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Product Description
Product Description
'It is as if I have been waiting for someone to ask me these questions for almost the whole of my life' From 1945, more than four million British servicemen were demobbed and sent home after the most destructive war in history. Damaged by fighting, imprisonment or simply separation from their loved ones, these men returned to a Britain that had changed in their absence. In Stranger in the House, Julie Summers tells the women's story, interviewing over a hundred women who were on the receiving end of demobilisation: the mothers, wives, sisters, who had to deal with an injured, emotionally-damaged relative; those who assumed their fiances had died only to find them reappearing after they had married another; women who had illegitimate children following a wartime affair as well as those whose steadfast optimism was rewarded with a delightful reunion. Many of the tales are moving, some are desperately sad, others are full of humour but all provide a fascinating account of how war altered ordinary women's lives forever.
About the Author
Julie Summers is a writer, researcher and historian. Her books include Fearless on Everest: The Quest for Sandy Irvine, and a biography of her grandfather, the man who built the 'real' bridge over the River Kwai, The Colonel of Tamarkan. She lives in Oxford.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This really does make you think, as my late Father was a Far East POW.
I never for a second thought about what help and assistance was given to those who had lost husbands, the fight to stop War Widows pensions being taxed for example, the book had opened my eyes, and this audio recording really brings the full story home. As a researcher of Far East Prisoners of War I recommend this to anyone interested in the Forgotten Side to the Story of the Second World War. Long ignored or forgotten I am glad that the book and this recording now tells that story. Very well done. Stranger in the House: Women's Stories of Men Returning from the Second World War: 2
I never for a second thought about what help and assistance was given to those who had lost husbands, the fight to stop War Widows pensions being taxed for example, the book had opened my eyes, and this audio recording really brings the full story home. As a researcher of Far East Prisoners of War I recommend this to anyone interested in the Forgotten Side to the Story of the Second World War. Long ignored or forgotten I am glad that the book and this recording now tells that story. Very well done. Stranger in the House: Women's Stories of Men Returning from the Second World War: 2
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although war and its aftermath have been around forever, I had the feeling that the things this book described could only have happened at one particular point in history, the middle of the 20th century.
For one, with modern communications it's inconceivable now that a large group of men could be held captive for several years with no hint of where they were or even if they were still alive. For another, it was at this point that women started to have lives outside the home, in the workplace and the professions, which would not have been the case even 20 years earlier. Roles which in most cases they were expected to give up automatically on resuming their true role as housewives on the return of their menfolk.
Apart from one or two boys, the focus is on the women's story, which is understandable, since they were the ones who stayed at home and then had to deal with often very damaged men who returned, often with no understanding of how much the Home Front had changed in the years they were away fighting or in prison.
The stoical self-sacrifice of some of the women is immensely moving. Elizabeth Glassey qualified as a doctor during the war, and rose to become the dedicated head of an obstetrics department at the age of 24. When her fiance returned, after three and a half years as a POW in the Far East, she immediately gave up her post and supported him while he in turn went through his medical studies. Only much later - after seven pregnancies in nine years, just four of which led to surviving children - she became a junior member in her husband's practice.
Even more extraordinary to me was the story of Monica Littleboy, who lost touch with her friend - not even fiance - George in 1939, only for him to search her out when he returned from the Far East in 1945. Although she was involved with another serviceman, she eventually decided - after much agonising - that it was her duty to help George recover some normality by marrying and supporting him, a largely unrewarding task which she carried out until George's death in 2000. I've no idea where women like that come from, but it's heartening to think that there are such people, and we can never know how many men were saved from breakdowns and worse by the loyal and unquestioning support of their wives.
Not that chldren were unaffected. Imagine that you have never seen your father except in a picture, then at the age of 5 or 6 you suddenly meet a stranger who looks totally unlke that picture, who then moves into your life and becomes the centre of the household. Such a child can't be expected to understand the difficulties their parents experience, but they suffer nonetheless. Try this for a laconic comment from one such child about her mother, dealing with her husband's premature death as a result of illness contracted as a FEPOW:
'I would get home from school and find her with her head in the oven and the gas switched on. It was a very difficult time.'
