Since You Went Away: World War II Letters from American Women on the Home Front

"Last night Mel and I were talking about some of the adjustments we'll have to make to our husbands' return. I must admit I'm not exactly the same girl you left--I'm twice as independent as I used to be and to top it off, I sometimes think I've become 'hard as nails'....Also--more and more I've been living exactly as I want to...I do as I damn please." These tough words from the wife of a soldier show that World War II changed much more than just international politics. Many books have been written about those who fought and suffered in Europe and Asia during World War II, but less is known about the private sphere of women on the home front in the United States. Drawn from a large archive of wartime correspondence, this work collects hundreds of letters written by women of all backgrounds and ages from all over the United States. For each thematic section, the editors include a brief introduction, and a capsule portrait of each woman and the man to whom she wrote accompanies the letters.