I've been reading this fascinating book to my husband recently. He has always been interested in modern history, and this book encompasses the years of the Second World War, although written in the form of a young woman's Diary.
Mary was the youngest daughter of Winston Churchill, and was at home during the war years, whilst her older siblings had moved away to their own homes.
The Diary is a real mixture of social happenings, together with more serious events concerning Churchill's efforts to get Britain through the war. Living at Downing Street there were many meetings with men who helped the war efforts. Mary was often there and writes about 'lunch with General de Gaulle' and other well known personalities.
We do have a little laugh at her shopping forays. There's a war going on but Mary is.....
''visiting Fortnums to buy scrummy food with Mummie, dashing to Liberty's for a super new hat, buying a lovely new dress for the Officers dance', dancing till 2.30 am'......
She enrols in the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service), a voluntary service for women as an arm of the British Army. Heading a Battalion, she sees gunfire, planes dropping on London and faces the death of friends.
Of it all she says...
''I shall remember in the years to come something that had form and light amid so much that lacked shape and was dark--but I dont know whether to call it the human spirit or the soul--or the dignity of life--but there it is''.
We are coming up to our Day of Remembrance soon, and this book, although light hearted in many ways, has also served as a reminder of the life during the War years.
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