Sheila Williams (The Secret Women) celebrates the only Black enlisted women to serve overseas in World War II in No Better Time: A Novel of the Spirited Women of the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion. This fast-paced narrative opens aboard the RMS Queen Mary, the troop carrier shuttling the women of the 6888 across the Atlantic, where readers meet librarian Dorothy Thom, single mother Leila Branch, and the other members of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WACs), before rewinding to the days before enlistment and carrying through to the war's conclusion.
From the hardships of boot camp and training to their efforts to sort and distribute the mountains of GI mail that accumulated over years of fighting overseas, these women know that there are "other jobs to be done besides load, aim and pull a trigger." Each woman has a different reason for service, but all have something to offer the war effort. Williams draws upon the personal narratives of her cousin who served in the 6888 to create a story full of color and energy. Combined with her significant research, this personal touch enables Williams to shine a light on a part of World War II that has had little prior attention. With an upcoming Tyler Perry film focused on this extraordinary battalion, the women of the 6888 are sure to find their rightful place in history. No Better Time is just the novel to elevate these unforgettable voices. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian