Kathryn J. Atwood

When Germans overrun Brussels during the First World War, Gabrielle is infuriated to see her newfound happiness shattered. It isn't long before she is faced with an impossible choice. Three decades later, shy and bookish Julienne moves to Brussels with her widowed father at the height of the Nazi occupation and is horrified to witness the city's callous treatment of the Jewis.

In this dual timeline novel inspired by the life of Belgian spy Gabrielle Petit, two very different young women must discover their inner strength to become the heroes their city needs. And when loyalties are tested and decades-old secrets laid bare, their legacies will become entwined forever. 

This second edition of my first book contains six additional chapters which feature women who were directly involved in the military during WWII. 

Women Heroes of World War I brings to life the brave exploits of 16 women from around the globe who served their countries at a time when most women didn't even have the right to vote. These stories are told through fast-paced narrative, dialogue, direct quotes, and diary excerpts. 

Women Heroes of World War II: The Pacific Theater contains fifteen suspense-filled stories that unfold across China, Japan, Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies,and the Philippines, providing an inspiring reminder of girls' and women's refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history. 

In Code Name Pauline, Special Operations Executive Pearl Witherington describes in a series of plainspoken reminiscences her difficult childhood and harrowing escape from France in 1940; her recruitment and training as a special agent; the logistics and danger of posing as a cosmetics saleswoman to make her way around the country as an undercover courier; and both failed and successful attempts to sabotage the Nazis. She tells us how, when the leader of her network was caught by the Gestapo, she became "Pauline" and rose to command a 3,500-strong band of French Resistance fighters.

Courageous Women of the Vietnam War features brave women and girls who served in life-threatening roles as medics, journalists, resisters and revolutionaries in the conflict in Vietnam. Kathryn Atwood presents a clear introduction to each of five chronological sections, guiding readers through the social and political turmoil that spanned two decades and the tenure of five U.S. presidents. Each woman's story unfolds in a suspenseful, engaging way, incorporating plentiful original source materials, quotes and photographs. An excellent exploration of one of history's most divisive wars. 

My first book and also the first title in Chicago Review Press's Women of Action series. Published in 2011, Women Heroes of WWII, first edition, has since beeen translated into Spanish and Korean.