Homefront for the holidays

Apparently I think WWII took place entirely in the months of November and December. In my mind, it’s always freezing as the folks on the homefront bake cookies for their soldiers and stockpile their ration coupons for the big holiday meals. So when the temperature drops and the fireplace is glowing, visions of women knitting socks for the troops start dancing in my head.

In the past, I’ve had to indulge my nostalgia with classic movies from the 1940s. Most of those focus on the battles, which interest me not one little bit. I am far more intrigued by the determination, patriotism, and stamina of the homefront heroes — specifically, the women who held it all together during those dark days. The clothes are nice, too.

I’ve recently read several books that highlight the women who contributed so much to the Allied war effort, and I decided to share information about some of those books with the readers of this blog. (Most of these books have been or will be given to the young women I know who can use a reminder that females are capable of so much more than entering beauty pageants and snagging boyfriends. Honk if you think that’s important.) I’ve linked the titles to amazon.com for your clicking convenience, but I’m sure they are all available –or should be!– from your favorite bookseller.

Escape From Paris by Carolyn Hart – The story of two American sisters in Paris who help downed airmen escape from the Gestapo. Hart really captures the atmosphere of deprivation and terror that burdened the people of France during 1940, and she does a masterful job of showing us how ordinary people put themselves in danger to save others. This is actually one of Hart’s earlier books, but was first published with heavy editing (cut by almost half!). It’s now available in the complete version.

Miss Dimple Disappears by Mignon Ballard -The quiet little town of Elderberry, Georgia is still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor as Thanksgiving 1942 approaches. For the town’s Gold Star mothers, there is little to be thankful for, and for the rest of the town the constant threat of enemy attack and fear for their loved ones serving in the military casts a gloom that has little to do with autumn’s long nights. The war isn’t just over there, either; Elderberry is about to learn that there is just as much danger on the homefront as anywhere.

This is the first in a new series by Ballard, who works her literary magic once again.

Mare’s War by Tanita S Davis – You’ve probably heard of the Tuskeegee Airmen, but have you heard of the 6888^th, the African American battalion of the Women’s Army Corps? Thought not. This young adult novel is so smoothly written and so full of fact-based events and people that I couldn’t stop reading. It’s a perfect book for those snowy days when you want to curl up with cocoa and a great read.

Women Heroes of World War II by Kathryn J. Atwood – This is a nonfiction collection that tells the stories of women who were not part of an organized military effort but fought alongside their male counterparts in the Resistance movement or who simply did the right thing as individuals. From teen girls to world-famous celebrities, these are the women we want our daughters to emulate!

Nella Last’s War by Nella Last – Here’s the cover copy: “Writing each day for the “Mass Observation” project, Nella, a middle-aged housewife from the bombed town of Barrow [England], shows what people really felt during this time. This was the period in which she turned 50, saw her children leave home, and reviewed her life and her marriage – which she eventually compares to slavery. Her growing confidence as a result of her war work makes this a moving (though often comic) testimony, which, covering sex, death and fear of invasion, provides a new, unglamorised, female perspective on the war years.”

Nella doesn’t hold back! Her journal entries for the Mass Observation project are detailed and honest, from the gossip about neighbors and friends to her creative dinner menus. Most of all, it’s the genuine emotion infuses her diary that takes the reader right into the heart of Britain’s nightmare years.

This short list of books is my gift to you who share my fascination with and admiration for the everyday folks who are so often overlooked when we talk about war heroes. I know you’ll enjoy reading them as much as I did, and I hope you’ll pass them along to others who appreciate the spirit and sacrifice of that Greatest Generation.