Maggie's Wars by Phil Pisani

"...a woman had to use every talent, every God-bestowed attribute. Every day was a battle, and I needed a better weapon."

"You're like all men: full of it, hiding behind stupid grins and scared of women doing a better job!"

I didn't really like this book. I thought I would. It's about a woman reporter trying to make it in a male-dominated field--not only reporting but reporting the war. It's nearing the end of WWII and she wants to go to the front, but frankly, the same thing I admire about her--her desire to prove women can perform just fine as reporters at the front line, also irritated me. She was too excited about seeing war. She went so far as to heartlessly say things like, "I hope it isn't over before I get there!" Not a direct quote, but you know what I mean.

Kinda reminded me of the beginning of the recent Iraq war. They showed all these fresh-out-of-highschool girls about to go to war, and they were gushing with excitement. Um, this is war. People are going to die. This is not a fun trip to Paris where you can paint your toenails.

Moving on.

I also didn't care for the fact half of it's from a male POV, her mob lover, Johnny, even though his stuff was actually more interesting. (Maggie seems to just complain and have sex.) I don't doubt for a minute the U.S. gov't recruited mob men at some point in the war and gave them special covert assignments. Anything is possible. He gets into some nitty, gritty war escapades too.

I appreciate one thing for sure: how it showed us the end of the war may not have been all we thought it was, that perhaps there was some loss of control on our side. It's sad, but it happens. It's something to think about.

But Maggie...she never grew on me, just annoyed the heck out of me. At one point she even opens a gate to a concentration camp, struts inside, and just randomly kisses a man? Huh? That was told from the dude's POV and I feel like I totally missed something. Who was she diddling this time?

You see, Maggie doesn't make it by her brains or wits alone. She has to sleep with men or give hand jobs under tables. I'm all for women's liberation and sexual freedom but to just screw a handsome reporter you met not two minutes before? Seriously? Glad it worked out for them, but it was at this point...at 62% ,with the war over, and Maggie just jumping into bed with another man, that I just decided I'd had it. Perhaps Maggie becomes a terrific person in that last 40% but too little too late for me.

As for the writing itself, it's okay. I still feel like I missed things between the changing of POVs and I got tired at some points of the eyes meeting and the smiling, but it's not half bad.

I borrowed this via Amazon Prime.