Nella Last’s War, The Second World War Diaries of Housewife 49

Housewife, 49 #1

by Nella Last

‘An extraordinary glimpse into the heart of an “ordinary” woman, Nella Last’s day-to-day account of her war is spirited, poignant and utterly compelling.’ Lucy Moore

‘I rose early, since I had to kill and dress a cockerel. He was so big and strong, and was eating too much valuable mash. Mrs Diss called, and we arranged about the reporter for the shop opening, and about taking the Mayoress to the canteen for tea. I tidied up and made celery soup and a steamed gooseberry jam sponge pudding. After lunch was over and the dishes washed, I got changed and was down at the shop for 1.30 . . .’
It’s Wednesday, 26 August 1942, and Nella Last is recording the beginning of a fairly typical day in her diary, which she is keeping as part of the Mass Observation project, launched in 1937 to record the lives of ordinary people in Britain. It’s amazing, really, that Nella found time to keep a diary, considering how many things she packed into every day. This fascinating document, published in 1981 under the title Nella Last’s War, describes in minute detail the daily life of a middle-aged housewife living in wartime in Barrow-in-Furness, with occasional visits from her two adored grown-up sons, one of whom is a trainee tax-inspector, the other away in the army.

On the face of it Nella Last might seem a rather unremarkable person, but in fact she’s a complicated mass of aspirations, ambitions, passions and frustrations, all held firmly in check by her suburban surroundings and her home life with the somewhat gloomily conventional character always referred to simply as ‘my husband’. But then comes the war and for Nella, as for many other women, it’s a liberation. Suddenly she’s out of the house and in her element, providing hot meals and comforts for the troops at the Women’s Voluntary Service centre, meeting new people, raising funds for the Red Cross, and running a mobile canteen. There are no more of the ‘dreadful sobbing fits’ her husband remembers, at a time when she was clearly suffering from depression. Now she’s able to write of having ‘such a happy worthwhile day’.

Like all good diarists Nella is a people-watcher. When she’s not busy conjuring up meals from the most frugal and unpromising of ingredients or creating new mattresses out of old for the Sailors’ Home, she’s painting vivid little pen portraits of the people around her, like bossy Mrs Lord at the WVS Centre, who ‘swept in like an Act of God’. Meanwhile in the background the war rumbles on, until it all becomes horribly immediate with the bombing of the Barrow shipyards and steelworks, direct hits on local homes and businesses, and the deaths of young local men and women Nella had known as children.

Generous, energetic, forthright and essentially liberal in her opinions, with a vigorous and engaging writing style, Nella is a phenomenon, for this published diary contains only a selection of the many millions of words she wrote each week. It’s hard to say goodbye to her as war ends and all the activities that have given meaning to her life gradually disappear. Nella herself wrote that ‘Next to being a mother I would have loved to write books.’ She may not have entirely realized that ambition, but she left us an unrivalled account of life in wartime Britain that is a piece of social history, the story of a marriage and the portrait of a woman you feel could have run the country, given half a chance.

‘A fantastic story . . . This is not the war of the newsreels – it’s about tiny domestic difficulties and lumpy custard . . .’ Victoria Wood

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Memoir, World War II, Biography, War, British Literature

392 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Nella Last was a wife and mother who wrote up her day-to-day experience of civilian life in the Second World War as part of the Mass-Observation Archive, which was set up by sociologist Charles Madge and anthropologist Tom Harrisson to record ordinary people's views on contemporary events. She was an intelligent woman, who was stifled by her life and repressive marriage in a provincial place. Fortunately, she had two escape routes from depression: her writing and her work with the Women's Volunteer Service. She began the diary in 1937 and kept it up longer than most and writing more than everyone else. It was finally published in 1981. Nella died in 1968, so never lived to see her wartime diaries published.

Reviews

[JimZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this 4 stars in February 2022 but having forgotten it (yes this is truly a sad state of affairs regarding my memory...) I read it again over the past month or so. And this time around I am giving it 5 stars.

And so I will delete my prior review and put this one that I wrote yesterday in its place! Time for me to start taking Prevagen (not!).

5 stars.

A remarkable diary.

I was reading an article about Nella last in a sociology journal and the author nicely summarized the structure of the abridged diary ‘...this interweaving of daily events, inner thoughts, general observations and comments on contemporary life that these accounts offer...’ [From: Naomi the Poet and Nella the Housewife: Finding a Space to Write from) Karen Meschia, Journal info: Miranda, Volume 2, 2010; https://doi.org/10.4000/miranda.1238 ]

Nella Last was not aware that her diary would be published. She died in 1969. The original edition of an abridged version of her diary was published in 1981 (edited by Richard Broad and Suzie Fleming). I read from the re-issue of the abridged diary published in 2006 (same editors, different publishing house, Profile Books...original publisher was Falling Wall Press). It is said in the forward of this book that her diary entries which went from 1939 to 1945 were over two million words (and two more collections of her diaries from later years have been issued which I will be reading for probably several months to come, Nella Last's Peace: The Post-war Diaries of Housewife 49 ( 2008) and a third and final volume Nella Last in the 1950s (2010). Her diary entries in total were estimated at 12 million words, and it was said to be one of the longest diaries in the English language (from Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nella_Last).

