Code Name Rascal

In the tense days following the attack on Pearl Harbor, four very different women step forward to serve their country in a top-secret radar unit known as the Women's Air Raid Defense (WARD).

CJ Martino, a brash journalist from New Jersey, arrives determined to prove herself as a serious reporter-only to find her assignments censored and her ambition questioned. Ruth, a Navy officer's wife, struggles with her responsibility as an officer's wife while grieving her stillborn and carving out a purpose for her life. Jane, a daring Texas aviatrix, longs for the skies but is grounded by both military's refusal to let women fly and a husband who is a controlling gatekeeper. Lastly, there is Eve Russell, a Honolulu debutante, who volunteers to break the stronghold of social expectations, allowing herself to become vulnerable.

Together, these women join the "Rascal" unit, working long night shifts in blackout conditions to track incoming aircraft, they confront not only the possibility of invasion but also the battles within their own demons of grief, disillusionment, loneliness, and the search for meaning in a world at war.

As the pressure of war mounts, their friendships deepen. What begins as an unlikely alliance grows into a bond of trust and courage as each woman is forced to make choices that will change the trajectory of her life.

Grounded in meticulous research and inspired by firsthand interviews, Code Name Rascal brings to life the hidden history of the women of WARD. It is a sweeping story of resilience and transformation that illuminates the courage of unsung heroines and the strength found in friendship when the world teeters on the edge of collapse.

What makes this novel compelling is the author's exploration of women's

perspectives on these events... A gripping story that offers a glimpse of a seldom-seen part of WWII-era military history.

• • • • • • KIRKUS REVIEWS

Buckingham strongly delivers with her characters, richly developing each one and sketching their reactions to the attack with authenticity and historical accuracy... Her focus on females navigating World War II-particularly during the terrifying time frame of the novel-sets this title apart from other historical fiction offerings.

-BOOK LIFE PRIZE (PUBLISHERS WEEKLY)