Road to War: A First World War Girl's Diary, 1916

My Story: Girls

by Valerie Wilding

It's 1917 and the Great War rages in Europe. When Daffy Rowntree's brother goes missing in action, she refuses to sit safely in England, and determines to do something to help win the war.

Soon she finds herself in the mud and horror of the battlefields of France, driving an ambulance transporting the wounded of the trenches.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Diary, Historical, Middle Grade, Fiction, War

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2008

Reviews

[Claire (Book Blog Bird) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, this was ok. It’s the story of a rich girl in 1916 whose brother and dad go missing in WW1 prompting her to volunteer as an ambulance driver. It was good on historic detail but the plot was a bit bland.

[Ille · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Road to War' by Valerie Wilding is another great book in the My Story series. Each book in the series is written in diary format with the author writing as though they are the main character.
In this book, Daphne Rowntree (aka Daffy) joins the FANY (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry) in World War One.

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daphne is a pampered girl from the British upper middle class, who is stunned when her brother is missing during World War I. She tries to help by starting a knitting club but discovers that other better knitters than she have got that covered. Driving an ambulance turns out to be something she can contribute better than most young women, and she learns cope with the hardship of being near the front lines in Belgium. Like the "Dear America" series in the US, this series presents history from the point of view of a young girl. Not great literature, but this book actually does show some character development as Daffy grows from a spoiled teenager to a hardworking volunteer member of the Ambulance corps. A quick, interesting read.

[Joey Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt really slow paced for me, it kinda seemed like most of the book nothing much was happening at all, it was just her everyday life and it wasn’t that exciting really. But as we eventually went further into the story and had a bit more action it was better and more interesting.

Daffy Rowntree was a seemingly rich girl who had people to do all things for her in her life. But as her father dies in the war her mothers mental health becomes heavy causing lots of worry for all. Her brother signs up to fight in the war only to find he goes missing with no one able to locate him dead or alive. Daffy soon realises she needs to do something to help and signs up to help with the FANY organisation. She amongst a group of other brave women drive in the most hastily of weathers, in the most horrifying of situations to help those injured, dead, or in need of supplies. Being a quick first responder to help get them to the help and locations they are needed to be in.

What I did love about this story was that she finally found a group of women that weren’t ladylike and were just like her, she actually managed to get a lot of amazing friends. She also learnt hard work which in comparison to her sheltered life was a big change but made her more accepting of her staff at home. I also loved the instant connection she and Captain Charles made it was apparent right away and was very sweet, even if there was a slight hiccup in the road.

Overall this book was a good book, less action packed and less informative as I would have liked but it was still very interesting and a good read.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, it was a quick read, managed to read half one night and half two nights later.

It was nice to follow someone’s story from the war, but I didn’t feel it was an amazing captivating read.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daffy is as her name suggests, a little bit daft (or at least absent-minded). She is able to admit to her shortcomings, which makes her more likeable even when she's not the brightest. There was a good balance between Home Front and War Zone, and the focus on the FANY was unique and interesting.

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good

[erris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally only read this b/c it was short

[Jessica hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great insight to the women of war who wanted to make a difference and not just drag at home

[Maryann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is children' historical fiction. Part of the My Story series. I loved it. I enjoyed the diary format, and learnt a lot about the topic.

[Suzanne Starsmore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish. Not my thing

[Rebecca Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a good storyline but I was finding it so hard to get into it, maybe try reading it again in a few months to see if I can enjoy it more.

[Gabriela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Niko Bloom · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a book. Yes.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Road To War is not the best My Story I've read or the worst. It is a good book though. It opened my eyes to what the WWI was like. TERRIBLE. Daphne (Daffy) Rowntree's father goes off to war and dies. Her Mimi mother is an artist and becomes depressed and starts painting fairies. She doesn't really know how to be a mother and doesn't do what a mother usually does like doing housework etc. Then j when her brother Archibald (Archie) 18 he joins the fight. The news soon comes that he is missing and Daffy decides to search for him and joins the FANY (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry). She always wanted to do something for the soldiers so she wasn't forced. She tried knitting but wasn't very good at it so she decide to do bandage rolling. When she joins the FANY she gets sent to France and meets a few good friends that she will keep for life. She mainly drives ambulances carrying injured soldiers. Some of the parts in this book are really sad and nearly brought tears to my eyes. Here is a passage from the book: Something lay ahead, half on the road half off. Nearby was a group of cavalrymen, most still mounted. One of then was kneeling beside the object. As we drew closer, I saw that it was a horse,dead. One of its hind legs had been blown away. The soldier looked up at us, tears glittering in his eyes." I thought this was sad. This as well "I was at the canal quay this morning , and when they loaded my blesses, one of them tried to grasp my hand but his grip was to weak. I smoothed the hair from his forehead aged he whispered, "Pocket." Oh , gosh it brings a Lyon to my throat just to write about it. What happened was that her asked me to find a photo, and was surprised when I saw it, since it was of himself. He begged me to send it to his mother, and I said, "You'll be able to send it yourself when you're better." But when we arrived at the hospital , the poor boy was dead. I was the last person to speak to him and I didn't even know his name. The attendant who came with me promised he would see that the photo reaches the boys mother, and I believe him." One day Daffy meets Captain Charles Wensley-Croft when she takes him to hospital and he asks if she might visit him there. She agrees and they soon fall in love. I was eager to see what would happen to them. One day she is asked to deliver post. One of which Charles writes to his mother. She reads it and gets the wrong idea that Charles has a girlfriend, fiancée or wife back home called Mabel when in fact she's actually his 8 year old sister whom he saved from drowning when she was 2 and vowed that if she lived he would always take care of her. They love each other very much. One stormy night Daffy saves a Airedale a messenger dog on the road but meets a German solider when she takes him back to the ambulance. He tells her to move so he can kill the dog but she saves him by throwing herself in front of him and he shoots her. She wakes up in hospital and her friend Westerling visits her with an officer and explains that she noticed Daffy wasn't behind her that night when she got shot and they went back for her to find her injured. The officer Nigel pounces on the German until her drops the gun and he faints. They then put Daffy in the ambulance and take her to hospital. They congratulate her saying they're all proud of her because that dog carried an important message and if she had let the German kill it then many other lives would of been lost. Cause of her injury Daffy is sent home but all her friends waved her off. She gets letters from Charles but tells her maid to burn them because she is still convinced that Mabel is his sweetheart and that it isn't right what he says in his letters but one day she gets a visit from Charles and after he explains the Mabel thing they become close again. I assume in the future they marry and maybes have kids. She says at the end that the war has taken her father and she must except that it has taken her brother as well because the never found him. I hope the author wrote a sequel! In the book one day Daffy hands out some things made for the fighting solider a when she visits the front and meets a solider who asks for socks. Here is a line from when she hands him the socks which made me happy " I pulled out some dark green socks. There was a little message tied to them, which he examined eagerly. I remove red the knitting group adding little messages to their completed items. How lovely to know that they were so appreciated." It's true what Daffy says here when she was driving an ambulance one day with 4 injured soldiers in it and after she heard that none of then were expected to make it: "Under every brown blanket is a man - sometimes just a boy - who is loved by someone else. And on every small brown pillow is a face that a mother or brother or wife or sweetheart longs to see. Sometimes the poor faces so badly damaged they won't be recognised - that's all part of the horror of this filthy war."

