Good Night, Irene
Luis Alberto Urrea
In the tradition of The Nightingale and Transcription, an exhilarating World War II epic that chronicles an extraordinary young woman's heroic frontline service in the Red Cross In 1943, Irene Woodward abandons an abusive fiancé in New York to enlist with the Red Cross and head to Europe. She makes fast friends in training with Dorothy Dunford, a towering Midwesterner with a ferocious wit. Together they are part of an elite group of women, nicknamed Donut Dollies, who command military buses called Clubmobiles at the front line, providing camaraderie and a taste of home that may be the only solace before troops head into battle. more
407 pages, Hardcover
First published Little, Brown and Company
4.16
Rating
14340
Ratings
1972
Reviews
Luis Alberto Urrea
57 books 2551 followers
Luis Alberto Urrea is the award-winning author of 13 books, including The Hummingbird's Daughter, The Devil's Highway and Into the Beautiful North (May 2009). Born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and American mother, Luis has used the theme of borders, immigration and search for love and belonging throughout his work. A Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2005 (nonfiction), he's won the Kiriyama Prize (2006), the Lannan Award (2002), an American Book Award (1999) and was named to the Latino Literary Hall of Fame. He is a creative writing professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago and lives with his family in the 'burbs (dreaming of returning West soon!).Community reviews
4. 5⭐“If you get to come home, you will be so grateful you won’t realize at first that you survived. But once you know you survived, you’ll only be starting to understand. ”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 the women of the Clubmobile Corps of the American Red Cross to the war effort. In 1943, several young women from all across the country signed up with the American Red Cross to serve in the Clubmobile Corps in WWII Europe. more
4. 5 shiny stars. Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea was a moving yet harrowing novel that was based on the author’s own mother’s experience in the Red Cross during World War II. Whenever I thought about women in The Red Cross during World War II, I had thought that they were all nurses. How wrong I was. more
’Some think we’re so brave, but we really don’t know enough to be scared. Some people think we’re brats…some of us are. Some think we’d be better off at home, where a woman’s place used to be…about 200 years ago. Some stare, shake their heads in disbelief. Some cheer, some scream and wave—everybody greets us. more
I’ve become more cautious about reading WWII stories because they were all tending to blend together. And no sooner did I start this, then I felt a sense of deja vu. Readers of The Beantown Girls will feel the same. The story revolves around two American women who sign up to be Red Cross volunteers or Donut Dollies as they were known. Dorothy is a strapping girl from Indiana. more
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…. more
Good Night, Irene: A Novel is the latest historical fiction novel by one of my favorite writers, Luis Alberto Urrea. This book is based on the experience of his mother during World War II with the American Red Cross Clubmobile following the soldiers under General Patton as they advanced into Germany. This is a searing epic tale based on the true experiences of the brave and heroic women in the American Red Cross. This is the fictional story of Irene Woodward who abandons her abusive fiance in New York City to enlist with Red Cross and head to Europe at the height of World War II. A friendship is immediately forged during their training; that of Irene Woodward and Dorothy Dunford, a tall blonde girl from a Midwest farm with a sharp and biting sense of humor. more
One of my favorite authors, so I'm super excited for this new book. Can't wait for May. Update: I’ve read two books by Luis Alberto Urrea before, both of which I loved tremendously, “Into the Beautiful North” (4 stars), and “The House of Broken Angels,” which I read during the early days of the pandemic and which filled me with so much joy and life. (5 stars. See my review at https://www. more
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. more
**Happy Publication Day***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. more
I loved House of Broken Angels and had high hopes for Luis Alberto Urrea’s new novel Good Night, Irene. Once I picked it up, I could not set it down. I fell in love with these characters from the start for their wit and spunk, the deep friendships they create, their bravery and sacrifice. I suffered with them, I cried for them, and I rejoiced with them. This novel shares all the characteristics of my favorite books. more
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. more
A stunning portrait of a part of WWII that I knew nothing about, the Red Cross Clubmobiles staffed by American women who met preset qualifications, entered this service at officer ranks, and manned large bus-sized vehicles bringing coffee, donuts and cheerful faces to the forward troops in Europe. To be continued…. A copy of this book was provided through Little Brown and NetGalley for an honest review. more
Astounding. RTC. Luis Alberto Urrea never disappoints. WOW. more
4 ++++ starsThis is such a departure for favorite author Urrea. His previous novels have all stemmed from his Mexican American family history, set mainly in Mexico and Soutwest U. S. This book features Urrea's mother who hailed from New York, and who was a member of the Donut Dollies, a unit of the Red Cross who brought donuts and comfort - a feeling of home - to service personnel during WWII out of a truck that was a rolling donut machine. The author's fictional mother, Irene, volunteered in 1943 and was sent initially to London, but then to the European theater. more
I have only read 50 pages, but this is the most ridiculously bad book I've read all year and am abandoning it. I cannot belive I am expected to go along with the writing and dialogue of its three main characters from the start, Irene, Dorothy, and Ellie. No one talks like this (it reads stilted and fake), the women move forwards/backwards in their relationships with zero explanation or character building, and the three women are so interchangeable, it's laughable. I can't decide what I find the most offensive. It might be the whiplash of the character's emotions and feelings towards another, or the fact that Urrea expects to skip over any character building or relationship building, and we will love I/D/E anyways -- or because the subject matter is historical fiction on a topic that history glosses over, we will all just swoon over how "amazing" it is that he's "shone a light on the topic" and just give him a Pulitizer or something. more
