Henrietta's War

Henrietta's War: News from the Home Front 1939-1942 by Joyce Dennys

On the library stacks: Adult fiction
Series: Book 1 of 2

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was thinking about this book the other day and realized that I had somehow forgotten to post a review when I read it this summer! It's such a wonderful book and I realized I needed to rectify the situation immediately.

Joyce Dennys was a British artist who felt that women artists never got enough opportunities. During World War II, she wrote a series for Sketch magazine, including her wonderful drawings for each weekly installment. Decades later, she compiled her articles (and drawings) into two books, of which this is the first.

Henrietta is the wife of a doctor in a seaside village in Devon. She writes letters to her childhood friend named Robert, who is in France fighting the war. Each letter is a quirky look at life on the home front. Henrietta knows her worries are nothing compared to those who live in London or who are stationed abroad. But her letters portray another side to the war as she gives her reflections about the colorful characters in her town and the way each one deals with the stress of life--the patriotic organizations they join, the methods they use to black out their homes, and their worries about bombs on the beach.

The interrelationships between the characters is what really makes this short novel so humorous. I can't wait to read the second book to see their stories continued. I think I read this entire book with a smile on my face. Reminiscent of the wartime novels of D.E. Stevenson, this book is positively delightful.

Also reviewed by: things mean a lot ~ Your link here?
Source: Purchased