She kept a diary as part of a project that was open to people in the United Kingdom who volunteered to be part of it.... Mass Observation Project. The Mass-Observation originally aimed to record everyday life in Britain through a panel of around 500 untrained volunteer observers who either maintained diaries....Nella was one of those 500 (for more on the Mass Observation Project, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass-Ob...).

What did she write about? Events that happened to her on an everyday basis, thoughts that she had, meals that she cooked/prepared (and mind you she had to contend with food shortages and rationing throughout the war), her husband, her friends and neighbors, her activities at the Women’s Voluntary Service center and a canteen that fed soldiers, her sons, the bombing that occurred in their town and that blew out the windows of her house, events that she heard about the war that she leaned from the radio, newspapers, and people on the street.

During the course of the war, she took to sleeping in a separate bed and room from that of her husband. She didn’t mind that at all...one could get the sense over the course of the book that she was becoming increasingly frustrated over the subservient role that she and women of her time had to play as housewives...Nella making sure his lunches and dinners were prepared on time and were satisfactory to him...Nella planning her day and life around him...Nella having to mollycoddle him at times in response to his moods. I was surprised at all of this (i.e., how she viewed herself in relation to her husband and an apparent antipathy towards him at times). She said that prior to the war this was so stressful to her that she had nervous breakdowns (literally), but during the war, one could tell from reading the entries that she was getting stronger and was standing up to him, and demanding that she be allowed some respect and freedom.

She sure seemed to be the genuine article to me, not holding anything back, I got the sense that she put down in her diary what she felt...not what she thought other people would want to read (after all, she had no idea her diary would be published).

I cannot do justice to this diary. You gotta read it yourself. Give yourself a month or two to read it...read a few entries at a time. No need to rush. The war took over 6 years...

Reviews:
• Fantastically written and interesting review! https://foxedquarterly.com/ysenda-max...
• https://www.theguardian.com/books/200... (the reviewer quoted this from the book: ‘And through the horror and misery, Nella's sparky personality shines through. On 29 November 1939 she remarks that her next-door neighbour 'says she prays to God to strike Hitler dead. Cannot help thinking if God wanted to do that he would not have waited till Mrs. Helm asked him to do so.'
• https://jo-throughthekeyhole.blogspot...
• https://nationaldiaryarchive.com/2012...

[Monthly Book Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of us very much enjoyed this book. There were many dimensions to it, and different dimensions appealed particularly to different people.

One was that of her relationship with her husband. It is a remarkable record of a woman living in close proximity with a husband for whom she felt, if you believe her, nothing other than resentment. The ebb and flow of their daily exchanges is carefully charted, and her relief at being able to sleep in a separate room. It is funny, sad and very honest. According to her internal narrative of her life, his lack of support - plus the disapproval of his family - had caused her to have a breakdown. She even drew a comparison between her “subjection” and political subjection. He had been an aggressor, perhaps not unlike Hitler, and she had colluded in her subjection. Her extensive voluntary work during the War, plus perhaps the process of reflection encouraged by the diary writing, had allowed her to break away from her “slavery”, and this had led to her being held up as an example of a proto-feminist.

Similarly there is the close-up view of her relationship with her two sons. Particularly early on in the book, it is clear that the relationship with her sons was providing her with the affection denied in her marriage. That with Cliff, the son who went to war, was particularly intense (“Cliff’s signet ring was pushed on to my third finger”), and it soon becomes apparent to the modern reader that Cliff must be homosexual. Although the family is introduced to his “very close friend”, who is later killed in the war, Cliff is unable to come out. Nor do his parents suspect. This appears to be a considerable tragedy of misunderstanding, one that must have been repeated many times in the era. Cliff goes off abroad at the end of the War to become a sculptor in Australia, and only returns for a period when his parents are near death.

We were struck and surprised by the fact that Nella did not “self-censor” her diaries in the way that most people of her generation would have done. Perhaps she was unaware that they would ever be published? Or did it fit with her personality not to care what people would think if she by that time would be dead?

The War itself, as experienced on the Home Front, intrigued most of us. True, there was little new in the way of factual information about what happened, but for most of us it was new to get a sense of how it felt to live through that period. One surprise was how little celebration and what a sense of anti-climax there was on VE and VJ Days (“I opened a tin of pears”).

