To the Discussion Leader Summary Thinking About the Book Student Activities Author Interview

To the Discussion Leader

With the beat of military drums and the singing of patriotic lyrics in the background, author Beth Seidel Levine composes a story about New York society, World War I, and the increasing recognition of the importance of women in America.

Teenager Simone Spencer’s life is filled with the trappings of wealth from the family chauffeur to their wonderful cook. As she plans out her future, Simone is looking for meaning in her life. Her desire to help American soldiers fighting in World War I causes her to leave her life of luxury and join the American Signal Corps as a “hello girl.” With their ability to speak French, these highly skilled American women allowed them the important task of relaying battle commands between headquarters and the trenches and back again.

Of these brave women who risked their lives, Beth Seidel Levine writes, “These women answered the call to serve their country at a time when women couldn’t even vote. They were so fearless and so very ahead of their time. Women like them paved the way for the rest of us. That is the real story.”

Summary
“It's funny. A moment ago, I didn't know what I should do with my life once high school was finished. I've been feeling so useless. Now in some strange way, I feel like perhaps being at war will change that. Perhaps I will find myself somewhere in it.”

These are the words seventeen-year-old Simone Spencer writes on April 6, 1917; the day the United States enters World War I. Living in an elegant Fifth Avenue mansion with her physician father and stylish French mother, Simone has been happy with a high society lifestyle, attending lavish parties, picnicking in Central Park, and shopping in expensive stores with her friend Francie. Simone loves New York and says, “ I cannot imagine a world outside of this one, a city better lived in than my own.”

But the war has already touched the Spencer family with older brother Will volunteering for the Army and shipping out to Europe. To feel useful, Simone volunteers at the YMCA, then tries working at her father's hospital. Neither seems to satisfy her. She then signs up for the Army Signal Corps, which is recruiting "French speaking American girls to operate the switchboards on the Western Front." After a training period, Simone is also sent to Europe. On the way, she meets a homesick girl from Boston. Alice “...comes from a very poor family with six children.” Simone and Alice become close friends, exploring Paris and later braving death together in a small town near the Front. The work is challenging and strenuous, but Simone and Alice enjoy the nightly dances held for the servicemen. During one of these dances, Simone meets up with Will and is introduced to a handsome young soldier, Sam Cates, who becomes the love of her life. Happiness is short lived, however, as Will's and Sam's unit is sent away into battle. Shortly after, Alice becomes gravely ill with influenza and dies. Simone writes, "This is a terrible time. There is no time for mourning in war...but I feel so lonely that I cannot catch my breath.

As the war continues, Simone and the other "hello girls" are moved from town to town, closer to the fighting. She is amazed at the responsibility the operators are given. "Can you believe that every order given, every order for troop movement, --they all come over these lines?" she writes.

Finally on November 11, 1918, Armistice Day, the war is over, and Simone goes home. She is greeted by Father, Maman, and Will, who was sent home earlier. But there is no news about Sam: he is presumed dead.

Simone refuses to believe it, but as time passes, she begins to lose hope. She decides to help out in the hospital once more, and is surprised to learn that Sam is one of the amputee patients there. Simone is overjoyed to be reunited with Sam. The family celebrates the holidays together, and on New Year's Day, Simone's nineteenth birthday, she writes, "As we sat there eating cake and telling stories, I realized that this was my happy ending. Had I written it myself, I couldn't have made it better."

Thinking About the Book
1. Explain why Simone’s diary is titled When Christmas Comes Again.

2. In her diary entry for April 10th, Simone writes, “Maman always says things work out better when they go the opposite way of what is expected.” Is this true in Simone’s life? Has there been a time when it was true in your life?

3. How did Simone’s parents meet?

4. What is the Zimmerman telegram? Did it play a role in America entering World War I?

Simone became a “hello girl.” Explain what this means. 6. What gift does Francie give to Simone as she is leaving for Europe? Why is it so special to Simone? What does she do with it?

7. What does Simone mean when she writes on January 20th, "I'm self-conscious now about where I come from."

8. Choose one of the following quotes from Simone's diary and explain what it means.

“No news is good news.” (December 1st diary entry)
“It makes me think that no matter what they say, no one really wins a war.” (December 8th diary entry)
Simone quotes a letter from Thomas in which he writes, “When there is nothing to keep you tied to home, there’s nothing to keep you from living your dreams.” Does Simone believe this? Do you?

9. How would you describe Simone's attitude about life at the beginning of the book? How does her attitude change after she joins the Army Signal Corp? When she meets Alice? When she meets Sam?

10. By the end of World War I the new profession of physical therapy was born. Why was this new profession needed?

Student Activities
1. American infantrymen during World War I were known as doughboys. There are a variety of theories as to why they were so called. Look at http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/origindb.htm to view some of these theories. Which one do you think seems the best explanation for this nickname?

2. Francie gives Simone a porcelain angel as she sails to Europe? This gift becomes very important to her. If your friend were leaving on a long journey, what special memento might you give to your friend and why?

3. Have each member of your discussion group choose one of the following to research and be able to explain what it means to other members of the group.

mustard gas	doughboy	Armistice Day
victory garden	General John J. Pershing	chapelier

4. In the hospital when Simone reads Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol to the wounded and silent Thomas Stuart, it inspires him to speak once again. Read A Christmas Carol. Why do you think Thomas found it to be such a special story?

