Behind Lady Liberty's Right Shoulder! Women of Courage

Before the Oklahoma City Bombing and the Nine-Eleven Twin Towers Attack, there were the Black Tom Island and the Kingsland Explosions of 1916 and 1917 respectively. There were acts of sabotage as well as terror. The Black Tom Explosion in New Jersey has been historically described as one of the worst acts of terrorism on U.S. soil. Three women, (Anna Rushnak, Lulu Chapman and Mena Edwards) unlikely witnesses to the events at Black Tom, were vital in initiating and in furthering the investigation into this terrorism. Anna and Lulu faced the awful and awesome tasks of realizing that one of their own relatives (Michael Kristoff) was a saboteur in the Black Tom Explosion and had to be reported. This report started the investigation into the possibility of German sabotage. Only a few miles away, but widely separated by culture, by fame, and by circumstance was the young and beautiful Kodak model, Mena Edwards. She traveled in the highest and most elite German circles in Manhattan. It would take her a few years to report what she knew about Black Tom This book is the story of these four women and their acts of courage: acts that differed in how and when they occurred and in the circumstances faced by these women, but courageous nonetheless but once she did, she opened doors for the Mixed Claims Commission to require Germany to make reparations for its acts of sabotage on U.S. soil. Though there are excellent accounts of the Black Tom Explosion itself and circumstances surrounding it, none emphasize the roles of these three women. In terms of the Kingsland Explosion, Tessie McNamara stayed at her switchboard making calls and warning workers until she was almost blown out of her office. Her actions are credited with saving about 1400 workers at the plant. America's 'Telephone Girl' did receive adulation at the time but her act of courage must never be forgotten. A new generation of reader needs to consider how she responded. This book is the story of these four women an