Home Fires of the Great War

by Rebekah A. Morris, Heather Johnson Ueland (Photographer)

Thirteen-year-old Maria Mitchell, known to all as Ria, and her friend Lydia have been assigned to write a report on a hero or heroine of the Great War (World War I) for a school project. Instead of picking some well known figure, the two friends decide to search for someone forgotten or unknown. When asked to help, Emma Mitchell, Ria's Mom, brings out old letters she and a cousin wrote during the war. The girls are sure the letters hold the key to their success of finding a forgotten hero! But will they? It that all that these letters bring to light? Join Ria and Lydia, Mrs. Mitchell, an old neighbor called Corporal, and others as they re-live the years of home life during the war.

Genres: Historical Fiction

511 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 4, 2012

About the author

Rebekah A. Morris has lived her entire life (as of now) in Missouri. Being home educated during her school years was great, except for writing. That was the worst subject (along with math) that she had to do. It wasn't until after she graduated that she discovered the joys and wonder of writing. Now she can't write enough. After spending six years in research and writing, she completed her first book, "Home Fires of the Great War," a 500+ page, historical fiction about home life in the United States and Canada during the First World War. Since then, she has been an avid writer and always has more than one story going on at once because only one story at a time got tiring and dull.

Get a free collection of stories here: https://sendfox.com/lp/3ezo5k

Reviews

[Rebekah Morris]

Rereading my very first published book brought back so many memories! Memories of the hours of research I did, memories of friends who are portrayed within these pages (Emma's mother is based on a real friend of ours and every time I read about her laughing at something the children had done, I think of her), memories of knowing all the characters so well that I cried when I finished the book because I had to say goodbye. So much fun to live it all again.

[Lydia Willcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow... I loved this book so much. It's a long book, and it took me quite some time to read, but it was well worth it. Letter format isn't my favourite when it comes to a book like this, but this one was so well done that I think it make it even better.
What first interested me in this book (aside from it being by one of my favourite authors) was that it is set in WW1. There aren't enough good books set in this time period - or at least, I've hardly read any. I also needed a WW1 book for research, so I started reading. Very soon, I got drawn right into the story itself and forgot all about research.
There are many reasons why I loved this book. Firstly, cousins. Secondly, twins. Thirdly, hilarious younger siblings. Fourthly, the Ted, Fred, Larry, and Jim stories. (I loved those. Can we have a book dedicated entirely to them, please??)
And aside from all that, it was just all so interesting and riveting. Emma and Maria - one on a farm in Kansas and the other in a town in Canada. Of the two, I preferred Emma's side for some reason. Maybe Maria was right and her letters were just more interesting ;) But I loved Maria and her family and neighbours, I loved the war stories she had to tell, and all the boys like Alan and David and the rest. But for whatever reason Emma's was even better - I loved all her family, and I loved Karl and Kirsten's stories, and all the things that happened to her, both war-related and just every-day things. I loved watching Emma and Maria grow from girls of 13 into young women. I loved Edmund. I loved Lydia Ruth. Really, I could go on and on. As I said before, this book is long, covering about five years, and has so very many stories in it. It would take forever to try and mention here everything that went to make this book what it is.
There were so many characters, I thought I would get them all horribly confused, but I didn't - not after the very beginning. And each one slowly took on a life of their own and a personality so different from the others that it was very easy to keep them all straight. It would be impossible to name a favourite. Maybe Edmund, but I just loved all of them so much.
And the dual timeline - one thing I would have liked is to have a bit more 'story' on Ria and Lydia's side. The fact that their story is set during WWII had me excited when I first started reading, but there wasn't really anything about that. It probably would have made the book too long or confusing, but I do think that a sequel in that direction is very very much in order :D
The twist at the end was a complete surprise, and although I would have liked a little bit more explanation I loved it. I especially liked it because it tied together an important part of the secondary story.
All in all, this book was sooo good. My only real complaint was that it ended! I just wanted to go on and on, right up to the two girls' marriages and their families and right up to Ria and Lydia's time! Again, a sequel is definitely in order ;)
Highly recommend this book to anyone!

