Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis

"Fall out!  Wipe your masks and fall in!  We are going to do it again!"  Lieutenant Hundley hollers out as she open the door.   With our legs shaking, we march out.

Much later, we march half-time back to camp.  My eyes are swollen, my nose is snotting, my throat is sore, and I still got vomit on my shoes, but I went through my gas drill over and over and over, and I made it.  When I pass her on my way to barracks, Hundley say, "Well done, Private," and gives me a nod.  I can barely open my eyes, but I know she means it.

We got to do it again tomorrow.

But I am not scared.  I am not scared of nothin’ now.  I got blisters on my heels, my hands is cut up, my shoulders are sore from marching with a pack, and I can’t never get enough sleep, but I wouldn’t trade nothin’ for this.  Not a thing.

Didn’t nobody ever tell me I was this tough.  Didn’t nobody ever tell me no girl could work this hard, and nobody never said that work this hard could give you pride.  My nails might not be nice enough for polite folk, and my face might not be clean, but I earned my place in this man’s army.  I earned it.

And ain’t nobody gonna make Marey Lee Boylen go home.

~ Mare’s War  (p. 102)

It’s time for the 8th Novel Food, the culinary/literary blogging event co hosted by Simone of Briciole and Lisa of Champaign Taste.  I recently read Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis, a book which I wholeheartedly enjoyed and decided to make my Novel Food choice.

Mare’s War is about two teenagers, Tali and Octavia, who are forced to go on a cross-country road trip with their grandmother.  During the trip, they find out more about their grandmother, who’s called Mare (pronounced like the  French word Mère, which means mother.   She feels she’s too young to be called Grandma.).  The girls are surprised to learn that Mare ran away from home at a young age, lied about her age, and joined the African American battalion of the Women’s Army Corp during World War II.

I found it fascinating to learn about this group of women that I never knew existed and how they played an important part in the war.  Both the narration of the young girls and their grandmother mesmerized me from the first page of the book, to the last.  Really good story.  I loved how the book is filled with all types of tidbits — historical, humorous, sad, serious and more.  It left me with a good feeling at the end.

There’s a section in the book, where Mare is in the army and peeling potatoes to make potato salad.  I suppose everyone has made potato salad before but I never did.  The passage in the book inspired me to try it.  Easy!  The ingredients consisted of red potatoes, onions, mayo, egg yolk, vinegar, salt, pepper.

If you’re interested in participating in the next Novel Food, check out the guidelines here.

Thanks for putting this event together, Simone and Lisa.  It’s always fun to read a good book and be inspired to make a dish.

I’ll be back later in the week to post a link to the lineup of other Novel Food participants.  Stay tuned.

Paz

Ed. Note:  You can find the first roundup of Novel Food entries at Briciole and the second roundup at  Champaign Taste.  Check them out when you have time, you’ll find a great list of books AND inspired-created meals.

There are potatoes in the mess, and we got to fix potato salad for Sunday dinner.  Potatoes is something I know — Mama made me peel potatoes, snap beans, and mix up biscuits for Sunday dinner back home since I was eight or nine.  I peel potatoes like I was born doing it.

"Marey Lee," Annie say, "now, how do you do that, make the peel all come out in one curl?"

I just grin.  I might not know nothing about nothing in this man’s army, but I sure can handle myself in a kitchen.  Miss Ida should see me now.  "Just hold your knife like this," I say, and all my squad turns toward me.  Sure feels good to teach them something for a change.

~ Mare’s War  (p. 77)