It wasn't until I was editing War in the
Valleys that I realised I'd dealt quite a lot with the theme of loneliness
in my novels. In World War 1, many women had husbands and sweethearts fighting
in the war, or lost their loved ones for ever, in one of the endless battles.
Violet
Jones, the main character of the novel, has a husband fighting in France, like
a few other women in the villlage. This wouldn't have been the norm in most colliery
villages, as mining became a reserved occupation in March 1916, when
conscription came into being, though enough had already signed up before this
time. However, it's not until her lodger, Hywel, has moved out to live with his
family, that Violet realises how alone she's felt for many years, since her
husband has become increasingly distant.
Of
course, you can be lonely even when you're surrounded by people. Elizabeth
Meredith, another major character, seems to have it all. She lives in a nice
house, due to her father being the mine manager, her parents are comfortably
off and she has plenty of committees and events to go to with her mother. But
she's lonely in her own way, not feeling she fits into either society.
In
the first novel, Heartbreak in the Valleys, Anwen Rhys, despite working
long hours and having several people to look after, has few people she can, or
wants to, share her burdens with.
All
these women are suffering in silence, their loneliness a result of the isolated
situations they find themselves in. The challenge for me was (and is) to find a
satisfactory solution for these characters, though sometimes it's a long time
coming! I hope my readers will enjoy these characters' journeys.
War
in the Valleys
WW1 marches on, but Violet faces her own battle at home
July 1916. Young mother, Violet Jones, lives a tough life in
the Rhymney Valley, caring for 4-year-old Clarice and baby Benjy on her own
while soldier husband Charlie fights on the Front Line. But
when tragedy strikes, Violet’s life becomes even harder.
While they may be far from the battlefields, the effects of WW1
take their toll on the small mining community of Dorcalon, with food becoming
scarce and more and more of their young men losing their lives.
With very little money coming in, and two babies to care for,
Violet takes in a relative to help make ends meet. But far from easing her
burden, it might turn out to be the worst decision she’s made.
As the Great War takes its toll on the nation, Violet faces her
own battle. All alone in the world, can she protect her children, and herself?
And will she ever find joy out of the depths of despair?
Available on Amazon, Kobo and Apple
About Francesca
Several years
ago, Francesca Capaldi pursued a childhood dream and joined a creative writing
class. Lots of published short stories, a serial, and four pocket novels later,
she’s now explored her mother’s ancestral history for a novel set in a Welsh
colliery village. A history graduate and former teacher, she hails from the
Sussex coast but now lives in Kent with her family and a cat called
Lando Calrissian.
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