It was intriguing to watch how easily she could move from the mundane to the philosophical and back again. Her thoughts on the discovery of Belsen show both her capacity for empathy and for a sophistication of thought surprising in a largely self-taught woman from Barrow.

There was unanimity in applauding Nella’s prose style, for example:

“The garden is wakening rapidly, and I can see signs of blossom buds on my three little apple-trees… A blackbird seems to be building nearby – she has been busy with straw all day today – and now the old tree at the bottom of the next-door garden shows buds against the blue sky. My husband had a night off work and said he really must get another row of peas and potatoes in…The moon swam slim serene among the one-way pointing, silvered barrage balloons – I thought it dreadful when I once saw a Zeppelin against the moon. As I stood gazing up at the sky, I wondered if she had ever looked on so strange a sky occupant before…I do so dread these next few nights till the full moon. Tonight, with a slim crescent, it was clear and bright. Some poor city will suffer.”

So…Nella Last, creative, witty, altruistic, energetic, beautiful writer, enchained by a man…a downtrodden Saint?

Well, not for all. A minority voice did not entirely take to Nella as a person (while still very keen on the book). Always a victim, always right. Insecurely recording every compliment. A rather spiky person, disparaging her colleagues – and look at the Ena Sharples body language in some of the photos. No wonder her husband kept taking her off to the Lake District to calm her down Good at empathising with people in other countries, indeed, but no empathy whatsoever with her husband, and no understanding of her favourite son when he comes back shot in the groin…

This is an extract from a review at http://monthlybookgroup.wordpress.com/. Our reviews are also to be found at http://monthlybookgroup.blogspot.com/

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

21/11/43
"I wonder how high the pile is of letters and M.O. dairies I've written. I bet it would surprise me. I've always longed to be clever and write books. I bet I've written a few in the shape of letters and endless scribbles!"

Nella Last was one of the participants in the Mass Observation Project, in which a cross-section of society kept diaries of their everyday lives, this is the diary she kept during WW2. She comes across as a remarkable woman; warm-hearted and very determined to do all she can for the war effort. The diaries naturally convey a real sense of immediacy and the relief at the end is palpable.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and Nella. It's the wartime Mass Observation diaries of Nella Last, "Housewife, 49" of Barrow-in-Furness. I've read other similar diaries, most notably the ones in Our Hidden Lives, and they are interesting, but none has captivated me as this book did.

She starts out cautiously but is soon using the diaries as a safety valve to express her frustrations with life. She writes beautifully and naturally, but what's most interesting is the way she changes as the war progresses. At the beginning she is sickly and weak, plagued with arthritis, and refers to a "breakdown" she had a few years before. But she determines to "do something" for the war effort and joins the WVS. From there she goes from strength to strength, and the evolution of her ideas is fascinating; she comes to see her conventional marriage to an old stick of a husband as "slavery". She's also very observant and perceptive of the people around her.

She had me hooked on page 20, when she writes:

[Mr Murphy, her cat] is not anything to look at, and is not too particular about keeping his white bits as clean as he could, but he has a kind and thoughtful nature for a cat.

... "kind" and "thoughtful" are such inappropriate adjectives for a cat, but it shows she knows him. But she also writes lyrically of walks home by moonlight, trips out to the countryside at Coniston Water, the stresses of the blitz, the challenges of getting palatable meals on the table every day, and everyday squabbles and power games at the WVS. She has a truly open mind, always questioning and wondering what the future holds for her sons and the other young people she knows.

I don't want to say too much about it; just read it. It's one of those books where you long to meet the author; she really does seem like someone you know and admire. "Next to being a mother, I'd have loved to write books," she wrote. If only she knew how much pleasure and enlightenment people would get from her "scribblings" 60 years later.

[Diane Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - because diaries are hard to rate. This was my bedtime reading for the last couple of weeks, a few entries at a time. A very good day to day description of the war on the home front in England, with all the shortages of food and gas, and the bombing raids and blackouts, the best part for me was Nella's growth inside, realizing in her 50's that she had more talents and worth than just being a wife and mother. Her volunteer work running a thrift shop and canteen gave her a chance to be useful, and to realize that her organizational skills and business sense were of worth to her community and country. And, always important with me, she had a sense of humor.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book about 3 years ago and have read it at least 6 times. We are told that Mrs Last wrote literally millions of words for Mass Observation in the course of 30 years ; it's a bit disappointing then for avid readers of journals, diaries and correspondence like myself to be offered such a tantalising taste of her prolific output. Maybe 100 years from now she will be called "the 20th Century Pepys" and perhaps in another 200 years, complete editions will be published. Unfortunately I won't be there to read them.

This is a vivid account of ordinary people in the war years and the years immediately following (in Nella Last's Peace). Unfortunately for me, the editors' emphasis was on rationing etc--understandable, but I feel there was so much more to her life than just food, that was left out. Oh how I wished that her recipe notebook that she shared with the WVS canteen cooks had been preserved!

In the movie (Housewife, 49) her husband Arthur is painted as a selfish, ignorant, coldhearted monster who cannot see his wife's suffering. The true account is much more balanced. Yes, Mr Last is self-centred, expecting his wife to be there when he comes home, with his slippers warmed and his tea waiting--but this was true of a good 90% of English, European and indeed American husbands of the time, particularly small-town men who had been married since the turn of the century. (My father married my mother in 1940, and he was certainly just like that.) But Arthur Last makes sure Nella has household help whenever it can be obtained, tells her to "do what's best for herself in every way" (p125)and repeatedly shows his appreciation of the comfortable home and nutritious, tasty meals she provides. He even lets her spend money on a stack of quality writing pads--a luxury in wartime--and sends the doctor round "for a cup of tea" while he's at work to make sure she is all right (p. 75).

We also learn from the diaries that Mrs Last had a history of chronic illness, many operations which left her with arthritis, and a couple of breakdowns; perhaps not the easiest person in the world to live with. From personal experience I know that chronic pain and depression can make us magnify small things out of proportion and imagine "intentional" slights at every turn. Nella seems to be unaware of her son's sexuality at the beginning of the diary, though by the end she seems to have grown a bit wiser; however in the Introduction, Cliff Last seems to believe that she never knew the truth. Perhaps it was easier not to admit what was before her; she wouldn't be the first mother who chose denial over inconvenient truth.

An excellent read, which evokes the time and situation as only a true-life account can. Mrs Last saw herself as an uneducated, "dim" woman. What a shame she never got further education, so we could enjoy the books that might have flowed from her pen. I wish there were more available to her public, even in "blog" form.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diary of a Barrow-in-Furness housewife starting on the breakout of WWII and going through until VJ Day, setting out her daily actions and thoughts for the Mass Observation Project (a project involving 500 volunteers).

Nella is upper middle class married to a timid and conservative husband and with two boys Arthur – a civil servant posted to Ireland and Cliff – a thoughtful artistic type who nevertheless volunteers to fight in the Middle East).

The book is a fascinating and at times compelling read, mainly for its sheer authenticity and is fairly well edited (although could perhaps have been a little shorter).

Nella is both horrified by the war (the book captures well the sheer horror of being bombed, of the complete absence of even the briefest care-free period, the deprivations and concessions in civilian life, the sudden loss of sons and husbands either posted abroad or even worse missing in action) and at the same time finds freedom and for the first time (except in the bringing up of her boys) a sense of purpose bordering on obsession) in being a WVS member, knitting and making things to raise money running a charity shop and running a shift at a canteen.

Nella is particularly perceptive: she is haunted by nightmares of sailors being drowned and soldiers dying and that drives her work; unlike many others she realises very quickly that the war is not only to be a long one but that it will leave a Europe shattered (although she is over pessimistic at the hatred that will be left in the German people and at one point laughs at the idea that in 20 years Germany will be our ally and Russia our enemy); she reflects often on the changes that the war will force in the relationships between the sexes (with women being unwilling to return to the “servitude” of being a housewife) and generations (with the younger generation basically feeling they can’t make a worse mess than two World Wars) while perhaps being caught by surprise by the change in relationship between classes (which emerges with Labour’s – to her – shock election victory).

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exceptional. Although I admit, the subject matter made it a hard read at times. It's not graphic in any way, but just the accounts of loss and suffering was heart wrenching.

Nella was just an extraordinary woman! She was so kind, and giving and strong. I loved to watch her grow as a person and grow into herself as a woman through the diary. And just incredible hearing the stories so many people praising her abilities and how she made them laugh and helped them get through the horror.

It was intriguing to me to see the day to day life in the 1940's, and as WWII progresses. Most of the stories I've read have either centered on the soldiers in the war or more glamourous things. This look at everyday life really gave a bigger understanding to me of life during the war.

I appreciate Nella's candor, she was so honest with her thoughts and what was going on with her and her family. I do admire her so much.

I'm so glad for those that recommended this book. It has really left a lasting impression.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Next to being a mother, I’d have loved to write books.’

In September 1939, Nella Last began a regular diary which she continued for thirty years. This book covers the period from September 1939 to August 1945 and is a fascinating record of World War II from the day-to-day perspective of a housewife and mother. Nella Last’s observations touch on the shortages, on the impact of bombing raids and blackouts. During this period Nella Last turned fifty, and saw both her sons leave home, with her younger son joining the army.

