My Dear I Wanted to Tell You

Louisa Young

This powerful story, full of the horror and violence of war, is also an incredibly beautiful portrayal of the lives of various characters, both male and female and upper and lower class. Whether they are fighting or are amongst those left behind we see the effects of the war, sexual passion and tension within their relationships and the true nature of sacrifice and love.

Extract

She saw all the men of the ward, scarred, bandaged, swollen, sliced, shattered, festooned with pedicles: staring at her, this interloper, this pair of healthy, well-set eyes from the outside world, come in to tell them the truth - that they were terrifying, pitiable, horrible. She clapped her hand over her mouth, held it in place with the other over the top, but the screaming kept coming out, through her fingers, into their ears as they lay there, helpless.

Parallels