Uncertain Seasons: A Young Girl's Coming of Age in World War II

by Elizabeth Morgan

The letters of a young soldier to his anxious family at home are the heart of this childhood memoir of a southern girl and cover the years 1941 to the soldier's death in 1944. His letters, including observations on his budding self-reliance, resourcefulness, and growing distaste for war, are written from North Africa, Sicily, England, and France. To the family at home, they serve as a lifeline to the absent son and brother. They also provide a counterpoint to his young niece's experiences growing up on the homefront. The placement of these two narratives side-by-side makes for a powerful and moving story.

168 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 1996

Reviews

[Jimmie Kepler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Shelfer Morgan, wrote Uncertain Seasons in 1994. It was published by University of Alabama Press. It contains the unedited letters from her uncle, 1LT Howard Shelfer, who was with the 9th Infantry Division, 60th Infantry, B Company in North Africa, Sicily, England (as S4 ) and France. He was killed on Aug. 11, 1944 during the counterattack near Mortain. Uncertain Seasons may be of interest to 9th Infantry Division veterans. This book has been awarded the Best Book for Young Readers by the Florida Historical Society (1995). It is an excellent example of using letters as the premise for a book. Read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler.