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Bombweed: Adapted from an unpublished novel written in 1947 by Margaret Smith

Bombweed: Adapted from an unpublished novel written in 1947 by Margaret Smith

by Gillian Fernandez Morton (Author)

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    Illustrated 2018

    $3.49

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    Illustrated 2018

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Synopsis

Rosebay willowherb grew rapidly on bombsites in WWII. Often called Bombweed, its image conjured up the terror of the blitz and its aftermath; a reminder of the lifelong consequences of wartime loss and the choice to cling to, discard, or lock away the memories of those who have disappeared from view in the fog of war. // Vivienne, a naive teenager in 1938, has to grow up in a world at war. Her family is shattered, like the buildings in her town, by the Luftwaffe. Vivienne and her sisters each seek ways to deal with devastating loss. Memories are destroyed, blotted out with drink and sex, or clung to obsessively. Houses can be repaired when peace comes, but the heart is a trickier matter. Vivienne knows that to recover, she must reach into the dark past.

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More Information

Format: Illustrated
 Pages: 312
 Edition: Illustrated
 Publisher: Silverwood Books
Published: 03 Jul 2018
ISBN 10: 1781327971
ISBN 13: 9781781327975
Book Overview: https://www.bristol247.com/culture/books/book-published-70-years-written/

Media Reviews
Gillian grew up in post-war Portsmouth in a family steeped in amateur dramatics. She lacked confidence, and would often be watching rehearsals and performances from the back of a darkened hall. The good thing, she says, is that by 12 years old she had seen almost all of Shakespeare's plays. She is no longer shy. // After completing a social science degree, Gillian stepped sideways into education where her curiosity about children who were failing in school drew her to therapeutic training. She has published and contributed to conferences nationally and internationally. // 'Bombweed' is Gillian's first novel. It is based on an unpublished story written in 1947 by her mother in the aftermath of WWII. Assisted by her sister Maureen, she has turned their mother's extensive, rambling, narrative into an engrossing story of love and loss, and sibling rivalry, in wartime Britain. // I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were well crafted and real and it was a difficult book to put down. I was sad when I reached the end. I wish there was more to come. Tina, Amazon Reviewer // This book far surpasses my expectations; it is a story of life during the 2nd world war for a family in the Portsmouth area, badly affected by bombing and loss of life. Vivienne and her sisters go out into the world, dealing with war time conditions in their different ways. It is told in a clear and true voice and is a great read. Judica, Amazon Reviewer;
Author Bio
One evening in 1947, Margaret Smith put her two daughters to bed and sat down at her typewriter. The war was over. Her husband, recently demobbed from the RAF, was away at college. Now she had time to write. // Over the following months she wrote the novel that was, eventually, to become Bombweed. She created a story of family tensions, love and loss, survival and recovery. Everything was drawn from her own experiences during the previous ten years, she said, although she was clear that it was not an autobiography. Her characters were amalgams of herself and her friends. The incidents really happened, though not necessarily to the people and in the places as told in the story. // In the late 1940s, publishers were not interested in Home Front stories. Their readers were too close to the real thing. They wanted heroics. Margaret wanted to remember the reality of wartime Britain; the struggles and fear, and the love and friendships that got them through. Then, when her husband came back from college, she became pregnant again, and her typescript was put away - but not forgotten. // Twenty years later, Margaret's life had changed. Her youngest child had died, she had divorced her husband, and both her daughters were married. She had become a school teacher. Through all these changes, the manuscript lay safely on top of a wardrobe. She continued to hope that one day it would be published. // After her death her daughters inherited the typescript. Now, after four years editing, they feel Margaret's story is ready for a 21st century reader. They hope they have done justice to their mother's vision and talent.