Good Night, Irene

A Novel

By: Luis Alberto Urrea

Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik, Luis Alberto Urrea

Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

What if a friendship forged on the front lines of war defines a life forever? In the tradition of The Nightingale and Transcription, a searing epic based on the magnificent and true story of heroic Red Cross women.

“Urrea’s touch is sure, his exuberance carries you through . . . He is a generous writer, not just in his approach to his craft but in the broader sense of what he feels necessary to capture about life itself.” —Financial Times

In 1943, Irene Woodward abandons an abusive fiancé in New York to enlist with the Red Cross and head to Europe. She makes fast friends in training with Dorothy Dunford, a towering Midwesterner with a ferocious wit. Together they are part of an elite group of women, nicknamed Donut Dollies, who command military vehicles called Clubmobiles at the front line, providing camaraderie and a taste of home that may be the only solace before troops head into battle.

After D-Day, these two intrepid friends join the Allied soldiers streaming into France. Their time in Europe will see them embroiled in danger, from the Battle of the Bulge to the liberation of Buchenwald. Through her friendship with Dorothy, and a love affair with a courageous American fighter pilot named Hans, Irene learns to trust again. Her most fervent hope, which becomes more precarious by the day, is for all three of them to survive the war intact.

Taking as inspiration his mother’s own Red Cross service, Luis Alberto Urrea has delivered an overlooked story of women’s heroism in World War II. With its affecting and uplifting portrait of friendship and valor in harrowing circumstances, Good Night, Irene powerfully demonstrates yet again that Urrea’s “gifts as a storyteller are prodigious” (NPR).

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Luis Alberto Urrea (P)2023 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

“Good Night, Irene is a beautiful, heartfelt novel that celebrates the intense power and durability of female friendship while shining a light on one of the fascinating lost women’s stories of World War II. Inspired by his own family history—and his mother’s heroism as a Red Cross volunteer during the war—Luis Urrea has created an indelible portrait of women’s courage under extreme adversity. Powerful, uplifting, and deeply personal, Good Night, Irene is a story of survival, camaraderie, and courage on the front line.”—Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds"

,"“Every once in a while the universe opens its heart and pulls out a book like this novel, gifting it to the cosmos. In Good Night, Irene, a new element has been created, and the literary world is reborn in the image of Luis Alberto Urrea. His voice comes alive on every page of this magnificent novel.”—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Swee

A heart-wrenching wartime drama, a rich portrait of friendship, and an exploration of the trials and triumphs of the human spirit, Good Night, Irene is historical fiction at its finest. Using the little-known true story of women who worked behind the front lines for the Red Cross during World War II, Luis Alberto Urrea weaves a novel about the enduring bonds, devastating losses, and heroism of ordinary people who put their lives on the line for freedom. This is a story that needed to be told and remembered.” —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train and The Exiles

So interesting!

I love stories of women’s contributions during WWII. This was so interesting to me because I had no idea that the Red Cross had women that served near the front lines in this role of cheerful donut servers. So well researched and told with such love & care. I just loved Dorothy & Irene. I hope you do, too.

Wow!

The writing in this book took my breath away. My emotions caught in my throat at every turn. The narration was also amazing. This book has made it hard for me to imagine what to read next. Because most certainly any book that does not live up to Mr. Urea’s standards of writing, narrative, plot, dialogue and descriptive passages will certainly be a disappointment.

What women!

I loved it. I’d never heard anything about women serving in WWII in this way and every character was brought to life in a way that I felt like I knew them. They were so strong and brave and funny and sad. Very touching.

Amazing. I didn’t want it to end!

I am wordless with the incredible writing. What an awesome tale of the war that has been with me since before birth when my father was killed while I was still in my mother’s body. I’ve read all of Urea’s books and they just keep getting better and better. Gracias por todos, Luis. Your fan from Tucson

ARC Revelations

Good read how the women contributed to the war through the ARC and gained a deeper understanding of the ARC role in combat. I appreciate all the coping methods used to deal with the horrors of war and the need to support the efforts of all involved. Sobering but excellent read into history.

A gripping historical fiction tale of Red Cross volunteers in WW II

I have just finished listening to the author’s note at the end of this audiobook, and am wiping away tears. What a wonderful story of women’s friendship, and of what they suffered for their country without acknowledgement. It is an unbelievable story, that we threw young civilian women into combat armed with coffee and donuts and cheer to raise the morale of our troops overseas. And yet, oh how believable it is that we devalued and ignored their contributions, and their suffering. This is one of those “I think I need to do an errand” books, where you make excuses to do tasks that allow you to listen to the audiobook. A wonderfully satisfying ending. I loved it.

An Epic

This might be Urrea’s most memorable…it pulls you in slowly until you feel like you have lived the lives the women.

Inspirational.

Once again we learn of women’s contributions that have gone unrecognized. Thank you Luis for a wonderful historical fiction novel and the contributions of the Donut Dollies.

Amazing

Incredible story. Made me cry. Made me think about our history and the World War II generation.

Moving and Revealing

This is one of those books that compels the reader to keep reading, or listening, in this case. As a woman, the unsung responsibilities and tasks of women in WWII continue to amaze me, as well as offer more complete explanations of history. A few times, I felt the story veering into the melodramatic, but after listening to the authors explanation and history, I find these portions to be gallant attempts to create personal histories that can not be known.
This is historical fiction at its finest. The characters of Dorothy, Irene, and Zoot are particularly powerful.