5. See what you can find out about the stock market crash of 1929. How did this event affect Simone and her family?

6. The patriotic song “Over There” was very popular during World War I and the words are printed on page 165 of When Christmas Comes Again. To hear how this song sounds, go to http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/gilded/jb_gilded_cohan_1.html and click on real audio (streaming). What do you think of the song? Why do you think people at the time liked it so much?

An Interview with Beth Seidel Levine
Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D. & Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D.: How did you discover the story of the hello girls?

Beth Seidel Levine: Well, I really wanted to do something about World War I since the Dear America series hadn’t covered that topic yet. I had hoped to write the story of a nurse, but I found out the age requirement would make my character much too old for our readers. In the course of that research, however, I discovered the story of the hello girls and I couldn’t believe I had never heard about them before. They were such trailblazers! But, there is very little information out there. Just a few primary sources and some mentions in the larger books about women in the war. Nevertheless, I had to find out as much as I could. I had found my story.

RFA & EST: Would you tell us about the research process you went through to write When Christmas Comes Again?

BSL: First, I started writing just to get to know the character a little bit. Once I found her voice, that of a disillusioned society girl, I had lots of research to do. What would she wear? What were her days like? Then, I had to learn about the recruitment of the hello girls and the pace of the war. As I went along, I took notes, wrote diary entries, and devoured everything I could find—fiction and nonfiction—so that I would stay true to the time period. I learned so much and began to feel very close to the characters and their experiences.

RFA & EST: What was the most interesting or surprising thing you discovered during your research?

BSL: There were a few things that surprised me. I couldn’t believe how close the hello girls got to the action. This was at a time when women could not vote and when their rights on the home front were still very limited. So, this was a real departure from that notion. There they were shouting orders to soldiers, living in rough conditions, toughing it out just like the men. It was a real turning point for women—they got so involved. It wasn’t just the hello girls, but the Red Cross workers, the YWCA volunteers and so forth. Some very important professions were born out of the war experience. For example, it wasn’t until the end of World War I that physical therapy started to get the respect it merited in this country. Finally, training programs were put in place and many women found their way into the practice. A year after the war ended, women finally won the right to vote. The war was a catalyst to so many exciting turning points for women.

RFA & EST: You have edited books in the Dear America series, and now you have written one. How does wearing the hat of author differ from that of editor? Did your experience as an editor help you in your writing?

BSL: In some ways working on the books all these years helped a lot. I know the format very well. I have a good idea of what devices will work and how to pace a diary. Plus, I had the benefit of a great editor, Amy Griffin, who used to manage the Dear America series, and who taught me so much about how these books work. In other ways, I had so much fun making the story and characters take whatever direction appealed to me, such as adding in a little romance, something I have no real control over as an editor. That was exciting!

RFA & EST: There are many examples of romance in Simone's diary: how her parents met, how Simone and Sam met, how Simone's friend Francie ran into Thomas in California. Do you consider yourself a romantic? Do you think that time in America (early twentieth century) was a more romantic time?

BSL: Oh yes, I am a romantic. And war always provides a dramatic backdrop for romance because of the inherent danger and because of the separation it necessitates. Never knowing if you’ll see someone again, not knowing where they might be or if they’re well, it’s awfully dramatic. But it also leads people to turn inward, to reflect on their relationships, and to write it all down. Imminent danger leads us to savor important moments, I think. That’s why so many good stories are borne out of war.

RFA & EST: Thomas tells Simone, “When there’s nothing to keep you tied to home, there’s nothing to keep you from living your life.” Do you think he is right?

BSL: I think that’s one way to look at it, although we later learn that it’s not quite true for him. But, I also think Simone is right when she realizes that having ties to home gives you the courage to go out and live your life. For her, knowing that there are people waiting for her, rooting for her, well, that’s very encouraging.

RFA & EST: Other than your main character, Simone, who is your favorite character in the diary? Why?

BSL: Probably Maman. She is so strong and loving, but not overprotective and not at all provincial in the manner so many society women were at the time. She understands and listens to her children. She is dramatic and romantic and also very real. The way she refuses to succumb completely to her surroundings. The fact that she works, and the way she believes in Simone and relates to her need to go out into the world and take some risks, makes her a very endearing character.

RFA & EST: Is When Christmas Comes Again a story about social classes in America?

BSL: Maybe a little bit. I wanted to present the situation, certainly. But, I didn’t want that to be the focus. Rather, I wanted to show how people don’t belong in boxes—that there are so many dimensions to everyone. A rich girl can be kind and big-hearted and brave, just the same as a working-class girl can be. In the end, the hello girls were all there for the same reason: to help their country, to contribute. And the same goes for the soldiers—like Sam and Will. Class doesn’t matter when you’re on the front lines. In that way, I suppose the book is about social classes, but it’s also about character, about growing up and about family.

RFA & EST: What is the main thing you hope readers will take away with them after reading When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer?

BSL: I hope they learn a little something from it, and I hope it makes them think about life and history and war. But if it doesn’t make them think about anything terribly important, I hope at least they enjoy Simone’s story and are happy with the way it all turns out in the end.

Discussion Guide written by Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D., Professor of Literature for Children and Young Adults, University of Houston and Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D., Clinical Associate Professor, University of Houston, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Houston, Texas.