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The Girls They Left Behind
Like any teenager, Natalie wants to have fun. But it's 1944, and almost all the boys she knows have signed up and are being shipped overseas to fight the war in Europe. Too often she takes the trip to Union Station to wave goodbye to another friend, wondering if he'll ever come home again. And like her other girlfriends, Natalie is getting tired of waiting for the war to be over. There are still dances at the Armories to meet handsome boys in uniform, but is that all a girl can do for the war effort? Natalie has a plan. Her first move was to change her name from Beryl, which didn't sound sophisticated at all. Now she quits school and takes a job at a department store. Buying War Saving Stamps with her meager earnings is not enough for Natalie, however, and soon she finds work at De Havilland Aircraft, making bombers. But it is during this time, when she is taking the most pride in her war work, that Natalie and her family get the news they've been her cousin, a gunner in the Dambusters Squadron, is listed as missing, presumed dead. And as news of other boys reaches home - some of it good but so much of it bad - Natalie begins to wonder what kind of world will be there for them all when the war finally ends. At times funny and at other times deeply moving, Bernice Thurman Hunter's last novel is drawn from her own memories of being a teenager in Toronto during World War II. In Natalie, Hunter has created a spunky, outspoken and utterly charming character, which readers young and old will revel in. And in her unforgettable portrait of the home front, Hunter has brought to life the daily trials and tribulations of a generation of women who had to stand by while their men went to war.
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1995
1 person is currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Bernice Thurman Hunter
19 books44 followers She was born in Toronto, Ontario, on November 3, 1922 and died May 29, 2002. She married her high school sweetheart, Lloyd Hunter, and had two children, Anita and Heather, and four grandchildren, Meredith, Lisa, Hunter and Franceline. No Greats.
Bernice was the middle child of 5 children (Wilma, Gordon, Bernice, Jack and Robert). She struggled in school because they moved so often. The Booky Trilogy, set during the Great Depression, depicts her family being forced to stay ahead of the bailiff, who threw them out when her unemployed father couldn't afford the rent. (Despite the hardships of poverty, it was her nature to be happy, so the books are upbeat.) They lived in Birchcliff and Swansea. The "new house" was on Cornell Avenue and she went to Birchcliff Public School, but most of her childhood and teens were spent on Lavinia, which is why Swansea claims her for their own. She attended Runnymede Collegiate, but didn't graduate because the war started and she went to work (depicted in The Girls They Left Behind). As a new bride, she lived on Gladstone Avenue in Toronto. Her husband was transferred to Peterborough, so they moved to Millbrook when her children were young. In 1956, she and her husband bought their own home on Meldazy Drive in a beautiful new subdivision in Scarborough, when McCowan was a gravel road and north of Ellesmere was farmland. Her books accurately depict these locales in different eras. Toronto is "a character" in her books.
She was interested in writing since early childhood and would often have a captive audience of school chums lined up along the curb to listen to her stories. In her teens, she met and had the temerity to present a story to her idol, L.M. Montgomery. The famous author of Anne Of Green Gables complimented Bernice: "Your characters ring true!...You have a good imagination" – blissful words for the young author's ears, but the next bit of advice was a crushing blow to the fourteen-year-old's already faltering self-esteem. Montgomery said, "A writer must have higher education -- it is imperative that you go to University." The young hopeful went away dejected. What Ms. Montgomery could not know was that Bernice came from a very poor background and had no hope of a University Education. The fateful words stayed buried in her heart for many years. An avid reader, she was self-educated. She often read a book in one night.
She continued to write because writing was as natural to her as breathing. When her own children were small, Bernice wrote for them an ongoing story about their lives in Millbrook, Ontario with themselves as heroines. (Her first manuscript, Kimberley of Millpond, has been published 55 years later in 2010 by her daughter.) Her stories were written in longhand because Bernice didn't own a typewriter. It was not until her children were grown that she decided to try to publish. She obtained an old Underwood typewriter and tapped out a story about her first grandchild, aptly titled, "A Grandchild Can Make Life Beautiful Again". She sent it to The Toronto Star and they published it and sent her a cheque for fifty-dollars. After that she wrote and published numerous stories for children in magazines and anthologies and then went on to publish 17 novels.
Bernice's novels, especially the "Booky" trilogy, are autobiographical in nature. Her strength as a writer lies in her ability to bring her childhood memories vividly to life for her young readers. Because the setting and tone of her novels accurately capture the past, she was acknowledged by the Toronto Historical Society and her books are used in history as well as language programs in schools. She was in constant demand as a guest speaker in schools and libraries across Canada and her daughter, Heather Hunter, now goes in her stead. Heather gives a power point presentation on Bernice's life and works.
