On Tuesday, August 3, the Wright Museum will welcome Jane Healey, who will discuss her novel, The Beantown Girls. Set in Europe in the final months of World War II, The Beantown Girls is about a young woman and her two best friends who volunteered as Red Cross Clubmobile girls.
According to Healey, whose grandfather was a firefighter on the Navy ships off the coast of Europe and North Africa, she was always “fascinated” by World War II, a fascination stoked by her discovery of Red Cross Clubmobile Girls. Clubmobile Girls operated mobile service clubs overseas during the war to provide servicemen with food, entertainment, and a connection to home.
“The more I learned about the women who were part of the program, the more I knew there was a story there,” said Healey. “The book is very much based on the true stories of the women who worked in the Red Cross Clubmobile program in World War II. It’s an honor to share their history and their contributions to the war effort.”
Noting she left a career in high tech to become a freelance writer, Healey said her passion for historical fiction began with her first novel, The Saturday Evening Girls Club. “With the release of The Beantown Girls, I continue to fulfill my dream of writing about lesser-known stories of women in American history,” she said.
The Wright Executive Director Mike Culver said he looks forward to the presentation, which is part of their 2021 Lecture Series, presented by Ron Goodgame and Donna Canney. “It is one of those true stories of the war that remains largely unknown until now,” he said.
The Beantown Girls lecture begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3 followed by a book signing at the Wright Museum, 77 Center Street in Wolfeboro on the first floor of the new DuQuoin Education Center. Admission is $3 for members and $8 for non-members.
Masks are optional for all fully vaccinated audience members. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 603-569-1212. For more information about the 2021 Lecture Series, or museum, visit wrightmuseum.org.
The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, the Wright Museum features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the homefront and battlefield.