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars: Good.
I loved this book.

[Suad Shamma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the story told to recount the experiences of ambulance drivers in the midst of the battlefields quite realistic in comparison to some of the other ones in the My Story series.

Road to War tells the story of Daffy Rowntree, who in 1917, when her father had just passed away and her brother has gone missing at war, decides to join the Ambulance Corps in order to contribute to the war. She starts out as an almost spoiled upper class girl, who is naive at times, and doesn't know too much about the world. She attempts to start a knitting club, but soon realizes she's not very good at knitting, and a club already exists. She then volunteers to help by rolling bandages, before she finally volunteers at The FANY (The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry). There, they find that is quite an excellent driver, and assign her to drive ambulances in France to pick up all those injured from the trenches, be it friend or foe.

This provides us with what seems to be a vivid account of what life for women driving ambulances during the Great War was like. It shows some great character depth and development for Daffy who was used to have everything done for her. She grows as a person, and becomes more mature and more grateful for the life she has. She also ends up meeting a nice captain whom she had saved earlier, and this gives the story a sweet little touch.

[Amalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good novel in “"My Story" series. Road to War is set during WW I. Daffy Rowntree is an upper-middle class girl. She is free-spirited, loves to ride her bicycle and eager to learn how to drive her papa’s motor car. During the war her father gets killed in France and her mother (Mimi) retires to her paintings full of fairies after, retreating to her own imagination to find solace. Meanwhile her brother Archie becomes a soldier and Daffy refuses to settle in for the comfort at home. She finds herself clumsy in "Wool for War" knitting groups and decides to join The FANY (The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry.)

She finds a new life and have a great deal if fun, meet friends and a Captain Charles Croft with a mysterious woman in life called Mabel. She learns to work together, working hard-carrying on until they are absolutely exhausted; driving ambulances, running hospitals, setting up canteens and looks after wounded prisoners. Meanwhile Archie goes missing…

A good book, suitable for teenagers and of course for adults as well.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is aimed at youngsters, as an adult reader, I have enjoyed several of the ‘My Story’ books and “Road to War” was no different. For those of you unfamiliar with the ‘My Story’ books they enable the reader to experience history through the eyes of a fictional person who was there in at the time.
“Road to War” tells the story of Daffy Rowntree, who in 1917 at the height of the Great War, decides that seeing that her father has been killed in the trenches and her brother is missing, it is about time that she does something to help win the war so that the men and boys still fighting are able to return home to their families.
She soon finds herself as an ambulance driver in France, right on the front line among the mud and horror of Flanders’ fields.
This is a vivid account of what life for women driving ambulances during the Great War and it will certainly make people think about what vital role women played in the war effort.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't warm to Daffy at first, but she was so much more likeable once she joined the FANY and was sent to France. Okay, her transition from silly naive rich girl to someone who could endure rough living conditions and dangerous working conditions was very sudden, but I don't really expect a detailed character journey in a children's book. And I loved reading about the FANY! The camaraderie between the girls, and their guts and determination -- it was wonderful. I'm filled with admiration for the real-life women who joined the FANY and saved countless lives.

"It was Meldrew's birthday today. The rest of us got up early and, since we don't have any bunting, strung our most colourful undies across the room. When she woke, she burst out laughing and said we were all absolute buffoons."

I WANT TO BELIEVE THIS REALLY HAPPENED.

[Shagun Maheshwari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Road to War by Valerie Wilding is a fairly nice book and had all the things to keep me hooked. It talked about a girl, how she and her family and the people are being affected by the Great War, the huge and not so huge roles of various people in it, making you feel all a person must feel reading books set in such periods. In fact, it does all these things without the writing ever feeling a drag. I would have given it a four stars if the ending was not what it is. In the end, everything felt predictable where the very end is, simply to say, not just alright.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best WWI story I have ever read, or the best in this series - but still worth a look.

[Jen]

again I couldnt put this book down
so interesting to learn about the organization FANY Ive never heard about them before

[Hamda · Rating 3 out of 5]

you are not letting me read it so I'm giving you a 3, thanks!
If you want to improve then you should let people read the book.