Jeri

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Southwestern Woman

Arts & Culture > Poetry & Prose > History's Human Side
 

History's Human Side

I have always been fascinated by history and the effect
that it has on us. When I was in the library this week, I
picked up a little gem called Good Evening, Mrs. Cravens that was by an English woman, Mollie Panter-Downes. She wrote stories about the Blitz and wrote exclusively for The
New Yorker.

I have always thought how hard it would be to send your children to the country so they could be safe and how hard
it would be on the people who took them in. It would be
hard to have strangers billeted in your home. It would have been very hard on the land girls as far as physical
labor went. I am not sure that Americans could make that
sacrifice.

These short stories tell of the emotions of the people
involved. The terror of waiting to know your children
have arrived at their destination. The cruel seperation
from husbands and lovers. The coping skills of meal
preparation from limited rations.

Her stories are so preceptive and so concentrated on human
feelings. She wrote them from a hut located in the garden
of her country home. Her skills of observation were real
and concrete. Her stories are brief and sometimes comic.
They make the extraordinary ordinary. If you find this
at your library, it will be a rare treat.


posted on Jan 9, 2011 1:26 PM ()

Comments:

These true stories have happened more than we realize. I'm not sure I want to get depressed reading her stories.
comment by solitaire on Jan 11, 2011 7:13 AM ()
Non- Jewish Germans sent their children out of the country sometimes to avoid conscription, but usually because the cities were bombed by Allied forces and thousands of civilians were killed.
comment by dragonflyby on Jan 10, 2011 2:29 PM ()
War is hell. We call the death of the innocent civilians collateral
damage and that is supposed to make us unaware of the human face of death.
reply by elderjane on Jan 11, 2011 5:18 AM ()
If you are close to the library, I am pretty sure you can get it there.
comment by elderjane on Jan 10, 2011 11:17 AM ()
It would not only be very hard for parents and children but for old people it would take a lot of adjusting to suddenly care for children.
comment by elderjane on Jan 10, 2011 11:10 AM ()
Sounds really good. I'll see if I can track it down here in Sin City.
comment by troutbend on Jan 9, 2011 4:50 PM ()
Bet you can.
reply by elderjane on Jan 10, 2011 11:08 AM ()
Yes, this sounds interesting. Children were sent into the countryside for safety throughout Europe, but Germans exported their children to other countries. My great aunts and great uncles ended up in Canada and California, and after the war, they did not wish to return to Germany.
comment by dragonflyby on Jan 9, 2011 4:46 PM ()
Dottie, I didn't realize that non-jewish Germans sent their children to
other countries.
reply by elderjane on Jan 10, 2011 11:12 AM ()
My mother knew she had to evacuate my brother and sister during the war. She couldn't let them go on their own, so she up-stix and went to Cheltenham, (Gloucestershire) with them. My father (as a Master builder) was urgently in demand in London, to repair the on-going damage to the buildings during the blitz. This, is how my parents finally moved to London, from South Wales.
From what I can gather, the children who were evacuated (especially, the ones who were from London) occasionally went to the 'sea-side' counties - some experienced the sight and smells of the sea for the first time - they were sorry to have to move back to the smoke of London! lol
War is an awful thing to have to live through

comment by febreze on Jan 9, 2011 2:48 PM ()
People need to be able to get along in peace because war is so devastating.
The Iraq war has taken a terrible toll of Iraq civilians and of all our own good men, plus damage to their families. This was a totally unnecessary war.
reply by elderjane on Jan 10, 2011 11:16 AM ()
Ack! I can't buy any more books! I have a zillion to read already... I will put this on my amazon wish list tho.
comment by kristilyn3 on Jan 9, 2011 1:34 PM ()
I know and every time you move you have to move a ton of books. Try the library.
reply by elderjane on Jan 10, 2011 11:18 AM ()
Not sure if I will find it here.
We have limited books.But will talk to the librarian about this.
Thank you for the information there.How are you and Ted doing there?
Rex feeling okay.
comment by fredo on Jan 9, 2011 1:30 PM ()
I hope you can. You will enjoy it.
reply by elderjane on Jan 10, 2011 11:19 AM ()

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