Of her school visits, Bernice once said: "My favourite part of a school visit is 'que
Bernice was the middle child of 5 children (Wilma, Gordon, Bernice, Jack and Robert). She struggled in school because they moved so often. The Booky Trilogy, set during the Great Depression, depicts her family being forced to stay ahead of the bailiff, who threw them out when her unemployed father couldn't afford the rent. (Despite the hardships of poverty, it was her nature to be happy, so the books are upbeat.) They lived in Birchcliff and Swansea. The "new house" was on Cornell Avenue and she went to Birchcliff Public School, but most of her childhood and teens were spent on Lavinia, which is why Swansea claims her for their own. She attended Runnymede Collegiate, but didn't graduate because the war started and she went to work (depicted in The Girls They Left Behind). As a new bride, she lived on Gladstone Avenue in Toronto. Her husband was transferred to Peterborough, so they moved to Millbrook when her children were young. In 1956, she and her husband bought their own home on Meldazy Drive in a beautiful new subdivision in Scarborough, when McCowan was a gravel road and north of Ellesmere was farmland. Her books accurately depict these locales in different eras. Toronto is "a character" in her books.
She was interested in writing since early childhood and would often have a captive audience of school chums lined up along the curb to listen to her stories. In her teens, she met and had the temerity to present a story to her idol, L.M. Montgomery. The famous author of Anne Of Green Gables complimented Bernice: "Your characters ring true!...You have a good imagination" – blissful words for the young author's ears, but the next bit of advice was a crushing blow to the fourteen-year-old's already faltering self-esteem. Montgomery said, "A writer must have higher education -- it is imperative that you go to University." The young hopeful went away dejected. What Ms. Montgomery could not know was that Bernice came from a very poor background and had no hope of a University Education. The fateful words stayed buried in her heart for many years. An avid reader, she was self-educated. She often read a book in one night.
She continued to write because writing was as natural to her as breathing. When her own children were small, Bernice wrote for them an ongoing story about their lives in Millbrook, Ontario with themselves as heroines. (Her first manuscript, Kimberley of Millpond, has been published 55 years later in 2010 by her daughter.) Her stories were written in longhand because Bernice didn't own a typewriter. It was not until her children were grown that she decided to try to publish. She obtained an old Underwood typewriter and tapped out a story about her first grandchild, aptly titled, "A Grandchild Can Make Life Beautiful Again". She sent it to The Toronto Star and they published it and sent her a cheque for fifty-dollars. After that she wrote and published numerous stories for children in magazines and anthologies and then went on to publish 17 novels.
Bernice's novels, especially the "Booky" trilogy, are autobiographical in nature. Her strength as a writer lies in her ability to bring her childhood memories vividly to life for her young readers. Because the setting and tone of her novels accurately capture the past, she was acknowledged by the Toronto Historical Society and her books are used in history as well as language programs in schools. She was in constant demand as a guest speaker in schools and libraries across Canada and her daughter, Heather Hunter, now goes in her stead. Heather gives a power point presentation on Bernice's life and works.
Of her school visits, Bernice once said: "My favourite part of a school visit is 'que
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 3, 2016
I was first introduced to Bernice Thurman Hunter’s books in elementary school with her trilogy about a young girl growing up in Toronto during the Great Depression. “Booky” instantly became one of my favourite books. However it wasn’t until recently that I came across The Girls They Left Behind after all these years. While I do plan to purchase a copy for my own at some point, I couldn’t wait to read it especially after I saw it on the shelf at my local library.
In The Girls They Left Behind, Natalie is feeling left behind as the boys she grew up with are sent away to war. The author wrote this story with her own memories from that time period in mind. Fortunately young women of the past several generations haven’t had to deal with losses of the magnitude from Thurman Hunter’s generation. Though I felt that she wrote the character of Natalie with traits that girls of today could still relate to.
The most enjoyable part of this book for me was the cultural and setting references from that time. Including the fashion, responsibilities, family dynamics and more specifically the locations around the city. It gave a quick glimpse of life in Canada during the turbulent years of war. The diary and letter style format made for a fast and enjoyable read.
Unfortunately Bernice Thurman Hunter was in the middle of writing Natalie’s story when she passed away in 2002. Her daughter Heather Anne Hunter would complete writing it in her honor and I believe she would be proud of how it all came together.
The Girls They Left Behind is young adult fiction, but I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in historical fiction focusing on the home front during wartime.
In The Girls They Left Behind, Natalie is feeling left behind as the boys she grew up with are sent away to war. The author wrote this story with her own memories from that time period in mind. Fortunately young women of the past several generations haven’t had to deal with losses of the magnitude from Thurman Hunter’s generation. Though I felt that she wrote the character of Natalie with traits that girls of today could still relate to.
The most enjoyable part of this book for me was the cultural and setting references from that time. Including the fashion, responsibilities, family dynamics and more specifically the locations around the city. It gave a quick glimpse of life in Canada during the turbulent years of war. The diary and letter style format made for a fast and enjoyable read.
Unfortunately Bernice Thurman Hunter was in the middle of writing Natalie’s story when she passed away in 2002. Her daughter Heather Anne Hunter would complete writing it in her honor and I believe she would be proud of how it all came together.
The Girls They Left Behind is young adult fiction, but I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in historical fiction focusing on the home front during wartime.
April 12, 2012
This is a novel that was recommended to me by my Goodreads friend Emily. And I am so glad she did. Thanks, Emily.
The Girls They Left Behind opens in June 1943 in Toronto, Canada. Beryl Brigham, 16, had decided two things: to get a summer job and to change her name to Natalie. But first she must attend her best friends wedding. Eloise is marrying her high school sweetheart just before he ships out to the war in Europe. In fact, all the boys are enlisting and shipping out, and it seems like the girls spend all their time at Union Station saying goodbye to friends and family.
After working the summer in a department store and dissatisfied that all she can do for the war effort is buy War Saving Stamps, Natalie decides not to finish her last year of school and takes a job at the local factory making machine guns. Now 17, Natalie applies for and gets a job there, much to her parents unhappiness. Later, she gets a job with the help of an old high school friend at De Havilland Aircraft making bombers.
So things are too bad for Natalie. She is making good money, able to save and help out at home, has a job and friends, and feels she is finally doing something important for the war effort. Things are good until war suddenly becomes real.
First, her on again, off again boy friend turns 18 and enlists. Then her favorite cousin and best friend Carmen writes to her through his English girlfriend to avoid the censors and although Natalie received more news from him than is allowed, she nevertheless feels very jealous of Carmen’s girlfriend Joan who sends the letters. When Carmen is recruited to be a gunner with a squadron called the Dambusters (because they blow up enemy dams), Natalie is told not to tell his mother. But when he is reported missing in action, the family is devastated by the news. Yet, Natalie still resents his girlfriend when Joan reaches out to her.
At first annoyed that all the boys were going away just as she reached the age where she could have fun, Natalie must deal with some very grown up issues, especially as more and more familiar names start to appear on the missing or dead list.
The Girls They Left Behind is a coming of age story told in part through diary entries and in part through first person narration. Natalie is a bit immature at the beginning, but as she learns to deal with responsibility, loss and the other deprivations of war, she must also learn to to know and accept who she really is - hopefully. I thought that the voice of Beryl/Natalie rings true because the story is based on the author’s own experiences in Canada while growing up right down to working in the same department store.
One of the interesting aspects ofThe Girls They Left Behind are the details of wartime Canada the author provides. For example, a lot of British soldiers were sent to Canada to train and, away from their own families at the holidays, they were invited into the homes of Canadians, just as the Brigham family does. And there is the leg make-up that Natalie had to use sparingly to make her legs appear to be wearing hose, or the ditty bags she, her mother and aunt made and filled to send to Carmen overseas.
But not everything is about war. Best friends change, or drift away, old friends pop up and are again important for a while and once more fade in the background, only to resurface later - in other words, the ordinary life of a teenage girl is also played out in this story. And all of these details help to make this a funny, sad and well-rounded realistic novel.
This book is recommended for readers age 12 and up
This book was borrowed from the Bronx Library Center branch of the NYPL
The Girls They Left Behind opens in June 1943 in Toronto, Canada. Beryl Brigham, 16, had decided two things: to get a summer job and to change her name to Natalie. But first she must attend her best friends wedding. Eloise is marrying her high school sweetheart just before he ships out to the war in Europe. In fact, all the boys are enlisting and shipping out, and it seems like the girls spend all their time at Union Station saying goodbye to friends and family.
After working the summer in a department store and dissatisfied that all she can do for the war effort is buy War Saving Stamps, Natalie decides not to finish her last year of school and takes a job at the local factory making machine guns. Now 17, Natalie applies for and gets a job there, much to her parents unhappiness. Later, she gets a job with the help of an old high school friend at De Havilland Aircraft making bombers.
So things are too bad for Natalie. She is making good money, able to save and help out at home, has a job and friends, and feels she is finally doing something important for the war effort. Things are good until war suddenly becomes real.
