Doreen

Book: Doreen by Barbara Noble
Pages: 238
Finished: April 2009
Challenges:
** Spring Reading Thing
** A-Z Challenge
** New Author
** Read and Review
** 20 in 2009
** War Through the Generations

First Sentence: "On her way to the office that morning, walking through streets crusted with broken glass, on legs uncomfortably swollen from a night spent dozing in a deck-chair, Mrs. Rawlings decided she would have to do it; she would have to send Doreen to the country."

This was a fascinating book--a look at the down side to London sending their children to the country during the Blitz. I have always thought it was such a progressive thing to have done and even found the name, Operation Pied Piper, to be charming and apropos. Many still would view this action as a necessary evil. But to quote Jessica Mann the author of the book's forward,"many of those who survived that wartime experience say they would never part with their own children in a similar or any other circumstances..."

In this book, little 9 year old Doreen is sent to the country to stay with a well off yet childless couple. They take their care of Doreen very seriously and responsibly and while doing so become very fond of the little girl. The single mother is left behind in a tenement building trying to eke out a living as a cleaning lady. Through a series of events she becomes convinced she did not do the right thing as it appears that Doreen is getting ideas above her station in society.

Page 161:
Ada the mother speaking--"Oh me--who cares about me?" she said dryly. But she was pleased with him. "It's her I worry about. She's got to live the life she was born to. The war won't last forever, but I'll never be able to do much more for her than what I do now. She'll have to face up to that. It's the luck of the game--some get too much and most get not enough. That's how I see it."

This little gem, published by Persephone Books of London, is sadly not published in the States. I was able to order it through Amazon.co.uk and while I can't remember how much it cost exactly, I know it was not terribly expensive. The book cover and sturdy dust jacket are plain grey, but the inside front and back end papers are printed in bright yellow paper as seen in the picture above.