[Sophia E. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was LONG, but it didn't drag at all. It was sweet in some parts, sad in others, and just so funny and had me laughing out loud in yet others! The stories the girls told in the letters were all such commonplace things, but I think that's what made this book so good; it had me laughing at things that I have no trouble imagining happening in my own family. I wondered if a book made up almost entirely of letters would get boring, but I was so wrong to worry about that with this one; I've even learned how to make my own letters way more interesting from this book. ;) Plus, all the historical facts shared, but not in an info dumping way, just added to make it even more interesting! And I did NOT see that ending coming!! That was perfect!

[Angie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, wow. Where do I start? By this time, I'm pretty familiar with Rebekah's style, but with this being her first book and in a whole different format than I'm used to (I haven't read very many epistolary novels), I wasn't sure what to expect. And now--seriously, this was her first book?!? It was so good!!!

It did take me a little while to get into the rhythm of the story, since with the letter format, there was a lot of seemingly "extra" information that didn't figure significantly into the plot. (Okay, the book isn't really that plot-heavy to begin with.) It was also longer than I'm used to. But it didn't take long before I really didn't care. I was so wrapped up in the characters and the little details of their everyday lives that I couldn't get enough of them and just wanted to find out more and more.

The WWI letters which made up the majority of the book were definitely my favorite part, although the framing story with Ria and Lydia had some nice moments as well, particularly at the end. I adored both Emma and Maria and loved how sweet yet different they both were. And their families were lovely and wonderful and cute and adorable and--well, basically every good adjective you can think of! :) Edmund was definitely my favorite out of all the siblings (and I do mean all the siblings!), but that's not to say he didn't have some pretty stiff competition. Also, I worried at the beginning that I wouldn't be able to keep all the siblings and secondary characters straight, but they were written so well and distinctly that it wasn't a problem at all.

I cried in at least two places and teared up again in a couple of others, although I was surprised at times by what did or didn't affect me. Specifically, I cried during the farewell scene for a character I barely knew, but not the one for a character I knew well. Go figure! (Also, I want to know who decided that "My Ain Counrie" was a more cheerful song than "Auld Lang Syne"! Oh, my word, that brought the waterworks!) I also really appreciated the balance of the sobering war news, sickness, and loneliness with the more cheerful day-to-day events, especially the antics of the children. :) And I adored the subplot with Karl and Kirsten! <3<3<3

As promised, the Scottish accents were delightful, even if they were thick enough that I had to slow down when they got going. Actually, I had less trouble reading most of the Scottish bits than I did with Uncle Philip's letters--I have a very real suspicion that the man must have swallowed a thesaurus! But the letters in general had such a real, genuine quality to them that most of the time, I wouldn't have been surprised to find out they had really been written in the period. The only thing I missed was that there was no reference to the conflict that was currently raging in Europe during the framing story, but that's a minor quibble at worst. Overall, I loved this story, and it ranks among my very favorites of Rebekah's. <3

Content--mentions of dangerous pranks played by young boys, including attempting to hang one of their number as a spy (corrected); mention of children painting themselves red to play Indians; mention of conditions in the trenches, gas attacks, battle wounds, and deaths (not graphic); one use of "hell" in reference to trench warfare

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars!! This is one of my favourite Indie Author books ever! I devoured more than half the book, then forced myself to save it for later. I finished it about a month later, and reread the entire thing a few days after finishing it. And loved it even more. ^_^
I loved it principally for the characters. David, Karl, Duncan, David McLean, Edward. . . <3. But Edmund and Alan were my favourites. Alan is my top favourite character right now. ^_^ SPOILER! I was so, so happy at the ending!! END OF SPOILER. And Edmund is just sooo sweet and caring. <3 
And oh my. . . those Foster boys!! *lols* The humour of this book was excellent. xD I enjoyed the Ted, Fred, Larry, & Jim stories, the Vincent & Georgie stories, and all the other stories. ;D And they were totally realistic. As a big sister of many little ones, I can say that the quaint ideas, the pranks, the pronunciation and grammer, of the young ones are wholly true-to-life. ;)
The style of this book was very well done. Very few questions were raised and left unanswered. The parts about Ria and Lydia were a bit stiff and rushed, but I enjoyed her brothers and “the gang” and wished there was much more of them! (*whispers* a book of letters between Ria and a cousin during World War Two would be so awesome!)
This book mingled pathos and humour, beauty and sorrow, tragedy and celebration, sunshine and rain. It is a wonderful portrayal of life keeping on back home. The mood at the end was excellent—helpless, grey, impatient. . . the mood of grief and pain and weariness. It was not an edge-of-your-seat thriller, not a tear-jerker (though I became teary-eyed reading of Daddy's departure, and Alan's farewell is just <3). It is a simple, true-to-life, beautiful narrative of life continuing back home, supporting, praying, fearing, enduring. 
In a nutshell, this book lives up to its title wonderfully. It is one of my top favourite books ever, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone! :)
A Favourite Quote: “‘This year, or rather last year, has held so many things: births and deaths, war and peace, sickness and health. And yet, isn’t it a wonderful thought that our Heavenly Father knows what each day holds before it happens?’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “‘...The sun sinks lower. No longer are the clouds rosy pink, they are turning a deep rose red. The golden light seems to be more intense while the sky deepens to blue and purple. An eagle hangs motionless, a dark silhouette against the sun’s last golden rays...’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘We could not persuade James and Mark to put on their kilts. Mark said he was NOT going to wear a skirt! It took Alan, David and Mr. McLean fifteen minutes to convince them that it really was all right.’”

*I received a copy of this book from the author but I was not required to write a review. These are my honest opinions.*

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read on Kindle Unlimited

Age Appropriate For: All Ages (mentions of death, death of a baby, and mentions of war)
Best for Ages: 12 and up

This story is a sweet, slower paced book about two families struggling on the home front during World War One. While most of the story is told through letters between two cousins, but also with brief insight from the girls who are reading their letters.

There were a couple of things that detracted some form my enjoyment, so let me get those out of the way. One, some of the accents that are written out were almost impossible to understand the meaning. While this is somewhat addressed in the book, it was frustrating. Second, the book was a bit long. While I enjoyed the slower, gentler pace of the story for the most part, there were a few times that I grew ready for something to happen.

There was a lot to love about this story. It was an old-fashioned feeling story about daily life of two families during World War One. It was sweet and focused on the daily struggle of two girls facing challenges of saying good by to loved ones, separations, and keeping the home running, while encouraging each other at the same time.

I love epistolary novels (a novel primarily told through letters) and this was a great example of that. The faith aspect was woven throughout the story in a realistic way. Each person has ups and downs, but is trying to do what God would have them to do.

I highly recommend this book to those who like sweet novels, faith-building stories, and historical fiction.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was amazing and I really did like it, but it just wasn't my style of book. It seemed like a little girls book, but then, older girls would probably love it too.
The characters were great and the way it was written was wonderful.

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

ASDFGHJKL!

I have no words…or rather a lot of words that I’m still trying to string into a coherent collection of thoughts!

*closes book and stares blankly off into space feeling like Alice in Wonderland trying to figure out where she is*

Okay, I was so not ready for this book to end and to have to return to reality. But *takes a deep breath* here it goes!

I binge read this book in a day because I wasn’t feeling well, and I simply couldn’t put it down. By the end, I was emotionally not okay. ;)

Personally, I love WW1 fiction and feel it to be an underrated story era. Plus, my Canadian heart was so happy to read about a Canadian perspective on the Great War. While I love stories that honour war heroes, I also love stories that honour and remember those left on the home front, who sent their boys off bravely, knowing full well them may never get them back. They gave their best to the country they loved, the freeeom they fought so bravely to protect. These unsung heroes need not be forgotten, and Rebekah crafts a story to help us remember them.