“Good Night, Irene”, by Luis Alberto Urrea (based on the true story of courageous Red Cross women - specially the ones known as “The Doughnut Dollies of WWII”)This was my first book by this author, who was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for “The Devil's Highway”. As I enjoyed the opening, I immediately obtained a copy of one of his older novels, “The House of Broken Angels”, which has received excellent reviews. But unfortunately I lost interest in “Good Night, Irene”, after 20% in, mostly because of the dialogues, which in my opinion were the weakest part of his writing. The concept was interesting, and the descriptions were very well written, but the development of the storyline and characters were underwhelming. I only picked this book because it was compared to “The Nightingale” (by Kristin Hannah), one of my favourite novels. more
New York society girl Irene Woodward makes the impulsive decision to join the Red Cross during WWII. She has her reasons: her stepfather is a creep and her fiance hits her. Training for the "donut dollys" - or, the preferred term, "clubmobilers" - is rough. But Irene makes friends with Ellie and Dorothy and within a few months they are on their way to Europe. One thing I really liked about this book was the level of description. more
What a revelation for me to find out that women actually enlisted for World War II service with the American Red Cross. Until reading this beautifully written novel,, chronicling the lives of Donut Dollies working the front lines, I foolishly assumed that coffee serving volunteers had light social responsibilities. Instead, these brave and generous souls, put their lives on the line at the same battlefields on which the GIs fought. Luis Alberto Urrea, taking a little known chapter from his mother’s Red Cross service, weaves a tale of friendship, love, courage, and honor. Irene Woodward enlists as a Red Cross worker in 1943. more
I would rate this book 10 ⭐️ stars if that were possible. Luis Alberto Urrea is a brilliant storyteller, so in this historical fiction novel he wholeheartedly tells us about his mother’s experience in WWII. Urrea combines real events with heroic tales of the Women that served via the Red Cross , driving their refurbished buses and or ‘deuce and a half’ army trucks all over Europe to the frontlines. They were charged with bringing a touch of home: coffee, donuts and an listening ear to the exhausted GIs. They drove hundreds of miles to all posts and camps where there was active fighting. more
I’m a big WWII historical fiction fan and really wanted to love this book given it’s stellar reviews. The story was interesting but it moved so slow I kept losing interest. It isn’t a book I’d recommend for WWII historical fiction. . more
Beware the thought, “I’ve read everything there is to read about WWII. ” Instead, perhaps consider what I learned in my twenties: “Everyone has a story to tell. ”The title character escapes an abusive relationship and overbearing family of modest Staten Island wealth to enlist in the Red Cross during the middle years of World War Two. She makes it through training and soon ships overseas to serve as an attendant to something called a “Clubmobile. ” The instructions are suspect but clear: to remind the troops for what they’re fighting. more
Some spoilers. Read at your own risk. Let me start by saying this: I love Luis Alberto Urrea's books. My husband jokes he can't take me to book signings with Urrea because I might run away with him. His novels, especially in The Hummingbird's Daughter and Queen of America, take me back to living in Mexico. more
I was introduced to Luis Alberto Urrea at the last Petoskey Booktopia. He is multi-talented writer and speaker. I listened to the this book while reading it. At first, I was disappointed that he did not narrate the book. But the book is told through Irene's telling, so it made some sense that Barrie Kreinik took on the job and did an admirable job. more
A story of WWII, based on the experiences of the author's mother, as she joined up with the Red Cross as a clubmobiler. . . serving coffee and donuts to soldiers in the thick of battle and between rounds with opposing forces in battlefields abandoned for a moment. In other words, these women were in harm's way just about as often as those fighting the battles. more
I wanted to love this book after reading so many good reviews, but ultimately did not finish (63%). Writing style made it difficult to follow a plot line or connect to the characters. Many parts felt overly descriptive, repetitive, and disjointed. more
World War 2 is one of my favorite genres to read. The subject of this book is one I wasn’t familiar with so that was intriguing for me. Women serving coffee and doughnuts to soldiers close to the frontlines . I LOVE that this novel was based on his mother who was one of these Donut Dollies that was part of the Red Cross. We follow Irene, Dot and others as they experience the many trials, heartache and loss experienced during wartime Europe. more
This is one of those novels that sneaks up on you, dear reader. The first half is good—actually, quite good—but not what I would call riveting. Or compelling. It's more interesting than engrossing. But hang on to your hats because the second half is unputdownable. more
I have read a lot of WW2 books - fiction and non-fiction, and it surprises me to find that there is still more to learn and still perspectives to be seen. The author's mother was in the war serving in the Red Cross as a "Clubmobile" girl. Around 1,000 women drove these buses around the war serving comfort, coffee and donuts to the troops. This book is an historical fiction account of some fictional volunteers who ended up deep in the front lines with Patton's troops. It was really good. more
It just amazes me that we can still find bits of history about WWII that are largely unknown. Luis Alberto Urrea introduces us to the Clubmobiles, sponsored by the American Red Cross. These military trucks provided coffee, donuts, and solace to GIs fighting in Europe. Based on the experiences of his mother, this novel is both riveting and heartbreaking. I really loved this one. more