Virginia's War

French Letters #1

by Jack Woodville London

French Letters: Virginia’s War is a poignant novel that earned uncommon critical acclaim, being named a finalist for “Best Novel of the South,” an award given by the Anderson Foundation in honor of Willie Morris and a finalist for the Military Writers Society of America award for Best Historical Novel of the Year.

This first book of the French Letters trilogy is the tale of one woman’s home front experience, set against the back drop of the story of a small town that has plenty going on behind the scenes. It was there one morning that an unexpectedly pregnant Virginia Sullivan read in her father’s newspaper that she had supposedly eloped with a soldier. This is news to Virginia, not to mention her “husband” Will Hastings, who was already off at war and knows nothing of it.

Sullivan is the daughter of a small town’s leading figure, a newspaper owner who, because of his knowledge of everyone’s personal business, runs the local black market in ration coupons and hard-to-get tires and gasoline, and sister of Bart, a draft dodger who runs the post office while keeping her mail from going or coming and preventing Will Hastings, the lead figure in French Letters: Engaged in War, from knowing that Virginia is pregnant or that her father has published a phony story.

There may be a World War going on thousands of miles away, but there’s plenty going on behind the scenes in Tierra, TX to keep Virginia preoccupied.

#1 in War Fiction on Amazon Kindle

#8 in Historical Fiction on Amazon Kindle

2011 Honorable Mention – Fiction from the London Book Fair
Spent several weeks on the Austin American-Statesman bestseller list

2009 Finalist for the Military Writers’ Society of America’s Best Historical Novel of the Year

2009 Finalist for the Williams Foundation’s Willie Morris Best Novel of the South

2010 Finalist for Dear Author’s Best Novel with a Romantic Element

French Letters: Virginia’s War was featured in the Amarillo Globe-News, Texas Bar Journal, and London has been a guest on “Great Day SA,” the morning news shows on KFDA-TV and KVII-TV, out of Amarillo, Texas, and News 8 Austin

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Jack Woodville London is the author of French Letters: Children of a Good War, the winner of the 2018 Gold Medal for Fiction Book of the Year in war and military fiction, as well as other novels, non-fiction, and articles on history and literature.

He studied the craft of fiction at the Academy of Fiction, St. Céré, France and at Oxford University. He was the first Author of the Year of the Military Writers Society of America and has become its Director of Writing Education.

His French Letters trilogy of novels are Virginia’s War, Engaged in War, and Children of a Good War. They are widely praised for their portrayals of America in the 1940s, both at home and in Europe in the Second World War, and afterward as America evolved from its wartime unity into progress and prosperity. Children of a Good War goes on to portray a country that soon gives way to bitter division over the Vietnam war and the struggle to find its soul by the generation that forgot its history and took its wealth, status, and privilege for granted.

In addition to the 2018 Gold Medal for Children of a Good War the first novel, Virginia's War, was a Finalist for Best Novel of the South and the Dear Author 'Novel with a Romantic Element' contest. The second volume, Engaged in War, earned for Jack the Author of the Year award and won the silver medal for general fiction at the London Book Festival.

His craft book, A Novel Approach, a short and light-hearted work on the conventions of writing, is designed to help writers who are setting out on the path to write their first book. A Novel Approach won the E-Lit Gold Medal for non-fiction in 2015. Jack also is the author of several published articles on the craft of writing and on early 20th century history.

His work in progress is Shades of the Deep Blue Sea, a mystery-adventure novel about two sailors and a girl, set on a Pacific island in World War II.

Jack lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Alice. Visit him at jwlbooks.com

Reviews

[Abby Snodgrass]

I think its obvious I liked this book since I pretty much finished it in one setting.

French Letters is an artfully created war time novel. But rather than your typical War story, this one is told from the perspective of small town Texas life. The experience of those back home. Specifically a girl who's father fabricates an elopement to cover up a pregnancy out of wedlock. (It was a different time lol) what's worse, she finds out about it in the newspaper.

I gave this 4 stars for 2 reasons. One, it's told from multiple points of view. Sometimes even giving pov from irrelevant characters. I can see how that would be a neat idea, but in this case it took away from the experience. The other reason, is because most of the characters had no redeeming qualities. Perhaps that will change in the 2nd book, we'll see.

Regardless, this was a great book, & I'm excited to start book 2.

[Mel Baker]

I started this one a couple days ago & have already finished.

This isn't my typical genre, historical fiction, but I still enjoyed it. The story is told surrounding life in a west Texas town as War rages on.

This book kind of had it all, including evil town bosses, a pregnancy out of wedlock, lies, deception, & more.

I thought the world was well developed, but Virginia lacked a bit for me. And with multiple POV, I felt like it was a bit elaborate for my taste. In one instant your hearing from a character that doesn't know about something, and later being filled in sometimes by an irrelevant character. That's why this was 3 stars for me.

But still a good book, and especially if you like historical fiction.

