Love Entangled With War

The Very White Of Love by S.C. Worrall is a heart wrenching and powerful historical read that brings alive the futility of war for the reader. Now that I have finished the book, I still feel emotionally charged. The story affected me deeply.

Set between 1938 – 1941 the reader ‘experiences’ both peace and war. The tranquillity of the English countryside steeped in very ‘Englishness’ contrasts with the brutality of war torn Europe. Due to comprehensive descriptions, the reader ‘lives’ through both.

This is a novel grounded in reality. The author found letters to his mother in an attic after her death and he was inspired to write the story. Some details are factual, others are from the author’s imagination.

1938 showed a country on the brink of war. People witnessed the storm clouds gathering over Europe. They hoped war would not come.

1939 saw war become a reality. Hope had died but was replaced by a new hope – hope for peace and survival.

The war years show the resilience of the British people. Boys quickly became men in the face of war. On the homefront, people carried on holding on to hope.

As a historical novel, The Very White Of Love brings history to life. The sheer futility of war. The brutality of guns. The sights no one should ever have to see. The camaraderie of the oh so brave soldiers who fought for our freedom in the face of pure evil.

As a love story, The Very White Of Love is so beautiful. The love jumps from the pages enveloping the reader, leaving behind a sense of peace and beauty.

An afterwards fills the reader in on precise details, bringing closure to the novel.

I will leave you with this most powerful thought in a war that was such a waste of so much potential and young lives snuffed out.

“Home… the most beautiful word in the English language.”

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON