Mike's view of the new book so far

Sybil’s new book about a family in the Second World War is coming on a treat. As is her usual way she portrays the good and bad in both sides in the establishment and the domestic strata. We found when we lived in Germany and it was not long after the war had finished that some of the German citizens feared their own establishment more than the official enemy. We also knew that in England that during the air raid when we were in shelters there were those who would burgle the empty houses.

There were rules that prevented married couples in the forces living together, in certain circumstances understandable (as in the new book) but never the less difficult. It really makes you wonder how divided couples succeeded when the war was over and they were reunited, maybe some of them never understood each other again. A life apart allows the opportunity to form new relationships and  endure different life changing experiences that makes a formally happy relationship impossible.