As I write this, we're just
coming to the end of Women's History Month, which feels very relevant to me as
I start the third book of my Valleys series, set over one hundred years ago.
The part women played in the Great War showed society, once and for all, what they
were capable of. The jobs for which they'd once been deemed too weak – or too
dim – were taken on with enthusiasm and with a great deal of success.
There were womenfolk all over the country on farms, in
factories, on public transport, in offices, walking the beat and driving vans,
all jobs they wouldn't have been considered for before the war. In Heartbreak
in the Valleys, Anwen helps start an initiative to work the local land to feed
the village, as the food shortages increase. Some of the women in the village
are helping the local farmer care for his sheep to produce wool for the
soldiers' uniforms. Some work in the munitions, while others are sorting coal,
to be used by the navy.
Many married women with children had worries about their financial
insecurity. This is the position for Violet Jones in War in the Valleys. The
soldiers' separation allowance was around twenty-one shillings (£1.10) for a
private's wife and two children. This was about half of what they would have
received when he was hewing coal. Violet is strapped for cash, and she ends up
sorting coal at the local pit – but worse is to come.
Researching women's lives at that time has been an eye-opener. Many may
have been 'only' working at home, but they laboured for twice as many hours in
a day than their menfolk. Keeping a house clean and children well looked after took
a good deal longer then than it does now.
The fact that women were able to take over men's jobs so successfully
paved the way for women's suffrage and their growing acceptance into hitherto
unobtainable jobs. I salute the women of the Great War. Although we still have
a way to go, we owe a lot to them for our success today.
Heartbreak in
the Valleys
The world was crumbling, but her love stayed
strong
For Anwen Rhys, life is hard
in the Welsh mining village of Dorcalon, caring for her mother and sister,
while shielding them from her father's temper. Anwen comforts herself with her
love for her childhood sweetheart, Idris Hughes, away fighting in the Great
War. Yet when Idris returns, unwell, he is a changed man. In the midst of
despair, can Anwen fight through and find hope again?
War in the
Valleys
WW1 marches on, but Violet faces her own battle
at home
Violet Jones lives a tough life, while soldier husband Charlie fights on the frontline. With very little money coming in, and two young children 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?
Available on:
About Francesca
Several years ago, Francesca Capaldi pursued a childhood
dream and joined a creative writing class. Lots of published short stories and several pocket novels later,
she’s now explored her mother’s ancestral history for a series of novels 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.
Find Francesca on:
No comments
Post a Comment