A Burnished Rose: Book I

Book II in the Rose Series
Today women have a glass ceiling. In the 1930s that ceiling was made of wood, so following your dream only took you so far—especially if you went against societal norms and what your friends and family told you you should or should not do. This is the story told in A Burnished Rose, the much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning Rosebloom.

Ninety year old, WWII nurse’s story finally told.
Macella Korda/Schlemma, resident of Minnesota, turned 90 this February, but you would never know it. Her small frame and clear eyes hide the fact that she has persevered through three Army invasions, worked 12 hour shifts in temperatures ranging from 130 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 30 degrees, in four different countries, all over a 26 month period. Marcy was a nurse in the Army Nurse Corps and served on the front lines with the 95th Evacuation Hospital.

Marcy’s little know story, and that of others, is portrayed in the fictional novel just published by Christine Keleny titled A Burnished Rose. This story vividly brings to life the lives of the men and women both at home and in the armed services from the late 1930s through the end of WWII. It tells of the personal sacrifices that were made and the hurdles people frequently had to overcome.

In particular, the story illustrates what it took to become a nurse in the 1930s. It tells of the lives of the women, like Marcy, who volunteered to join the military looking for adventure but also feeling a strong duty to support their country in a time of war.

A Burnished Rose also follows the mission of the Flying Tigers in China before the US enters the war and what happens to those airman that become a part of the 14th Air Force when the Flying Tigers are disbanded.

A Burnished Rose is a sequel to Christine’s debut novel, Rosebloom, which won an Independent Book Publishers award when it came out in 2008. Rosebloom was released in audio November 2010. The 2/1/11 Library Journal review “Recommended” Rosebloom to its readers saying: “Keleny details her journey and the myriad (of) characters she encounters in an entertaining an enjoyable way.”