past and the present. I also loved how the book told the past from a voice that is not usually heard, especially not in school or textbooks. Wonderful, wonderful book.

Thank you for responding so quickly. The item was as you indicated and I received it in a timely manner.

Great blend of a history most of us never heard about--the "colored" women's unit of the U.S. Army during WWII--and a modern-day road trip with two girls and their tough, seen-it-all grandmother. Great family story, but also a very inspiring how-to--how to transform yourself from a poor, afraid, and powerless girl into an independent, kickass young woman. A book I'll gladly share with the teenage girls in my life!

I borrowed this book from the library because my name is Mare. After reading the inner cover, I was excited to read this. The story was intriguing. I couldn't wait to hear more about Mare's life as she was growing up in the South. However, the ending of the book put on the emergency brake. I didn't feel the ends were wrapped up at all. I felt gypped. I didn't like it. The rest of the book was an excellent journey. If not for the abrupt halt, I'd have liked this book much more.