When Tomorrow Comes

by June Gadsby

Hildie Thompson is an eternal optimist, but even her indomitable sense of humour is shaken when war is declared. Hildie's war, however, is a fight to the last to support her family and friends who are battling wars of their own. An unhappy marriage, an illicit love affair, infidelity, a pit disaster and a murder all within that one little mining family just about knocks Hildie off her perch. But, through it all, she must submerge her own lost secret dreams and make the best of things. Then, when her famous 'lovely day tomorrow' finally dawns, she receives a mysterious letter that could change her whole life. But would it be for better or for worse?

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 2004

Reviews

[Victoria Chatham · Rating 5 out of 5]

World War II stories often revolve around battles, prison camp escapes, spies, and military manoeuvres. This little gem by June Gadsby gives us a slice of what life was like for an ordinary coal mining family in northeast England. Hildie Thompson is the mainstay of her family, as I suspect were many moms, but it is in her interactions with her family and friends that the ordinary becomes extraordinary. The details of daily life, from food rationing to the old tin bath, from bombing raids to waiting it out in the Anderson shelter, the hopes, fears, strengths and weaknesses of all the characters made for an engrossing read. A thoroughly enjoyable and at times poignant read.