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Hidden Figures ~ Margot Lee Shetterly ~ April Book Club Online

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ANNIE:
And maybe some of the gals who worked on the A-Bomb at Oak Ridge, TN!   Remember that story about The Women Who Won The War?  Didn't Ella lead that discussion?

bellamarie:
I have my book and am anxious to begin.  The movie is out in our theaters right now and I am so tempted to go see it.  I don't think I have ever seen a movie and then read the book, but because we will be discussing it I may actually enjoy having seen the movie first.

Annie I was thinking of the Girls of Atomic City, and then here you go and mention it.  I think many would question whether those women won the war. I know from the sounds of things they ended up not feeling so proud of being used and kept in the dark on what they were actually doing.  But knowing women played a huge part in creating the atomic bomb was very interesting to read about.  This also brings to mind Henrietta Lacks and how she was not given her rightful due in the living cells that are still being used today to cure diseases.  It is sad to learn how the male/government took advantage of women and never gave them their rightful recognition.  Not so sure that is happening today with women standing up for their equal rights and all.

PatH:
I think most American women helped win WWII--some of them directly, like Oak Ridge or in military service, but the greatly increased need for productivity and manpower, while manpower was being drawn off to fight, meant that if you did anything to keep the needs of ordinary life going you were helping.  Not just in a factory, but even managing a checkout counter or driving a truck.

And it was a wonderful opportunity for women to break the mold of limited work choices and the expectation that they would stick to housework.

Bellamarie, if you see the movie, let us know what it's like.

JoanK:
Have the book and can't wait for the discussion. I was a (woman, needless to say) computer programmer in the 50s and 60s, so I'm eager to compare these women's experiences to mine.

bellamarie:
JoanK, I too ushered in technology into our school, a first, and know how exciting it was to be on the ground level of something so new.  Can't wait to read all about these women.

PatH., Well, said, women got an opportunity of a lifetime to break through many different job positions during the war that may never have came to them for many years had it not been for men going off to war.

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