Hidden Scars of War

Listen to the interview with the author here

Author: Frances Y. Evan (USA)

About the book:   In the spring of 2017, a bundle of personal letters, stories and notes was discovered following the sale of a modest house in Tallahassee, Florida, belonging to Vera Brown. After thoroughly exploring the contents of the papers and interviews with family members, the full arc of an extraordinary woman’s life was revealed.

Beginning during the interwar period in a calm and cheerful suburb of London, living a carefree childhood resulting from being the beloved only child of two doting parents, Vera is suddenly eyewitness to the perils of the home front during World Wal II. She lives with the fear of death as German bombers pummel England in preparation for a possible invasion of her homeland and spends night after night with her family in the Anderson air raid shelter which had been dug into the earth of her back garden. Vera faces tragedy and hardship, losing her father, her home, enduring the strict rationing of food and goods while knowing each day could be her last. The war years restricted Vera’s movements, education, and security, however, with Florrie, her strong and resilient mother, she manages to persevere, even relishing times of fun, entertainment, and national pride. When Vera finds true love in the form of her husband, Maurice, she finds purpose in their many business ventures together, becomes a mother and ultimately matriarch to generations of descendants.

The hard lessons of war remained with Vera throughout her life. She knew how to get by when funds were low, mend, darn, sew and repair and never waste or throw out anything useful. She was a true partner in her husband’s efforts during his unsettled work life, tolerant, accepting of his impulsive decisions and supportive of his need to succeed in a variety of endeavors, even when he made the life-changing decision to emigrate with his family to the United States. She fought through homesickness, guilt at leaving her beloved mother, culture-shock and adjusting to an unexpected pregnancy in her new Connecticut home which changed the family dynamic and produced their first American citizen.

Years later a series of financial reversals put Vera on the move again, this time to Florida. Leaving her older daughters and their families behind, she begins again with Maurice and starts to build a new life in the American Southwest. Overcoming sorrow and depression, she must face the challenges presented by failed businesses, legal setbacks, and the very real threat of destruction as their home is directly impacted by Hurricane Kate.

After Maurice’s untimely death, Vera realized that she had lost the center of her life, the man around whom her world revolved. She was untethered and at loose ends until she met Ed, an adventurous American with whom she spent ten years of happy companionship during which she traveled and enjoyed security and comfort. Finally, in her twilight years, Vera faced the reality that she must bravely cope with the onset of dementia as she struggled to discern what was real and what was imagined. She faced the dreaded decision to move to an assisted living facility losing some personal freedom, the comforts and familiarity of home and ultimately her own mortality.

Vera’s life was one of moving on, adjusting, adapting, rising to the challenge, overcoming hardship, bearing losses, cherishing family, and friends, and enjoying much happiness as well as sorrow along the way. She was a modern-day pioneer, not by choice but by loyalty and devotion to a restless spouse, finding new relationships, adventure, and love all along the way.