Review of Walking Wounded by Anna Franklin Osborne

This book covers a lot of ground, from the first World War to beyond the second World War, but the reader catches only a glimpse of what went on ‘in the trenches’. The story is really about three women who are left behind to cope with the relentless bombing, the rationing, and the changes that war has brought to a once-happy and close family while worrying about their menfolk.

It took me some time to get into it, to feel involved with the family, but eventually, I was caught up in the drama. All three of the women are characters that easily evoke the reader’s sympathy and liking. They give each other love and emotional support when needed. The tears and the hugs are plentiful. Although their lives are humdrum, I could never forget there is a war going on in the background supplying the tension. We wonder which of the soldier-boys will come back. It is, not surprisingly given the context, a sad story, yet with a few smiles among the tears.

This is a debut novel and, as such, praiseworthy. However, there are some problems with the writing. The author relies a lot on ‘telling’. This is an emotional story and yet I felt those emotions at a distance because with the absence of ‘showing’ the characters’ senses are not engaged. There was little description. The house the family lived in was described merely as ‘the big house’. The boys spent time at the pub, but I never got a sense of what an English pub was like – the noise, the smell, the smoky atmosphere. The same is true of the bomb shelter. Also, the book would benefit from a good proof-reader. The author uses far too many run-on sentences and commas instead of periods.

Despite these flaws, I enjoyed the story of women in war-time.

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