Find Another Book

Book details

Mare's war

Tanita S. Davis - Author

This is a family story about two sisters getting to know their unconventional grandmother through a shared journey and her recollections. Her earlier life includes leaving home as a teenager and military service during the Second World War.

Add to Compare Explore

Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Family· ExplainedGenerational understanding· ExplainedAlternating timelines· Explained

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

familygenerational understandingalternating timelinesindependenceadolescencemilitary service

FictionNovel

Themes in Context

Two timelines, one family story

Chapters alternate between the sisters’ road trip with Mare and her experiences as a teenager and WAC member.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The structure sets Mare’s present-day role as a grandmother beside her earlier life, giving the reader two contexts for understanding her.

Talk about: How does learning about Mare’s younger years affect the sisters’ view of her?

Mare’s choices and independence

Mare’s earlier story includes leaving her home life in the South and joining the Women’s Army Corps during the Second World War.Provisional reading

Talk about: How does the book present Mare’s reasons for leaving home and joining the WAC?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The alternating timelines let readers encounter Mare both as the sisters’ distinctive grandmother and as a young person making consequential choices. The story also brings together family life and Black women’s wartime service.

What Deserves Attention

Mare’s past includes growing up Black in 1940s Alabama, leaving home as a teenager and serving in Europe during wartime. A reader may want to talk through the historical setting and what military service involved.

A Conversation Worth Having

What do Octavia and Tali come to understand about Mare as they hear about her earlier life, and does that change how they relate to her?

Reading Approach

Try reading a present-day chapter alongside the following chapter about Mare’s past. Pause to compare what the sisters notice with what readers learn about her earlier choices.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Two timelines, one family story: The thread focuses on how learning about Mare’s earlier life may shape the sisters’ view of her.
Mare’s choices and independence: The question focuses on how Mare’s reasons for leaving home and joining the WAC are presented.

Mare's War - Tanita S. Davis - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 2 October 2026.

Relevant to: Two timelines, one family story; Mare’s choices and independence

Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis | Open Library