First, her on again, off again boy friend turns 18 and enlists. Then her favorite cousin and best friend Carmen writes to her through his English girlfriend to avoid the censors and although Natalie received more news from him than is allowed, she nevertheless feels very jealous of Carmen’s girlfriend Joan who sends the letters. When Carmen is recruited to be a gunner with a squadron called the Dambusters (because they blow up enemy dams), Natalie is told not to tell his mother. But when he is reported missing in action, the family is devastated by the news. Yet, Natalie still resents his girlfriend when Joan reaches out to her.
At first annoyed that all the boys were going away just as she reached the age where she could have fun, Natalie must deal with some very grown up issues, especially as more and more familiar names start to appear on the missing or dead list.
The Girls They Left Behind is a coming of age story told in part through diary entries and in part through first person narration. Natalie is a bit immature at the beginning, but as she learns to deal with responsibility, loss and the other deprivations of war, she must also learn to to know and accept who she really is - hopefully. I thought that the voice of Beryl/Natalie rings true because the story is based on the author’s own experiences in Canada while growing up right down to working in the same department store.
One of the interesting aspects ofThe Girls They Left Behind are the details of wartime Canada the author provides. For example, a lot of British soldiers were sent to Canada to train and, away from their own families at the holidays, they were invited into the homes of Canadians, just as the Brigham family does. And there is the leg make-up that Natalie had to use sparingly to make her legs appear to be wearing hose, or the ditty bags she, her mother and aunt made and filled to send to Carmen overseas.
But not everything is about war. Best friends change, or drift away, old friends pop up and are again important for a while and once more fade in the background, only to resurface later - in other words, the ordinary life of a teenage girl is also played out in this story. And all of these details help to make this a funny, sad and well-rounded realistic novel.
This book is recommended for readers age 12 and up
This book was borrowed from the Bronx Library Center branch of the NYPL
January 31, 2025
I’m sorry but it was very drowl. I was waiting for it to get good and it never did. I expected a compelling story but it fell flat. Very forgettable for me.
August 22, 2007
Beryl/Natalie is a teenager in Toronto during the World War II. It's mostly written in diary form, but with a few-stand alone scenes scattered throughout--mostly towards the end of the book. The story deals with the feelings of always been left behind as she sees one more friend, relative, or neighbor off at the train station nearly every night--some of whom she will never see again. She drops out of school to work in an airplane factory and tries to go on with life, despite rations, black-outs, and no boys left to date.
Beryl (who hates her name and is trying to change it to Natalie, if only her friends and family would remember to call her as such) is a real voice dealing with the frustrations of always being left behind, of British girls snatching away the Canadian boys when they're stationed overseas, and in being laid off and having to go back to school when the war is over and the most of the boys come home. Her voice is very straight forward and matter-of-fact:
Dad had resurrected the Quebec heater from the garage and set it up in the kitchen so we would use less coal in the furnace. Coal was scarce these days because it was needed in factories like The Steel Company of Canada. Dad said the munitions factories practically ate it up by the ton.
I prefer more evocative prose and this language left me a little 'meh' on both the story and the character, but that's just me. I think it's still a good book about life on the home front and the hardships and heartbreaks the girls left behind had to endure.
see all my reviews at www.tushuguan.blogspot.com
Beryl (who hates her name and is trying to change it to Natalie, if only her friends and family would remember to call her as such) is a real voice dealing with the frustrations of always being left behind, of British girls snatching away the Canadian boys when they're stationed overseas, and in being laid off and having to go back to school when the war is over and the most of the boys come home. Her voice is very straight forward and matter-of-fact:
Dad had resurrected the Quebec heater from the garage and set it up in the kitchen so we would use less coal in the furnace. Coal was scarce these days because it was needed in factories like The Steel Company of Canada. Dad said the munitions factories practically ate it up by the ton.
I prefer more evocative prose and this language left me a little 'meh' on both the story and the character, but that's just me. I think it's still a good book about life on the home front and the hardships and heartbreaks the girls left behind had to endure.
see all my reviews at www.tushuguan.blogspot.com
June 2, 2012
I love Bernice Thurman Hunter's books. Her description of the Toronto of the 30s and 40s is fascinating, and her characters are always upbeat and compelling. Yes, they are books meant for young readers, but I get so much more from them as an adult.
The main character, Beryl (who is trying to convince everyone to call her Natalie instead) is one of the girls left on the homefront. She ends up doing "war work" in a factory, and watching more and more of the boys go off to war - including her sometimes boyfriend, and her favourite cousin. Her best friend gets married at 18 to her boyfriend who is going off to war.
