The Red Wall A Woman in the RCMP

Jane joined the RCMP in 1977, one of the first females, and enjoyed a long, safe, and meritorious career in British Columbia, Vancouver area. She also has a near photographic memory, which accounts for the amazing detail in her many stories. Her prose is smooth and professional, so much so that the book was shortlisted for one of Canada's top book prizes. One fascinating detail involved the original dress uniform for women. Since the dark trousers, Sam Browne belt, and Stetson were deemed "unfeminine," the ladies were issued skirts, a pillbox hat, and a purse! They resembled airline stewardesses. Wiser and more practical minds prevailed not long after, and women even got into the Musical Ride...with no side saddle. Another incident which made me laugh involved the capture of a violent individual who was not going to go quietly. In a tense moment, he blurted out, "Aren't you going to read me my rights," having watched too much American television. In the heat of the moment, Jane replied, "We're in Canada. You don't have any!" Later she hoped he wouldn't recall those exact words, and luckily he didn't. A must-read for everyone interested in law enforcement.

Throughout the twentieth century, women have burst through many barriers of professions that are exclusively male. "The Red Wall: A Woman in the RCMP" is the author Jane Hall's story of breaking through that gender barrier to become one of the first female Canadian Mounties. A dedicated and detailed telling of her story in the organization that the Canadian nation upholds as a national symbol, "The Red Wall" is an informed and informative tale of tradition and transformation.