Your Daughter Fanny: The War Letters of Frances Cluett, VAD

by Bill Rompkey and Bert Riggs, Bill Rompkey (Editor), Bert Riggs (Editor)

Frances Cluett was born in Belleoram, Newfoundland, in 1883. At the age of thirty-three, she left her Fortune Bay home to join the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), an organization committed to assisting military personnel during World War I. She trained in London, England, for work in a military hospital and in 1917 was stationed at the 10th General Hospital in Rouen, France.

During her four years of service overseas, Nurse Cluett wrote many letters to home. Contained here are the war letters she sent to her mother in Newfoundland, telegrams describing the atrocities of war, the valiant deeds of comrades in arms, and the despair of young men dying on foreign shores.

Genres: Nonfiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2006

Reviews

[Andrea Currie-Dawe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great source for primary material even if some of it was censored by the military.

[Ibis3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book's editor had a table at Chapters one evening as I was walking through the store. Bought on impulse because it sounded interesting.

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My review: I liked it but I must admit, I was a little disappointed. First, there were more gaps than I was expecting there to be (e.g. no letter reporting her reaction to the end of the war, or an explanation of her decision to stay on and get posted to Constantinople after Rouen)--it's unclear whether this is because these were the only letters to survive, or whether the letters were selected out of a more complete collection. There are only a few times where she describes her feelings about what she's doing and her relationships with other personnel or patients. I was expecting and hoping for much more description and reflection--as one might write to intimate confidants. Perhaps she didn't want to worry her family back home or she was writing knowing that her letters would be read by third parties (i.e. the censors) and didn't want to be too candid. The introduction was interesting, but a mess historiographically speaking. Anyway, very appropriate reading for Remembrance Day which is only a couple of days away now.

[Jerry Cranford · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Your Daughter Fanny is an enlightening account of the war's carnage from the previously overlooked perspective of a Newfoundland VAD." -- Canadian Military History

"[Your Daughter Fanny] provides not only a great deal of insight into the occupation of volunteer nurses during that period, but more importantly, a window into the human spirit bombarded on all sides by tragedy." -- The Independent

"The letters are so well-written that they are more like literature than letters." -- The Newfoundland Herald

"This collection of her letters provides valuable insight into the demands of the war machine well outside the trenches, and reveals that—although not directly in the line of fire—the women of the VAD demonstrated commitment and bravery worthy of our most heartfelt respect." -- Downhome

"What a wonderful woman, and what a wonderful book." -- The Telegram

"A fascinating book . . ." -- The Independent

"Riveting . . ." -- The Chronicle Herald

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 1916 Fanny Cluett, a nurse from Belleoram Newfoundland, volunteered to serve in the nursing corps in WWI France. During her journey, training, and posting in Europe, she wrote letters to her mother. Many of these have been collected and reproduced in this book, along with a foreword by Nfld politician Rompkey.

Read this if: you’re interested in Newfoundland history; you’re from the Fortune Bay area in Newfoundland; or you’re looking for a primary source document for your research on WWI. 2½ stars