Last night, I dropped in on an author talk, given by two very engaging women: Maureen Shaw and Helen D. Millgate. Maureen, as it happens, is what is often described as a ‘war orphan’. Her mother was widowed during the Second World War, and Maureen was eager to find out more about the plight of such women in the UK. But, as she and Helen discovered, not a single written word had been dedicated to this group. It seems these women had been given a meagre pension and then forgotten. Helen, an experienced author, decided it was time to research this part of UK history, and hence their co-authored book, War’s Forgotten Women: British Widows of the Second World War, was written and published.
Now, I have to say, I’m not a massive fan of war … and I don’t think the two authors are, either. But I do like the ‘living history’ approach they took to their research in order to gather many moving accounts from family members of how life changed for them as a result of losing a wage-earner while in active service. What’s more, it was just such a treat to hear authors talking about their work, their process, their involvement. There’s always something to learn.
