1. Objectifs

Intentions :
The aim of this book is «to unearth and understand the [...] lives of Canada’s war wives.» (p. 5)

Questions/Hypothèses :
This book «asks the question: What was it like to be a Canadian war wife during the Great War? And, moreover, how can a deeper understanding of these women’s lives illuminate, in ways not yet fully clear, the disruptive and often tragic effects of that now-distant war?» (p. 4)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The core documentation upon which this book is built consists of the wartime correspondence of men both born in Canada and recently arrived from Britain.» (p. 4)

Type de traitement des données :
Réflexion critique
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«By paying close attention to the once overlooked experiences of Canada’s war wives, Anxious Days and Tearful Nights illuminates how the Great War disrupted the lives and inevitably disturbed the psychological well-being of women thousands of miles from the battlefields of France. Just as men at the front developed ways of coping with the existential uncertainties and ubiquitous horror of war, their wives learned to cope, too. They sought and often found comfort in family and solace in faith precisely because their wartime lives were so profoundly marked by day-to-day suffering and emotional anxiety. When forced to contend with inadequate budgets, the sometimes life-threatening illnesses of their children, and relentless uncertainty about the well-being and survival of husbands fighting far from home, they proved – in the main – remarkably resilient. Resilience, however, came at a cost.» (p. 214-215)