Press Releases
Wartime Turkey Springs to Life in New Book from State Historical Society
PIERRE, S.D.—A young woman from Redfield and the members of high society in Ankara, Turkey, during World War II are not common bedfellows. Dancing with Colonels: A Young Woman’s Adventures in Wartime Turkey, the new book from the South Dakota State Historical Society Press, combines the two, along with politics, intrigue, parties, and small-town values for good measure.
Marjorie Havreberg left her home in Redfield to work for Sen. Peter Norbeck in Washington, D.C., before joining the War Department as a civilian secretary and ending up in Turkey during World War II. An avid letter-writer, she wrote home to her family describing the vivid, exotic, and whirlwind life into which she had been thrown. She describes the military officers, ambassadors, and local people she met while fulfilling her duties. With her small-town background, Havreberg provides the reader with a marvelously fresh look at her surroundings.
An introduction from Judy Barrett Litoff, who edited the letters, places the correspondence in the larger context of society at the time. Litoff is professor of history at Bryant College in Rhode Island. She is an expert on letters from the World War II era.
Sally Enstrom saved the letters, compiled this volume, and provided a brief memoir of her aunt, highlighting Havreberg’s personality and zest for life.
Dancing with Colonels is available for $18.95 (plus shipping and tax where applicable) and can be purchased from most bookstores or ordered directly from the South Dakota State Historical Society Press. For more information, visit www.sdshspress.com or call 605 773 6009.
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The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Tourism. The Department of Tourism is comprised of Tourism, the South Dakota Arts Council, and the State Historical Society. The Department is led by Secretary James D. Hagen. The State Historical Society is headquartered at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing and administrative/development offices. Call (605) 773-3458 or visit www.history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call (605) 394-1936 for more information.
