The moving and remarkable story of the wartime evacuees who were sent abroad by their families
The moving and remarkable story of the wartime evacuees who were sent abroad by their families
In June 1940 Britain expected enemy invasion. Despite Churchill's determination to fight on the beaches, many parents made desperate efforts to send their children abroad to safety. Thousands left for America, Canada, Australia and other distant countries.
In this revealing new book, Jessica Mann, herself a wartime evacuee, looks at the experiences of those who were sent away to a foreign land including their dangerous journeys across U-boat-ridden oceans, and asks how they coped with being away, and also how they found life back in the UK on their return. Drawing on extensive original research and memories of many former evacuees, including Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley Williams, Jessica Mann builds up a moving portrait of a lost generation.“'packed with illuminating experiences'”
'Mann's book is a gut-wrenchingly moving but perfectly balanced account of a forgotten episode of British history, of parental love and childhood hurt, the brilliance of which comes from the lack of sentiment or judgment. Sometimes the facts are heartbreaking enough' -- Guardian 20060319 -- Mail on Sunday 20060319 'A gripping read' -- Seven 20060408
Jessica Mann is a crime novelist and journalist. In 1940, at the age of two, she was evacuated, first to Canada and later to America, returning home three years later. She studied archaeology at Cambridge and law at the University of Leicester. She lives in Cornwall with her husband, the archaeologist Professor Charles Thomas.
In June 1940, Britain expected enemy invasion. Despite Churchill's determination to fight on the beaches, many parents made desperate efforts to send their children abroad to safety. Thousands left for America, Canada, Australia, and other distant countries. In this revealing new book, Jessica Mann, herself a wartime evacuee, looks at the experiences of those who were sent away to a foreign land, including their dangerous journeys across U-boat-ridden oceans, and asks how they coped with being away, and how they found life back in the UK on their return. Drawing on extensive original research and memories of many former evacuees, including Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley Williams, Jessica Mann builds up a moving portrait of a lost generation.
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