Daughters of War
Page 31
It was such a great pleasure and privilege to write Daughters of War. I enjoyed everything about it. From the first ideas, the research, the plotting, the writing, the editing, all of it! And once again, I hope stories like this do in a little way help to shine a light on the contributions of the men and women who gave their lives for us in The Great War.
I am currently working on Book Three in the War Nurses trilogy. There will be more conflict, more struggles, more heartbreak and more smiles. You can expect women triumphing in a war setting, and you can also expect a few surprises along the way.
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If you enjoyed reading Daughters of War, I would be so grateful if you could write a review. I know we authors do go on about reviews (!), but that’s because your reviews make such a difference in helping new readers discover our books. Plus, I’d dearly love to hear what you thought: I’ve been told May is a bit of a Marmite character – I don’t like Marmite, but do you love her or loathe her? I feel she struggled greatly with the restrictions of the time. What of the other members of May’s team? Matron, Gordon, Bonnie and Kitty? Who impressed you and who didn’t? Did you fall in love with Louis (as I did), or did you feel he was not a good match for May? And finally, I loved writing the ending and having Matron save the day but how did you feel about the Paris chapters?
It’s always wonderful to hear from my readers – please feel free to get in touch directly on my Facebook page, or through Twitter, Goodreads.
Thank you so much for your time,
Lizzie Page
Author’s Note
My first book, The War Nurses, was based loosely on the story of Elsie Knocker and Mairi Chisholm and followed their time in the cellar house in Pervyse, Belgium.
This book was inspired by Mary Borden, but as anyone who knows about her life will know, I have diverged considerably from Mary’s story.
In fact, Mary achieved far, far more than I wrote about here. Mary was no shrinking violet, she was a formidable nurse, ground-breaking novelist and an extraordinary poet. She wrote numerous excellent works, including the classic The Forbidden Zone, which explored her time in the Somme. Not only did she finance and open a hospital in France during the Great War, but she also made a massive contribution in the Second World War too. Later, she became involved in politics. She was fascinating!
Mary was my springboard, my starting point, a doorway to a different world. You could say Daughters of War is about the conflict of the war, and also the inner conflict many women have with the constraints of motherhood. For women, balancing their own desires against their parental duties is a story that is both contemporary and as old as the hills.
I’m aware that my May – fictional May – might be seen by our modern standards as a ‘neglectful mother’. I don’t think she was, but I hope the story provides a platform or space for that discussion. We women can do incredible things. Let’s raise each other up!
I have also taken quite the liberty with Winston Churchill(!) but I endeavoured to capture the spirit of the man. Always a great orator, in 1946, in Zurich, Churchill spoke these words, which I believe are as relevant today as they were then:
‘Is there any need for further floods of agony? Is the only lesson of history to be that mankind is unteachable? Let there be justice, mercy and freedom. The people have only to will it, and all will achieve their hearts’ desire.’
I’d also like to give a very honourable mention to Gertrude Ederle. On her second attempt, in 1926, this nineteen-year-old American was the first woman to swim across the English Channel. She started from Cap Gris-Nez in France and reached Dover after fourteen hours and thirty-one minutes in the water (bettering the previous record by two hours). Atta girl!
Acknowledgements
Book bloggers made such a difference to my experience of being published. I chewed all my fingernails waiting to hear what they thought. I really appreciated how carefully and patiently they read and reviewed my work.
Here are some bloggers and reviewers who made the petrifying experience of releasing a book slightly less petrifying:
Mrs Bloggs The Average Reader, Katie’s Book Cave, Chells and Books, Ginger Book Geek, Bookish Jottings, Waggy Tales Dog Blog, Short Book and Scribes, Em the Bookworm, The Writing Garnet, Frankie’s Reviews, Lucy London, Booking Good Read, Blooming Fiction, Whispering Stories, and Bad Mum Book Club…
Thank you for your encouraging words and I do hope you read me again. (Massive apologies if I’ve missed anyone out!)
Thank you so much to everyone at Bookouture who have carried me through the scary process of book two. We have the best publicity department in Kim Nash and Noelle Holton – so reassuring to be in their safe hands. It’s also lovely (and a privilege) to be among the supportive and uplifting Bookouture authors in the Bookouture Lounge.
Special thanks must, of course, go to my brilliant editor at Bookouture, Kathryn Taussig, for her great ideas, her trust in me and her guidance. When I see the word ‘sense?’ in the margins I know I need to pull my writing socks up. A smiley face in the margins means the world to me! And thanks also to Bookouture’s Maisie Lawrence for her astute editing and generous encouragement.
Thanks to my lovely agent, Thérèse Coen at Hardman and Swainson, who is always unfailingly enthusiastic and energetic. A big smiley face in the margin for her.
And thank you to Marian Hussey and all those involved in the fabulous audiobooks. I love them.
Thank you to all my lovely friends, old and new, who have been so generous in their support of me and my writing. I’m lucky to have you.
Special thanks to Beth and Alistair for giving me work with the fantastic Blade Education and for encouraging me to wear a polyester War Nurses outfit. Thanks, guys!
Huge thanks again to darling husband Steve and Reuben, Ernie and Miranda. They are all very patient with me.
Big thanks go to my sister, Debs. After all, she does actually read my books .
Cheerleader, confidante, comedienne… where would I be without my Debs?
Published by Bookouture in 2018
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An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
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www.bookouture.com
Copyright © Lizzie Page, 2018
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Lizzie Page has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.
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Mary Borden, 'Song of the Mud', Current Opinion, October 1917
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-78681-621-4
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.