There is a lot of loss in Beryl/Natalie's life, but she keeps her optimism that things will get better, for the most part. I almost wish this had been written as a novel for adults, because it was such a quick read, and I wish there had been more time for character development for some of the supporting characters. Overall though, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.
The main character, Beryl (who is trying to convince everyone to call her Natalie instead) is one of the girls left on the homefront. She ends up doing "war work" in a factory, and watching more and more of the boys go off to war - including her sometimes boyfriend, and her favourite cousin. Her best friend gets married at 18 to her boyfriend who is going off to war.
There is a lot of loss in Beryl/Natalie's life, but she keeps her optimism that things will get better, for the most part. I almost wish this had been written as a novel for adults, because it was such a quick read, and I wish there had been more time for character development for some of the supporting characters. Overall though, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.
September 21, 2015
I felt as though the romance in this book was forced. Beryl jumped from man to man, whimsically deciding each morning who she'd fall in love with today, or so it seemed, at least. The character's personal growth throughout the book was only affected by one of the boys in the book-- her cousin, Carmen-- but the on-and-off boyfriends vaguely annoyed me.
I understand that Bernice Thurman Hunter herself could not finish writing the book, and her daughter took over once she passed away, thus creating a disconnect between parts of the story, but if you're easily bothered by this sort of thing, I wouldn't recommend this.
Enough with the negative. I could strongly relate to the main character, Beryl, and I'm sure many teens will; the struggle with identity, falling behind your friends as you all grow up, things like that. I'm sure most of us can't relate to living in wartime Canada, but it's always interesting to read about rare experiences like this, making the book an overall good read.
I understand that Bernice Thurman Hunter herself could not finish writing the book, and her daughter took over once she passed away, thus creating a disconnect between parts of the story, but if you're easily bothered by this sort of thing, I wouldn't recommend this.
Enough with the negative. I could strongly relate to the main character, Beryl, and I'm sure many teens will; the struggle with identity, falling behind your friends as you all grow up, things like that. I'm sure most of us can't relate to living in wartime Canada, but it's always interesting to read about rare experiences like this, making the book an overall good read.
September 24, 2012
Well, actually I'd give it a 31/2, but I can't seem to do that. This books is really interesting, the voice is authentic and refreshing, which makes sense because the author--well-known, often read in intermediate grades I think, is writing about something she lived through. The perspective is one I hadn't read about, important addition to the record! don't think it's written about much. But I also just read two really fast-paced, fun books, and this isn't either. I do like it though, and want it on the library shelf!
February 3, 2010
The author drew on her own experiences as a teen during World War II to write this story of what it felt like to be one of "the girls left behind." Mrs. Hunter succeeds in creating a feeling of immediacy for the reader.
January 6, 2025
I found this on the shelf at the library I work in and decided to give it a read in my downtime... I finished it in two days because I couldn't put it down. I cried, I laughed, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of reading this book.
March 2, 2015
Yes-- this is the book to read if you're looking to acquaint yourself with the wartime era.
January 9, 2013
It was nice to see WWII from a different country's perspective. It's not that different from the U.S., but still an interesting idea.
April 6, 2025
This was good read.
April 30, 2017
The book The Girls They Left Behind written by Bernice Thurman Hunter was a pretty good book. I only rated it a 3 because it was interesting but i didn't like it so much. The parts i liked about the book was that is was all about Natalie's life and now after the guys and her friends left when they went to war how it effected her and her girlfriends. Natalie didn't think it was far of how the guys got to go off to war and the girls just got to stay home and had to take care of everything and just sit there and worry about the husbands/brothers/fathers fighting and risking their lives. Natalie felt like she couldn't so anything so she decided to plan to move and change her name to Beryl because of how helpless she felt. The insights the book brought to the historical events covered was World War II and how when the men left that the woman took over all the jobs and then how worried the families were when some men came back but some didn't. Some information that was giving that the history textbooks wouldn't be able to be more information on how the girls and women felt after the war was started. Shares more what they have to go through instead of only talking about the men and what injuries they got and diseases. A little truth about life or pearl of wisdom that most grabbed my attention in the book was how sad it was after you got a note home saying that these people wouldn't be coming home or seeing the reaction and how it effected the family members. The thing that affected me and that also affects me is losing family and the emotion put into the book for the readers. A point that i liked about the book and that would be the three stars would be I liked how it was put into Natalie's perspective and also of how it affected her life even though she wasn't fighting. Another thing was feeling. Its always good when there is meaning life feeling and you can feel it through the book as you read which gets you to connect with it and really get into it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews