review written by Sue Majors and read out live on the bookshow 9th April 2015
In 1914 Vera Brittain was twenty one , the
daughter of a privileged home and an undergraduate at Somerville College
Oxford. When war broke out she suspended her studies and enrolled as a
volunteer nurse working with casualties in England, France and Malta.
The next four years were to cause her to
witness the horrors of war as she
learned quickly to nurse men who were badly wounded , and to experience
significant prejudice from the professional nurses back home. She also lost her
brother and fiance who were fighting in France.
This is a powerful memoir and it is in the
most part enthralling. It is beautifully written...her vocabulary is
extensive...but I found the latter part of the book where she begins to develop
her interest in politics after the war to be long-winded and hence not as
fascinating . She obviously used her extensive diaries and letters to recount
her story , and for me it tells honestly of a courageous young woman who dealt
with heartache and strife with eternal optimism.
It is a worthwhile read, and one that I
recommend to anyone who likes autobiographies and anyone who is interested
in WW1.
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