Willow Run

by Dorothy Stephens

When the “greatest generation” came home from World War II, many of the men returned to college on the GI Bill, a saga that has been the subject of numerous books and movies. But the story of their wives, also part of that greatest generation, has seldom been told.
Kate McIntosh, the young mother of a toddler and a newborn, struggles with the challenges of being isolated in barracks-like World War II housing in Willow Run Village, with no car, little money, and a mostly absent husband., Mark, her husband, attends classes at the university during the day and works on the assembly line at the nearby auto plant at night. He is rarely home. When she and Mark meet with other graduate students, Kate feels awkward and excluded, with nothing to talk about but diapers and pureed carrots.
Kate is determined to find ways to reach beyond the confines of her life. She befriends her rural Tennessee neighbors, teaching the illiterate mother and son to read; gets involved in the Adlai Stevenson presidential campaign; creates a garden in the weedy field behind their building; and finds new strength and talents she didn’t know she had. At the same time, she attempts to quell her rising anxiety about what might be going on between Mark and a fellow graduate student, Amanda. Things come to a head when Mark is seriously injured in an accident and Kate has new challenges to face.

172 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2019

About the author

Dorothy Stephens is a freelance writer whose work has appeared over the past thirty years in numerous national magazines, newspapers, and journals. She was a finalist for the 1996 Bakeless Prize in Nonfiction and a Scholar at the 1997 Bread Loaf Writers Conference. Her books include a memoir, Kwa Heri Means Goodbye; Memories of Kenya 1957-1959;
A Door Just Opened, a YA novel; her new novel, Willow Run; and a 2nd memoir, Africa Calling Me Back, to be released soon. She lives with her neurotic cat Chitty in Massachusetts, where she enjoys walking the beach while seeking inspiration for her next book.

Reviews

[Lina Rehal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Story

This story grabs the reader from page one. It’s one you just can’t put down. Very well-written. Engaging characters. I was right there with Kate the whole time. Enjoyable read. Great job, Ms. Stephens!

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull story in need of a good editor.