For some years
I have had a fascination of what is known as the First World War, or the Great
War. (World War I 1914 – 1918)
This was a
time of enormous change in the world. For the first time countries banded
together to fight a common enemy. I’ll not go into the politics of the time or
the reasons why the war happened, that is for professional historians to
determine, but the effects of the war were far reaching, particularly in
Europe.
In Great
Britain the changes impacted on all walks of life, from the wealthy to the
poor. Women were asked to step into the space left behind by the men who went
to war. Not only did they have to work the men’s jobs, but they also had to
keep the home running as well. Not an easy task to a female population who was
expected to simply marry and have children and keep a nice house. Women of that
time were sheltered from the world, innocent. All that was soon to change.
In
my book, Where Dragonflies Hover, modern
woman, Lexi, finds a diary written by an Australian nurse, Allie.
Allie wrote
about her time as a nurse in Great War, and of falling in love with Danny, an
English officer. She wrote of her struggles to help injured and dying men who
came to her straight from the battlefield, covered in mud and blood.
To
write Allie’s story I had to do a lot of research about World War I. I enjoy
researching, and because the Edwardian Era is one of my favourite eras, it was
no hardship to spend hours reading sources from that time.
I really
wanted to make Allie’s story as real as it could be. One of my research sources
was reading, The Other Anzacs by
Peter Rees. A truly extraordinary book detailing the true stories of Australian
nurses in WWI. A lot of my inspiration came from that book. What those nurses
went through was simply remarkable.
Another
book I read was The Roses of No Man’s
Land by Lyn MacDonald. Another interesting account of what the allied
nurses and VADs from other countries went through. These women went from the
comfort and security of their homes to the heart of battle zones. They had to learn new skills swiftly, for
even dedicated career nurses had never experienced before the types injuries
and wounds they encountered only miles from the front line. Those women had to
sustain difficulties they never thought of, for example at times they were food
shortages, hygiene hardships, danger from bombings, homesickness and many more
problems. Yet, these women, some just young girls, dutifully headed into an
alien world without the promise of survival.
It is, of
course, impossible for me, or anyone, to know exactly how these women felt
during this challenging time, we can only read about their experiences.
However, simply reading about them is enough for me to give them my heartfelt
gratitude and admiration for what they endured.
I hope I did
justice to their stories, to what they gave up and for the sacrifices they made
to help us win the war.
Where
Dragonflies Hover blurb:
Sometimes
a glimpse into the past can help make sense of the future …
Everyone thinks Lexi is crazy when she falls in
love with Hollingsworth House – a crumbling old Georgian mansion in Yorkshire –
and nobody more so than her husband, Dylan. But there’s something very special
about the place, and Lexi can sense it.
Whilst exploring the grounds she stumbles across
an old diary and, within its pages, she meets Allie – an Australian nurse
working in France during the First World War.
Lexi finally realises her dream of buying
Hollingsworth but her obsession with the ho
use leaves her marriage in tatters.
In the lonely nights that follow, Allie’s diary becomes Lexi’s companion,
comforting her in moments of darkness and pain. And as Lexi reads, the nurse’s
scandalous connection to the house is revealed …
Excerpt:
The late sunshine
enveloped the house in a golden glow. Again, it seemed to call to her, begging
for attention. A path on the left of the drive looked inviting as it meandered
through a small strand of poplars. Lexi grabbed her keys, locked the car and
took off to explore again. She had nothing to rush home to now, and if she got
caught for trespassing, then so be it.
The overgrown pathway
brought her out on the far side of the grounds near the end of a small lake.
She gazed over the water towards the back of the house and noticed a paved
terrace area. From there the lawn then sloped down to the water. She’d not been
around the back before and fell even more in love with the property. She could
imagine the serenity of sipping a cool drink on a hot summer’s day and looking
out over the lake.
Lexi stepped out
along the bank. A lone duck swam by, its movement serene on the glassy, dark
surface. This side of the lake was in shadow from large pine trees, and she
stumbled on fallen pinecones hidden in the long grass. On the opposite side of
the water were some small buildings, a garage, fruit trees in early blossom,
and an overgrown vegetable patch, complete with a broken, rejected-looking
scarecrow.
She wandered over to
a narrow shed on her left and peered through its sole, dirty window. Unable to
make out much in the dimness, she walked around to the front and was surprised
when she was able to pull the bolt back on the door. Why didn’t people lock
things? A covered rowboat took up most of the space inside. She smiled, seeing
herself rowing it on the lake. Growing more excited, Lexi edged around it to
peer at the workbenches and the odd assortment of tools and useless things one
found in abandoned sheds. It was like treasure hunting in an antique shop. She
used to love doing that with her grandfather.
She glanced about and
spied a dusty painting leaning against the wall. The scene was of a child and a
brown dog. Behind the canvas were more paintings, some framed, some not. Lexi
flicked through them. The ones that caught her attention she took out and set aside.
She looked for
somewhere to sit and study the paintings. A small tin trunk wedged under a
workbench seemed the only offering. Thinking it empty, she went to tug it out,
but it remained fast.
Using both hands, she
heaved it out and was showered in a puff of dust. Squatting down, she inspected
the latch that was held tight with a small lock. ‘Why are you locked?’ she
murmured. The shed was open to anyone passing by, yet this ugly little chest
had a lock on it. The trunk was nothing special, plain and in parts rusted. No
ornament or writing hinted at its use.
Intrigued, she
grabbed a hammer from the workbench, but then hesitated. She had no right to
open someone else’s property. Lexi closed her eyes momentarily. What was she thinking of breaking into the
trunk? What am I doing? Never had she broken the law and here she
was guilty of trespassing and breaking and entering! She looked around the
rowboat as though expecting someone to jump out and arrest her.
Something inside
urged her on. She knew she couldn’t stop now. Sucking in a deep breath, she
bent and hit the lock hard. The ringing sound was loud in the quiet serenity of
the garden. The metal dented and with another few solid whacks the lock gave.
Shivers of excitement
tingled along her skin. Gently, she eased up the lid.
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