Folio. UN CÂNTEC PENTRU IRENE.

In 1943, Irene Woodward leaves an abusive fiancé in New York. She joins the Red Cross and heads to Europe. She meets Dorothy Dunford while they train and they become friends. Dorothy is tall, comes from the Midwest, and has a sharp wit. Their work takes them close to the fighting.

The women serve in a select team. They use trucks fitted for work near the front lines. They bring American troops doughnuts and coffee, with a sense of home. They land in France with Allied forces. They face death as they travel through Europe. They live through the Battle of the Bulge. Their path also takes them to Buchenwald as it is freed. Irene falls in love with Hans, a bold American fighter pilot. He and Dorothy help her learn to trust again. As the war goes on, she fears for all three lives.

This novel blends history and romance for readers of war stories. Luis Alberto Urrea explores women's courage and their close bonds. He also shows their war work, which people often overlook. He draws on his mother's Red Cross service. He also uses research from archives.

Urrea writes fiction, nonfiction, and poems. He was a Pulitzer finalist. He has won an Academy of Arts and Letters award. He lives near Chicago. He teaches at the University of Illinois Chicago. This edition forms part of the Folio series.