War Brides: The Stories of the Women Who Left Everything Behind to Follow the Men They Loved

by Melynda Jarratt

For thousands of young British girls, the influx of Canadian soldiers conscripted to Britain during the Second World War meant throngs of handsome young men. The result was over 48,000 marriages to Canadian soldiers alone, and a mass emigration of British women to North America and around the world in the 1940’s.

For many brides, the decision to leave their family and home to move to a country thousands of miles away with a man they hardly knew brought forth ensuing happiness. For others, the outcome was much different, and the darker side of the story reveals the infidelity, domestic violence, poverty, alcoholism and divorce that many lived through.

War Brides draws on original archival documents, personal correspondence, and key first hand accounts to tell the amazing story of the War Brides in their own words-and shows the love, passion, tragedy and spirit of adventure of thousand of British women.

Genres: Canada, History, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

Melynda Jarratt is the leading authority on the history of the Canadian war brides of the Second World War. Originally from Bathurst, Melynda has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Master of Arts in History from the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. She wrote her Master's Thesis on the New Brunswick war brides of the Second World War and has continued to document their story for more than twenty years. Melynda also has a diploma in Digital Media and Design and runs her own information technology company in Fredericton specializing in heritage, arts, and culture. She runs the authoritative website on the history of the Canadian war brides at www.CanadianWarBrides.com.

Melynda has written extensively on the history of war brides for print, television, radio, and internet media. She has worked as consultant for the Queen Mary II History of Cunard Exhibition, Statistics Canada Portraits of Canada, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Canada Post. She has appeared in television and radio documentaries as subject-matter expert for History Television, Radio-Canada, TFO, CBC, and BBC-Radio 4. She is the co-author of Voices of the Left Behind (Dundurn 2006) and War Brides: The stories of the women who left everything behind to follow the men they loved (Tempus 2007). Melynda was the driving force behind the Year of the War Bride in 2006 and organized its 60th anniversary launch at Pier 21 on February 9, 2006. She also curated an exhibition on New Brunswick war brides at the York Sunbury Museum in Fredericton. She has appeared six times before the Parliamentary Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and the Senate Committee on Science and Social Affairs as an expert witness on war bride citizenship. She played a leading role in the passage of the "Lost Canadians" Bill C-37 in April, 2008. She lives in Fredericton with her husband, Dan Weston.

Reviews

[Thalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and balanced book full of the stories of War Brides. There's good, bad and even some ugly. It's hard to understand times past if you weren't there but I think this book helps. For a british girl to fall in love and marry a Canadian was a HUGE thing and many times a marriage was entered into without really realizing the full consequence. Canada was VERY different from England in those days. Very far, often much more primative and the husbands they were reuniting with were often not the same as the men they married. The women often were rejected by locals (the women especially, afterall, these "foreigners" stole a husband from them, especially as many young men did not return at all). My grandmother was a War Bride. We never really talked about it as I never thought much about it. I wish I had.....

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up, our next door neighbour was a war bride from Scotland. Of course, being young, I never thought to ask Mrs. Roper her "coming to Canada" story. I did make the mistake of asking her about the Highlands of Scotland and she shut me down quite nicely by telling me -- in no uncertain terms -- that she was NOT from the Highlands. Mrs. Roper was a "no nonsense" kind of gal. She also had a spinning wheel and candy that came in tins.

My best friend's grandmother was also a war bride. I did get to hear her love story. It was quite romantic. Both marriages, by the way, were lasting and there are many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on.

For the last few years, I have been interested in "her-story" and reading about the lives of women during the world wars -- particularly, the Canadian perspective. This was an interesting read, with stories by the war brides themselves, or their children or grandchildren. They did not have it easy once they came to the huge country of Canada. Most came to rural farms, with no indoor plumbing, or electricity, or close neighbours. Most of these women were used to modern conveniences as they came from cosmopolitan London or Scotland. Also, they had to move in with their in-laws who were strangers and not always welcoming. But the most difficult thing, for me, was to move away from family, not knowing if you would ever see each other again. Quite brave and a total leap of faith!

My only disappointment with this book is that there is a repetitiveness about the stories. I would have loved to have learned more as the book states that Melynda Jarratt is the leading historian on War Brides but it is engaging as an account by the women and families. That is on me to dig in, do my research, and read more books ;-) It really is an interesting topic.

[Marie Gage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well researched and is eye opening regarding the variety of experiences of war brides as they settled into the various provinces of Canada. The different experiences were interesting to note with those settling into Ontario and B.C. having easier times. There are many funny stories but also many difficult and heart-breaking stories. Reading it all at once gets a bit tedious but picking it up and reading a few stories at a time is an excellent way to take in this book. It is well researched and uses good sources for the material.

[Lynne Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good and helpful read.

[Jennifer Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was enjoyable to read the various experiences of war brides who married Canadian soldiers.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can you imagine quitting school at age 14 because you have to help support your family during World War II in London? A couple years later you meet a Canadian soldier at a dance or in a park and you get married (after much paperwork and permissions) within a week, a couple months or a year. You leave your parents and siblings (not knowing if you'll ever see them again) and follow your husband months later by ship (perhaps with a baby) to rural Canada where they may only speak French (you don't). You are used to having running water and electricity and live for the next 20+ years hauling water from the river and using an outhouse. Yet your 60+ year marriage is a happy one and you have no regrets and consider Canada home.

Hard to imagine!

This book is an interesting collection of more than 50 stories of Canada's war brides, set up geographically by province, along with pictures of most of the brides. Some of the stories are told by the brides themselves, others by children or grandchildren.

Definitely a book I'd recommend!

[Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very educational. Learnt a lot about this period that I wasn't aware of. Was glad that these collection of stories were told as many of these war brides are now in their late 80ties, early 90ties & their stories could have been lost for ever. Really interesting and worth reading.

[Lindsay Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolutely joy to read. I have a keen interest in women's history, especially with war brides, and this book was a fantastic educational tool. The material is approachable and easy to read, the stories are varied yet very personal and the common theme of adventure, emotion and history is prevalent throughout the numerous chapters.

[Lorelei · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found these women to be so inspiring. Their stories were brave and strong in a time when forging a new life in Canada was not easy. They were stoic partners and strong, loving mothers. My grandmother was a war bride and this gave me a new understanding of some of her experiences.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the stories written either by the brides, children, or their relatives. I did not like that there was at least a 5 page "introduction" to each chapter. It made the book very tedious for me.

[Amanda Cowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Definitely not the information you learned in history class. I find I have an amazing amount of respect for these brave women.