Quote:
Originally Posted by astrangerhere
After about three weeks of slow reading, I finished Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth. The post-war section lagged a little for me, but it was still a fascinating read.
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This is on my all-time list, but it’s undeniable that the post-war section isn’t nearly as compelling as the earlier sections. I think in part it’s because she didn’t have the distance on the post-war that she did on her youth and the war, and in part because it’s obvious her husband didn’t want to be discussed, so there’s an emotional vacuum he otherwise would have occupied.
I’m not sure it’s in print and I’m quite sure it’s not available as an ebook, but a fascinating read is her war diary,
Chronicle of Youth. Published posthumously, it was the major source for her account of the war years in
Testament. It’s emotionally rawer and it’s interesting to see how her understanding changed over time.