In June 1942, twenty-two-year-old Saoirse “CC” Gallagher arrives at J. Calvin Thompson Advertising, eager to prove herself as a Junior Copywriter amid New York’s high-stakes wartime ad world. Hired as a “war replacement” for Joe Butler—one of the agency’s most respected writers, now serving in the Army Air Forces—CC steps into a world dominated by men who doubt she belongs.

 

Under the mentorship of two powerhouse women, Helene Walker and Zofia Novak, CC enters the Shark Tank, the agency’s fierce creative boardroom. Her award-winning essay on women’s contributions during WWI reveals a critical flaw in the government’s current recruitment strategy: the issue isn’t getting women to apply—it’s men refusing to hire them.

 

Her insight sparks a seismic shift. The agency retools its national campaign, “Women’s War Jobs for Victory,” launching a new approach that acknowledges the gender biases blocking the workforce and reframes women as strategic assets essential to victory.

 

Meanwhile, Joe Butler endures the grueling trials of pilot training. Through letters, CC and Joe form an unexpected connection—one rooted in mutual respect, humor, and a growing admiration neither quite sees coming. As Joe edges closer to combat deployment and CC becomes the unseen architect of one of America’s most important wartime efforts, their parallel journeys reflect the sacrifices ordinary people made to keep the nation moving.

 

When tragedy, ambition, fear, and hope collide across the home front and the front lines, CC and Joe must decide not only what they stand for—but who they are becoming in a world forever changed by war.