Reviews

No Better Time by Sheila Williams

dwkiley's review

informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

toastqueen's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

emilylovesreading_'s review

3.0

Thank you, @netgalley, for my gifted e-copy of “No Better Time” by Sheila Williams.

This historical fiction covers a unique WWII perspective, telling the story of two Women of Color who served in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, which was a branch of the Women’s Army Core (WAC).) The battalion was tasked with the insurmountable task of sorting years’ worth of mail and making sure that letters were received.

I found the subject to be very fascinating, and I feel that this is a WWII story that has not yet been told in a novel. Unfortunately, though, this book did not read much like a novel. There is a lot of information and little dialogue comparatively. I found the writing to be a bit clunky, but I still enjoyed reading through and learning about something new in history. I had never heard of the 6888th Battalion before and am so glad that I know about this piece of WW2 history now! It was heartbreaking to read about the racism that these women endured and interesting to learn more about what different aspects of the WAC were like and the different kinds of circumstances that lead women to join.

I would definitely recommend this book to you if you are interested in WW2 or WAC history!

delafrate's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring

5.0

A story of duty love and sacrifice, No Better Time gives us a glimpse into the lives of the Six Triple Eight WAC unit. Sheila Williams has given us a story that has been waiting over 80 years to be told. Add this to your TBR and move it to the top! Publication Date February 27, 2024.

#NetGalleyARC

#NoBetterTime

#SheilaWilliams

#TBR

#SixTripleEight

#HistoricalFiction

#CentralPostalDirectoryBattalion

heidirgorecki's review

adventurous challenging informative inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This is a hard one to rate because the facts were interesting but it was written more like a nonfiction book, not a fictional novel. 

This is the 3rd book about the 6888th I’ve read and I liked the different perspective that dealt with the military bases holding WACs the 6888th started from, besides Ft Des Moines, which is what the other books were set in because Charity Adams was there. There were also more/different stories, more perspectives, and more facts that this book brought to light, and honestly did it in a really great way - but if it was a nonfiction book. 

However, it was the proverbial tell rather than show - it walked you thru facts and events but didn’t get to a character level or let you see thru the characters’ eyes. It was more an education. So while I enjoyed the book, I didn’t care for the format having one foot in both worlds. I kind of wish it had just picked one and developed it as is. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine. 

fionak's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

This reads more as a series of vignettes of life during the war for Black American WACs than an actual novel. It's interesting in parts but often resorts to telling and there is a distinct lack of overarching plot or consistent story to link all the elements together. Because it's based on the author's cousin's experiences, there are plenty of historical details which helped keep me interested enough to finish.

Thank you to Amistad who kindly sent me an ARC for review.