15 comments

I never thought before about the lack of shampoo during the war.
Isn’t that amazing? In addition, if you wanted a tube of toothpaste, you had to take your empty one in to trade. They needed the metal.
Very neat info, Thanks for sharing this with us.
Do you have a reader/review team?
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Linda. No, I do not have a review team. I usually make a dozen or so copies of new releases available through my newsletter.

Love your books, I actually bought all you have written and read them all. I was heartbroken when Maggi lost out on her true love. I hope you bring him back, even Maggi deserves a little love in her life. And I was really surprised when the old lady lost her vocal chords… maybe a little unnecessary violence? But you are the writer. Keep up the good work and I will keep reading it!!!
Take heart! All will end well. The next book will take Maggie in a new and unexpected direction, and into a case involving a little known morsel of history.
I was born in 43 , so a lot of what you write about is in my history. My mother and her twin sisters who were rivetors had many stories. Love that Maggie is a fighter just like them. They were born in Hell’s Kitchen and were street fighters as well as ladies who knew how to dress to the nines. Thank you for these stories that bring their world back to me. Now I know why I love Maggie!

Such an interesting and surprising article. Thank you M. Ruth Myers for that snood reveal and for your marvelous Maggie Sullivan stories…LOVE THEM
Thanks, Jaci! Glad you’re enjoying them. Be sure to tell your friends about the series.

I was born in l925, and i would say the chief reason for the snoods was to protect factory workers from getting their caught in machinery. not so many people could afford going to hairdressers, so their hair WAS long – on the other hand, people like me (in the WAAF – Air Force) had their hair cut immediately they enlisted, so that it was just off their collar – to look neater! interesting comparisons anyway!
You’re right, Pat. They protected women working around machinery. What’s less known is that they hid hair dulled by soap (since shampoo was hard to come by). How impressive that you were a WAAF!

I’m happy to hear there will be another Maggie story! 😁
I was born in 1940. I had several uncles in the war and several aunts that worked in ammunition factories.
I was quite small but I remember seeing tiny pink ration stamps.
I love your books! You write them so well, I hear voices of that era as I read them.
I grew up listening to all the classic radio programs of that time in history.
Thank you for the enjoyable hours of reading. xoxo
Thanks, Norma! It’s wonderful to know I’m bringing the time, and some of our long departed loved ones, back to readers like you.

I’m pandemic reading your wonderful Maggie Sullivan books and finished book 7 late last night. Born to an Irish Catholic family in Boston in 1949, my faith has lapsed but my love of history and a good story has not. Along with your clever writing, I enjoy the historical tidbits thrown in which cause me to pause and do a little research of my own to learn more. I’d like to visit Dayton, and I try to locate addresses mentioned on maps. When I located photos of the old Market House, I was thrilled! Keep healthy and keep writing.

Thanks so much for taking the time to write, Maureen. I’m glad you’re enjoying the series. On Facebook there’s a small book club https://www.facebook.com/groups/693913837630026 where members discuss the 1940s and Dayton during the Maggie Sullivan era. You might enjoy it — lots of pictures etc. I also have a FB author page.