There are many such stories in this book, and what is certain is that there are many thousands more which were never told and now never will be. The quiet heroism of just coping, in some cases for over half a century, has attracted very little attention, and yet it is difficult to escape the conclusion that sometimes the greatest heroes of a war end up without either a medal or their name on a memorial.
For one, with modern communications it's inconceivable now that a large group of men could be held captive for several years with no hint of where they were or even if they were still alive. For another, it was at this point that women started to have lives outside the home, in the workplace and the professions, which would not have been the case even 20 years earlier. Roles which in most cases they were expected to give up automatically on resuming their true role as housewives on the return of their menfolk.
Apart from one or two boys, the focus is on the women's story, which is understandable, since they were the ones who stayed at home and then had to deal with often very damaged men who returned, often with no understanding of how much the Home Front had changed in the years they were away fighting or in prison.
The stoical self-sacrifice of some of the women is immensely moving. Elizabeth Glassey qualified as a doctor during the war, and rose to become the dedicated head of an obstetrics department at the age of 24. When her fiance returned, after three and a half years as a POW in the Far East, she immediately gave up her post and supported him while he in turn went through his medical studies. Only much later - after seven pregnancies in nine years, just four of which led to surviving children - she became a junior member in her husband's practice.
Even more extraordinary to me was the story of Monica Littleboy, who lost touch with her friend - not even fiance - George in 1939, only for him to search her out when he returned from the Far East in 1945. Although she was involved with another serviceman, she eventually decided - after much agonising - that it was her duty to help George recover some normality by marrying and supporting him, a largely unrewarding task which she carried out until George's death in 2000. I've no idea where women like that come from, but it's heartening to think that there are such people, and we can never know how many men were saved from breakdowns and worse by the loyal and unquestioning support of their wives.
Not that chldren were unaffected. Imagine that you have never seen your father except in a picture, then at the age of 5 or 6 you suddenly meet a stranger who looks totally unlke that picture, who then moves into your life and becomes the centre of the household. Such a child can't be expected to understand the difficulties their parents experience, but they suffer nonetheless. Try this for a laconic comment from one such child about her mother, dealing with her husband's premature death as a result of illness contracted as a FEPOW:
'I would get home from school and find her with her head in the oven and the gas switched on. It was a very difficult time.'
There are many such stories in this book, and what is certain is that there are many thousands more which were never told and now never will be. The quiet heroism of just coping, in some cases for over half a century, has attracted very little attention, and yet it is difficult to escape the conclusion that sometimes the greatest heroes of a war end up without either a medal or their name on a memorial.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This CD is very moving to listen to, especially if you know someone who has experienced the anxiety surrounding the return of a demobilised service man or women. The live contributors are particularly impressive. It is a very worthwhile buy!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Thoughtful well written on a difficult theme
Coming from a family affected by just the sort of themes covered by this excellent book, I found it very thought provoking and just a little emotional too. Read more
Published 4 months ago by bonzo26
picnic bag
this was a last minute wedding anniversary present, it arrived very quickly and is exactly as described very pleased and def recomend it good value for money.
Published 4 months ago by lymicriste
devastating truth
Well I like to read about WW2 and this book just took my breath away... everyone should read it and would understand what our grandfather did for us, not to be under german... Read more
Published 18 months ago by missysky
Great book
Having watched a programme on TV about this subject I ordered the book. A baby boomer myself this was not something I had thought much about. Read more
Published 20 months ago by E. Kennard
Stranger in the house
I enjoyed this book very much.
But I did find the writing a bit small.
Good insight to how the women coped after the war.
But I did find the writing a bit small.
Good insight to how the women coped after the war.
Published 23 months ago by Barbara D Hughes
Book Club Opinions
8 of our members read the book and all found it fascinating. With most of us being post war children,born in the late 40's and early fifties, the book and it's stories helped us to... Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2009 by Beejay
Thought provoking
My mother is one of the heroines featured both in the book and on this double CD. Lesley Manville has portrayed her story in a remarkable performance that will leave a lasting... Read more
Published on 16 Jan 2009 by Stephen
A compelling CD
This is a really great abridgement of Julie's book Stranger in the House: Women's Stories of Men Returning from the Second World War, interspersed with interviews from some of the... Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2009 by C. Steele
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