Nella Last’s writing may have been undertaken for the ‘Mass Observation’ project (a unique national life writing project about everyday life in Britain that captured the experiences, thoughts and opinions of everyday people) but as she became more confident in her writing, her perspective changes. Over the course of this part of her diary, we see Nella Last becoming more confident of her own skills and what she has to offer her community. Nella Last had a sense of humour, as well as complaints about her marriage. Everyday life made more challenging by the impact of war.

I read this book over a few days full of admiration for Nella Last and those other ‘ordinary’ people who got on with their lives to the best of their abilities during World War II. So much of what we read about war is written by the decisionmakers or those enlisted to fight in the armed services. I found it both interesting and enlightening to read an account by an ‘ordinary’ person.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! Nella Last was a born writer. She would be the first to call herself an ordinary housewife and mother and yet it’s clear throughout that she had prodigious skill. She was a resourceful and creative cook; she made clothes and handicrafts, the latter of which she often sold to support the war effort or donated; she is an accomplished and clever writer for a person with no formal training. She also comes across as a “salt of the earth” type person: generous, loyal, steady, dutiful, quietly gifted, and cheerful. She did so many things for the war effort over the six years of war. She was a person you could trust. She showed up for her duties. She didn’t panic (at least outwardly). She had that good common sense and kindliness that made her a gift to others.

I love that we also get Nella’s inner life as the war progresses that doesn’t show on the outside. She frets about her sons, gets irritable with people when they’re selfish and mean, feels despondency about the war and the state of Britain both during the war and about the future, and she feels deeply the grief of those around her who lose sons, fathers, homes, etc. She feels increasingly dissatisfied with her husband’s dictatorial manner and starts to push back against the “wifely” role she’s lived in for 30 years that she calls a remnant of the Vic-Ed years. (Victorian-Edwardian, I love that!) She fumes that the government can’t organize things better and believes that housewives should be in leadership. (Seriously! I really think Nella could have been the Minister of Food during the war!)

All in all, a wonderful firsthand account of the WWII years from an “ordinary” 50-ish year old woman who is, in reality, anything but ordinary. Highly recommend!

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I love memoirs so much. It doesn't seem quite right that I should get so much enjoyment out of reading other people's diaries. I don't think I'll pursue that line of thought any further though because, well, just because. This is a diary and I loved it. And it turns out, she had a talent for writing, one more reason why you'll enjoy reading it.

It is the diary of an ordinary housewife, Nella Last, in a small town in England, and it covers the time period between September 1939 and August 1945. Nella was 49 when the war started. She had a husband and two sons, one of whom had already left home to embark on a career. The younger son joined the armed services and was in uniform for the duration of the war. Nella's diary is full of stories about her family, her marriage, her volunteer work and the difficulties of day to day life with blackout curtains, rationing and enemy bombers flying overhead.

There are numerous movies out there that tell us what war is like from the viewpoint of the soldiers fighting it; this book shows us what it's like for regular people trying to carry on a life while war rages around them. Gas for recreational use was cut off and they couldn't go anywhere except by bus. Rationing became severe in the last years of the war, so they tried to grow things like onions and tomatoes that they couldn't get at a grocery store. Nella tore up the lawn to keep hens so they would have eggs.

For months at a time air raid sirens would sound in the night and bombers would drop their deadly loads on Nella's town, sometimes on her street. At times they slept in their clothes so they could get to their shelter quickly if need be and sometimes they even went to bed in the shelter. I often wonder how they could keep going with life the way it was, but I guess it's what we all do. We say we can't take anymore, then we put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.

Her soldier son, Cliff, was on her mind all the time. She didn't always know where he was and long periods of time would go by in which she wouldn't hear from him. She wrote regularly but had no way of knowing if he was receiving her letters.

Nella was a creative woman and managed to get everyone fed and looked after with very little money or access to fresh food. It was both interesting and inspiring to learn some of the economies she practiced and how she made do with what she had. She used those skills in several volunteer services helping to raise money for prisoners-of-war boxes and providing food and endless cups of tea for tired, lonely soldiers .

In some ways Nella found herself during those awful years. She became more independent, less afraid of speaking her mind. She knew she was changing and was glad of it, even when her husband and sons were not. This was the second war for her; her children were babies during the first war. I hadn't thought of it before, but there were only 21 years between the end of the first world war and the start of the second. Middle aged people around the world were enduring their second round of hell. Nella has a lot to teach us about perseverance. I admire her and her work ethic, her sense of humor and her loyalty to her family. She was always a strong woman, but it took the war to help her realize it. I've seen another book called Nella Last's Peace, which takes place in the years immediately following WWll. I hope I'll be able to find it; I'd love to read about how they gathered up the pieces of their lives and tried to make something normal from them again.

The story isn't all hardship and grief. There are funny things such as happen in every normal day to day life. People change and grow and times marches on even during war years. Laughter is engaged in where ever it can be found and it's value is understood.

I was continually struck by the way ordinary things seeped into war and how war seeped into ordinary things. Like in the following passage: "Another disturbed night. The guns and bombs were so bad on Merseyside that our windows and doors rattled! I called in at the grocer's to see if any marmalade had come in. I prefer it to jam..." Bombs and marmalade had become equally commonplace and required no pause or change in direction for the conversation.

I recommend Nella Last's War to everyone. It's an eyeopener, a fascinating historical account and overall a great read.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful surprise of a book and I grew to love Nella. Thank you, Jennifer, for introducing us. This was her choice for our postal book group.

How amazing it is to read a first hand account of what it was like to live in England during WWII. Her perspective is as a mom, wife, and homemaker in a small town. Her ability to cope with little money and resources is inspiring. Her humor, determination, fear, spunkiness, love and frustrations are all conveyed in her diary.

There are two more volumes that I must check out. And there is a movie called Housewife, 49.

I copied many passages and probably should have bought my own copy.

Here is just one entry of many that I loved. It is regarding her indignation when she find out London does not have bomb shelters.

October 4, 1940:
"My bee buzzes so loudly that I feel I want to DO SOMETHING. After all these peaceful years, I discover I've a militant suffragette streak in me, and I could shout loudly and break windows and do all kinds of things - kick policemen perhaps - ANYTHING to protest!"

Nella is a wonderful person. You should meet her!

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book absolutely fascinating. I happened to see the movie based on it ("Housewife, 49") first, since my local library had that and had to wait a while on the book, and the book was much better (as is so often the case). For whatever reason I'm quite interested in what it was like for people living on the Home Front in WWII England--I've read fiction set then, but after seeing "1940s House" I really wanted to track down real accounts of that time. This diary, kept by Nella Last throughout the war, definitely provided the type of information I was seeking. We find out what daily life was like--what it was like to prepare meals with food rationing on, to sleep in a shelter in the living room--and also what everyone did to help with the war effort, whether it be joining up or running a Red Cross shop to fund care packages for POWs. It was quite sad at times, but overall I found it riveting.

[Vanessa (Wanderness) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the work of fiction and therefore should not be judged as one. I have seen some comments about this book having a "slow plot", and I think that these comments are inappropriate. Nella Last voluntarily kept a diary of her daily war time life to contribute to Mass Observations, a social research project watched by the government to monitor war time morale. Now, this book gives us an invaluable insight into the minds of people who lived during the war. It shows us the roles of women, volunteers, conscription, fears of air strikes, and the change in attitudes and opinions from the start of the war to the end. Is your daily life as exciting as the novel on your bedside table? Didn't think so.
We are very lucky to have had Nella Last keep this dairy. Nella is definitely a product of her time, and comes out with some interesting remarks, for example: 'I feel this conscription of women will be a backward step, for it is taking the best, most formative years from a girl's life and giving her a taste of freedom that many crave for. Will they settle later to homes and children?', this is just one example of how society has changed it's perspective on life, in less than 100 years! She was a mother, and her sons went off to fight in the war and it is heartbreaking to read of her real, honest worry for them. The experience of knowing that these feelings were real is something else entirely.

[Cate's Book Nut Hut · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many books out there that give us a perspective of World War II from the point of view of those fighting on the front lines, in the resistance and from Whitehall, but there are very view that show us what living through this war was like from the viewpoint of the civilian at home. In 1937, the Mass Observation Project in England was founded by Charles Madge and Tom Harrisson. They wanted to record the views of ordinary British people, and recruited volunteers to observe British life, and diarists to record a day-to-day account of their lives. These archives now give a unique insight into the lives of British civilians who found themselves going through a period when their country was at war. Nella Last is one of these diarists and, far from giving the reader an uncomfortable feeling of reading something private, it opens up a world that few could have imagined existed during these austere times. The writer is an ordinary small town English housewife, and her diary covers the period of time from the outbreak of war in September 1939 through to August 1945, although she did keep contributing to the project until 1965. Housewife 49, refers to how she headed her first entry; her occupation – Housewife, her age – 49.

Nella and her Family lived in Barrow-in-Furness in the North of England, which at the time was a shipbuilding town. This meant that during the Barrow Blitz in April and May of 1941, it became a heavy target for German bombing. This was a period when families were separated, and sometimes coping with the loss of a family member. Cities were being bombed, and housewives such as Nella had to find new ingenious ways to keep their homes together. This remarkable account depicts clearly what it was like for ordinary families living through World War Two.

The diary itself plays two different roles in our understanding of what it was like to live in these times, as it clearly seen that she writes about two distinct areas of her life; Family, friends and the role of women which are the more personal side of the diaries and the other area which reveals Nella’s opinions of public events such as the early war years, and the Barrow Blitz I mentioned above.

Nella's diary is full of stories about her family, her marriage, her volunteer work and the difficulties of day to day life with blackout curtains, rationing and enemy bombers flying overhead. Gas for recreational use was cut off and they couldn't go anywhere except by bus, a task many of us would balk at today. Rationing became severe in the last years of the war, so they tried to grow things like onions and tomatoes that were not available at the grocery store they were registered with, and Nella actually tore up their lawn to keep hens so they would have more than the 1 egg per week that rationing would allow.

Air raids sirens were a nightly occurrence meaning the Family, at times, slept in their clothes so they could get to their shelter quickly if need be and sometimes they even went to bed in the shelter. Reading this diary brought back to mind when my Grandma would tell me about living in Leeds, Yorkshire during the war; the air raids, trying to raise three young children while her Husband was away and, when I asked her how she managed she would tell me it was their way of making sure the Germans didn’t win on the home front, they picked themselves up and kept on going.

The diary isn't all just hardship and grief, however, there are funny things such as happen in normal day to day life and Nella is very adept in conveying how much the value of laughter was cherished during these times. Something that will strike most readers of the diary is how the war and everyday life bled into each other as Nella writes about an air raid and marmalade in the same entry without a change in direction. The reader also sees how Nella grows from being the stereotypical Housewife of the day to being her own woman, something neither her Husband or sons were very keen on.

Apart from being an excellent historical record of the time, this diary serves to show us just how reliant on technology with have become as a society. We have moved away from the self-reliance needed to get us through hard times, and lost our compassion for others in need. It made me wonder how many people that read the diary would be able to successful grow their own food and cope with the constant stress and tension the nightly bombings brought with them.

I highly recommend not only Nella Last's War to everyone, but also the remaining two books of her diaries. Alone this is a learning experience, and a possible eye-opener for the more isolated of us out there but when combined with the other two books it becomes something everyone should read, and hopefully learn from.


Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/09/12...





This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

[Graceann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nella Last took part in the Mass Observation Project during World War II, a groundbreaking program in which British people were asked to maintain diaries discussing their daily experiences. She wrote diligently for more than thirty eventful years. Nella Last's War concentrates on 1939-1945 and in doing so focuses on a woman blossoming, starting at the age of 49, into an independent, free-thinking spirit.

The War offered Nella a chance to do useful work that made a difference in the world; the closing pages of the book show a bit of melancholy as her world threatens to become smaller again, limited to knitting in the living room and only going where her husband wishes to go. Watching Nella deal with her newfound independence and, delightfully, putting her foot down with regard to her personal space and happiness, is interesting in the extreme. I was also fascinated at how she was able to make do with so little, and how impatient she became with those who whined about their "problems" while others lost homes, family members and lives.

Nella is funny, intelligent, resourceful and kind. She would have been a marvelous friend to turn to in times both good and bad. Thanks to the evocative way in which she writes about her home, her family and her beloved Lake District, I feel as if I were there with her. She often says "I am not smart." I fervently disagree - she may not have realized her own intelligence, but it shows bright and beautiful on every page of Nella Last's War.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful and powerful insight into the lives of the ordinary civilian population during the 2nd World War. This is the diary that Nella Last submitted to the Mass Observation Study from 1939 to the end of the war (although there is a gap where the diaries were lost). She is an ordinary housewife and mother living in Barrow. The entries are funny, moving and insightful - well worth the read if the idea appeals to you.

[Glenna Pritchett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wobbled between three and four stars. Three isn't enough, and four might be just a bit too much, but given the topic I decided I should be generous.

It took me a l-o-o-ong time to finish. I really enjoyed the first half, then it began to wear on me a bit so I laid it aside for awhile, then when I picked it back up I read only a few pages at a time. I'm not judging Nella's writing, really, just the choice of entries included in the book. It is a diary, after all, and Nella had her faults and "issues" like all of us do. The entries that pertained to daily hardships due to the war, the absolute terror of being bombed, Nella's anxiety over her sons' safety, and her activities to help the war effort were absolutely interesting. But it got tiresome for me when Nella wrote pages and pages about the squabbles and the scrambling for the top of the pecking order among the women in her volunteer groups, and her criticism of her husband wasn't exactly nice to read, either. I confess to a good bit of skimming through that sort of stuff.

In the end I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I will go on to the other two books.

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating insight in to the life of Nella Last during the war. Not just what she did but how she discovered skills which I suspect would have made her a very successful businesswoman had she born a few decades later or been married to a more forward thinking man. I feel sad as I get the impression that her many out of the home activities did not continue after the war.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the moment I chuckled at her sarcasm over a neighbor's piety: "Cannot help thinking if God wanted to do that (strike Hitler dead)he would not have waited till Mrs Helm asked him to do so." I knew that Nella Last was someone I'd like to have known in real life. Her diaries bring you the picture of a REAL person living through WWII. Her courage despite what were clearly pre-war struggles with depression and marriage woes on top of everything the war brought to her doorstep is amazing and inspiring. She not only lived through it, she GREW as a result of her wartime experiences. I am looking forward to reading

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am fascinated by things written during WW2 instead of just about WW2. Things written by people when the outcome was uncertain. So I was looking forward to this for that reason.
But I was surprised to find this to be so compelling. Not just the facts of wartime life, but rather full of the inner-most thoughts of Nella. She is dealing with so much more than the war; with her children leaving home, her relationship with her husband, finding purpose in her life. I am sad to leave her now that the book is over, and I want to look into her other diaries, too.

[Caroline Roberts · Rating 1 out of 5]

A lot of good reviews for this book but I'm afraid I can't add to them. Whilst it provides a detailed account of one families war, accurately reflecting the reality of the time rather than the histrionics and heroics of news reel footage, it was just too dull for me to actually enjoy. A worthy read but one for historians rather than those reading for enjoyment in my view.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this in lockdown, there are worse things that we could be suffering. The right for women to have lives outside the home is another thing to be grateful for. The is a great book - not just for details on the home front and how to make do but to actually get to know Nella Last.

[❀⊱RoryReads⊰❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

[Becca :-) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was going to give this book four stars as I did find it quite depressing at times, but I felt Nella deserved five stars, what a woman, such a tough cookie, I found the read interesting and it left me wanting to know more about cliff (her son). Nella’s marriage made me feel quite sad, that , after being married so long I felt she actually didn’t like her husband that much, perhaps it wasn’t her husband she didn’t like but maybe marriage in general, what with the constant making food, the tidying, her husbands moods etc and at one point where (if I rightly remember) she met a lady on a bus in the lakes and this lady lived alone in a cottage and Nella had asked her if she was lonely and she replied no, I felt maybe on some level Nella wanted that life for herself as she thought it was important to put this in her diary. Overall this book was very interesting to read I felt like if I’d met Nella in person I’d of really liked her, she clearly was a good mum, a proper mum I’d call her and I think she devoted her life to her children and husband but by doing this I think it took her happiness.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs Last kept a diary during WW2, per the War Office request. She and her husband lived in a small coastal town in Britain. She shares the trials of living with rationing, worrying about her son's and their friends, pinching shillings, stretching food resources, wondering about the future. She was a caring friend who did what she could to serve her country and support her community. Her diary offers a peek at life during a specific time. I like the woman.
Her diary also lets us know some things never change. People are self centered and people are kind and giving. We also get a taste of Nella declaring freedom from the life she lived while raising her sons. As an empty nester, she was no longer interested in catering to her husband but made her desires a priority also. We see their relationship change and grow.

[Barb reads......it ALL! · Rating 5 out of 5]

The was an amazing book. Nella Last participated in the War Observation study that began prior to the declaration of war in England. The study asked everyday people to observe and chronicle their day-to-day happenings.
Nella wrote like she had ink in her blood. She observed everything. She talks about sex, marriage, her volunteer work, her battle with anxiety and depression. Nella so loved the act of writing out her life that she continued after the war and lucky for us, this is also available in a book entitled Nella Last's Peace.
I so loved the way she wrote and the topics she chose, I know that I will reread this!

[Lucy Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found I got more and more involved with Nella as this book went on and hated when my reading time was gone and I had to put it down!
I think what I will remember most is her really perceptive comments about the position of women, how it was changing, how it did need to change but also how women leaving their 'traditional' position would present challenges for society going forward.
It really gave me insight onto war on the 'Home Front' and how, in particular, it affected women & mothers.
Such a dear soul who writes to well and I also loved hearing about her animal companions - Old Sol & Mr Murphy.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just before the outbreak of World War Two in September 1939, housewife and mother Nella Last (Housewife, 49), began to write a diary for Mass-Observation. Nella writes about her day-to-day life living in Barrow-in-Furness during the war. In fact, Nella goes on to write her diaries for over 30 years.

Nella’s writing is cautious at the start of her diaries – she is weak and refers to her previous ‘breakdown’. But as Nella becomes determined to do something for the war effort, she joins the WVS and goes from strength to strength.

It is difficult to rate diaries, so I am going to leave my comments there. I loved this book and am eager to start her next chapter with Nella Last’s Peace.

[Tamsin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Social history is always way more interesting to me than political history. I love how both are interwoven through this collection of diaries of a very clever, observant housewife as she lives through the Second World War. Look out, older generation in my family, I’m about to send you a few questions! This has really peaked my interest in how our family went through the war. Loved it. Highly recommend. Don’t expect it to be fast paced.