The story is gently paced, clean, sweet, and epistolary (as most of the book is told in letters between two cousins). Throughout the book, I got a mix of feelings similar to books I grew up on such as the Grandma’s Attic, the Sugar Creek Gang, and the Eight Cousins…a beautiful blend! And the comedy…oh my, how I laughed!

My only complaint about the book is that it was too short (and it was 500+ pages!). I need more Emma, Edmund, David, Mark and James, and all the rest! I wish there was an epilogue or something…I really want to know what happened after these characters grew up.

Speaking of characters…they were precious, and I was so emotionally invested that parts of the story hurt and made me tear up. Edmund is hands down my favourite character!!!! He is such a sweetheart…such a gentleman…such a hero! I love him so much!!!

And that ending!!! My heart was going to burst, and I nearly cried! Aaahhhhhhhh!

I’m already looking forward to an opportunity to reread this story!

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Kindle Unlimited subscription ran out before I could finish this, but to be honest, I wasn't to upset. I don't get bored easily, but I was getting slightly bored by this book. It's told in letters between two young cousins, and they are realistically not super exciting.
I would be willing to try this book again at some point.

[Yvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into this book, mostly due to lack of character set up, but once I did it was difficult to put down! It's a pretty long book, and written in letter format, so it definitely follows a different groove than most books I read, but it lends itself to a more laid-back nature because of this...rather reminiscent of the slower pace of life during WWI as opposed to today. The overarching plot follows a series of letters written back and forth between cousins during the Great War...exploring their highs and lows, plus all of the mundane stuff in between that makes up life. There are some subplots as well, romances, tragedies, and such, but overall this is a clean read that will make you both laugh and cry along with the characters!

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the first time I have tried reading a book where most of it was in the form of letters between two young girls. I was not sure how well I would like that type of story. But I loved the sound of the plot and the idea of old letters from two cousins. So I decide to give it a try. And once again I am impressed with how well done Rebekah Morris's books are! It was very well written and the characters were great. Over the coarse of the book I got to feeling like I really knew the characters. I find it amazing how she can take what may have been a simple life during World War I, and turned it into an lovely story. It is a long story, but this would make a great book for families to read aloud together. Or for anyone who likes to read about an interesting time in history from the view point of the children.


I received this book free from the author, Rebekah A. Morris, for my honest review. The opinions are my own.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was so real to me and brought tears to my eyes in several places. I have known the author since I was 6 years old, and this book was extra special to me, because I could pick out parts of the characters that reminded me of her and even myself and my twin sister. I don't know if the author did it on purpose or not, but it brought back memories of the friendship we've shared for many years. I love the letter format and will definitely be reading it again in the future. Hoping to one day have children of my own to share it with.

[Jesseca Wheaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so different then all the other WWI fiction that I've ever read and it made me want to read more! The characters were so endearing and there were times I laughed and times when my eyes filled with tears. It was an amazing book!!

[Rebekah Allgood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! (It might be kinda obvious if you see our copy...it's well loved).
The letter format is adorable (really just makes you want to sit down and write a letter yourself!).
In a way it felt like two books. Maria's is very sweet, and all of the Scottish stuff!!! Oh, it was awesome! The accents and bagpipes. It reminded me a lot of Anne of Green Gables.
Emma was my favorite. She lives in a farm with a lot of siblings, and all of the teasing banter and pranks were so fun to read. Watching their family grow was so wholesome and exciting!
I may have cried, I certainly laughed, and I definitely have used an accent a few times after reading it!
And I might have never read the book Freckles if it wasn't mentioned as a family read aloud!
It leaves me feeling inspired, whether to play with my little siblings, go for a walk, work in the garden, or write. And I think that's one of the best things a book can do for you!

