Kings, Queens and Pawns: An American Woman at the Front

"Kings, Queens and Pawns: An American Woman at the Front" by Mary Roberts Rinehart is a historical account written during the early 20th century amid World War I. The narrative follows Rinehart, an American journalist and member of the American Red Cross, as she embarks on a journey to the front lines in Europe to document the realities of war and the conditions faced by soldiers and civilians. The opening of the book sets a poignant scene in England, depicting the fervent determination of British soldiers preparing to head into battle, alongside crowds of eager but anxious citizens. As Rinehart makes her way to the continent, she reflects on the grim realities of war, detailing her motivations of providing humanitarian aid and accurately reporting back to America on the environment surrounding the conflict. Through her observations, readers are introduced to the heartbreaking experiences of soldiers, the logistics of war, and the emotional upheaval felt across both sides of the conflict, as Rinehart's journey unfolds with a tone of urgency and compassion. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Mary Roberts Rinehart was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie. Rinehart published her first mystery novel The Circular Staircase in 1908, which introduced the "had I but known" narrative style. Rinehart is also considered the earliest known source of the phrase "the butler did it", in her novel The Door (1930), although the exact phrase does not appear in her work and the plot device had been used prior to that time. She also worked to tell the stories and experiences of front line soldiers during World War I, one of the first women to travel to the Belgian front lines.