[Hailey Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. The only issue I had is that it started with no character introduction whatsoever (other than the list of characters in the beginning of the book), so for the first ten chapters I had to continually flip to the front of the book to discover who belonged to which family. Other than that, I enjoyed the story.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting: Dual (actually triple!) setting of 1941 (geography unclear, if I remember correctly), and 1915 to the end of 1919, in Princeville, Nova Scotia, Canada, and Codell, Kansas. Of course World War I is the focal point, with much wartime aspects included, but the "home fires" are, as the title suggests, are well-represented. Canada, with its French and Scottish influences, presents a fascinating life, and rural Kansas, with its large (and ever-growing!) family is one my favorites. So many historical facts made their way into the letters exchanged by Emma and Maria, from Kansas cyclones to Maria's Canadian Christmas traditions. The cultures are presented distinctly, but since the book is an epistolary style, most of the information doesn't come across as info-dumping. Some of the explanations go on a bit long, as they don't bear much relevance to the characters, but overall it is a lovely 1910's immersive experience.

Characters: Yay for large family representations! I loved how the Codell Fosters keep growing, though at times it is a surprise, as it is quite unusual to have a new baby as an insignificant plot addition. The sibling relationship between Emma and Edmund is so sweet, and her siblings are all distinct. I can't deny my annoyance, however, at her father for leaving to fight. Call it my prejudice against WWI (dumb war that the US shouldn't have entered), but a man like Lawrence Foster has a whole lot more business at home than overseas. (Plus I'm not convinced that it was common at all for an older man with a family, especially a farmer, to go and fight. Certainly not in my family.)

Maria's family is a little harder to track, especially because she mentions the members of her community often. But Maria's personality itself is more distinct. Edith is a great older sister, though, and the community friendships are so lovely. I loved the group readings of the letters.

What was most confusing about the characters to me is the identities of the Foster brothers and which was the father of whom (at first I didn't realize that "Ted, Fred, Larry, and Jim" stories referred to their fathers). According to one girl one was "Uncle Frederick" or "Uncle Lawrence" and according to the other he was "Papa" or "Daddy" and it took a while before I was able to connect them. Perhaps that's my fault for not reading carefully enough.

The "modern-day" characters (I completely forgot that it was supposed to be 1941, whoops) are rather forgettable, though I remembered that Ria is the bouncy, outgoing one, and Lydia is the quieter girl.

Plot: Rather quiet in style, without the tense climax. But, that by no means means stakes aren't high. Though there are no real battle scenes, there are a few cyclones, cold weather, tales of dangerous antics, and deathly sicknesses. The actual climax took me be surprise; I wasn't expecting the return of that specific plot aspect; it is a neat package, if perhaps a little too neat.

I was actually expecting a little more romance, considering the life-style-trajectory of the story; but there is very little (next to none for the letter-writers), so for those who dislike constant romance stories, this is a perfect read!

Writing Style: I get a little persnickety when it comes to this epistolary style, since letter-writing is just not the same as book narrative. All that dialogue? One just can't remember a whole conversation verbatim, even a couple hours later, and wouldn't include tons of certain details that make a story's narrative. And when someone says "So-and-so is just doing this or that, coming or going," etc., it takes way longer to write such a sentence than it takes for the person to come or go or say or whatever. Therefore I don't like that as much as it occurs. And I find it hard to believe that a Scottish accent would be written so exactly (even more so by the Scottish man himself, who probably wouldn't naturally write that way?).

Toward the end there are some 1941-interjections and natural mishaps that happily interrupt the break the epistolary monotony. Not that the letters themselves are usually monotonous, mind you, but the overall perfect seamlessness, protected from the mistakes of real life.

For such a long book, I probably have dozens more thoughts, but this should be a decently accurate overview. Yes, there are good parts and negative parts, but in general, it brings me much joy to read about families--and big families.

[Nathan Varner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!

What a great book, getting to meet 2 young girls corresponding through letter and telling all about their families and what life was like during the war! It also has a fun ending. :)