3/5 Stars 🌟 🌟🌟

[Beth]

A story based upon the lives of a great deal of characters within Tierra, a small town in Texas, during WWII; where I found myself lost and I didn't find my way out.

I'll accept that lots goes on in a small town and many folk have lots to say - buy wow! I've never been stood in the village square, twirled around and around until giddy and then brought to an abrupt halt and lost my balance, but that is how I felt when reading this. At one point, I put the book down and laid on the floor with my eyes closed trying assess where I was and what was happening.

Surrounded by characters at every corner, store, house, or turn and differing points-of-view coming at me from all directions I did feel giddy.

I've no idea of what life is like in small town America, but there's no moss gathering on the sidewalks in Tierra. The book needs a Ferris Bueller - “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

I couldn't get an opinion on much really. I found the town's quack to be unsettling: would a man in the caring profession ever be that brutally rude and aggressive?

I couldn't settle with this and struggled to finish it.

[Carey]

By 1944 the small town of Tierra, Texas was used to the war. The young boys played war games, arguing over who would be on the side of the Allies and who would be the Nazis for the day. The nearby air base added some excitement with their frequent air training exercises. And above all, Tierra, like every small town around the world, gossiped.

In early 1944 the gossip was all about Virginia Sullivan. In the seven years that she has been the sweetheart of Will Hastings, she has never made him any promises. Not to marry him, not even to wait for him while he was off at medical school. Now Will is a doctor, overseas with the Army, and Virginia is home in Tierra. And pregnant.

Now, Virginia's Dad just happens to run the town newspaper. Poppy Sullivan is a big man in town and he usually gets what he wants. He was able to fix his son Bart's medical records so that he was exempt from service. Then he managed to set Bart up in the cushy job of United States Postmaster. When he finds out Virginia is expecting, he solves the problem his own way and never stops to consult his daughter. The very next day he announces in the paper that the couple had eloped the previous Thanksgiving, when Will was home on leave.

Poor Virginia. Now she is trapped in her father's lie that she is a married woman. Her nasty brother, Bart, is hiding all of her mail from Will and she is becoming frantic as the months go by and she hears nothing from him. She doesn't know where he is and she watches the casualty lists carefully for any mention of his name.

Meanwhile, something else in Tierra is unravelling. Some folks in town have been doing rather well for themselves and don't seem to be suffering under the rationing program, as most of their neighbors are. When Government cars start to turn up in town it sure stirs up the talk. Changes are on the way in Tierra, many people will be affected and the town will have something to talk about for years to come.

I really enjoyed this novel about the homefront during World War II and the dynamics of a small town. There are many well-developed characters that together form the social and political nucleus of this community and I was fascinated with the way the author wove their stories together. Tierra felt like a real place to me and I was absorbed with the lives of its inhabitants. I will be eagerly awaiting the second installment in this interesting trilogy.

[Cheryl Malandrinos]

An engaging and edgy look at life in a small town during World War II is what you'll find in "French Letters - Virgnia's War: Tierra, Texas 1944", the first book of a planned trilogy by Jack Woodville London.

In the little town of Tierra, Texas, the young boys play war while the men are already off fighting Hitler and the Nazis. But Virginia has a war all her own. Dealing with a spiteful brother, a manipulative father, and a dark secret that threatens to be revealed, she lives her life under the watchful eyes of the entire town. Sometimes the casualities of war are not wounded on the battlefield.

With "French Letters", London captures the delicate and sometimes sinister intricacies of little town USA. The multiple points of view tell a story that is both riveting and tragic.

At times readers will sympathize with Virginia's plight, but at others they will find themselves disturbed by her actions; just as there are moments when they will feel sorry for Poppy (Virginia's father) even after despising him for a good portion of the book. This is truly a piece of work filled with a group of complex antagonists: Virginia's brother Bart, Poppy and Doc, who is fully aware of Virginia's little secret and helps Poppy to cover it up.

And flowing through Virginia's story is the one of war abroad. As Will Hastings, his brother Peter, Hoyt Carter, and Johnny Bradley have left Tierra to fight against an evil even deeper than the one that runs through Tierra.

Literary fiction and historical fiction fans will find "French Letters" by Jack Woodville London a poignant and engaging read.

[The Authors' Assistant]

What a wonderful summer read, especially before the Fourth of July.
London transports the reader to a small town in West Texas in the midst of World War II.
In the beginning of the novel the reader experiences an "Our Town" type of innocence with the characters and Tierra, Tx. A few chapters into the book, London escorts the reader backstage and shows the realities of everyday life on the homefront; corrupt city officials, an unplanned pregnancy, meddling neighbors, and living without the luxuries.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Joanie Lunsford]

Enlightening

French Letters Virginia’s war is a wartime story uniquely told. The experiences of the Second World War were not related from events on the battlefield, but rather through thoughts revealed and life lived in and around a Texas town square. Historical features illuminate a sense of President Roosevelt’s era. Anticipation was on high frequency for the arrival of Army V-Letters. A fact especially true for Virginia. Antics common to an everybody knows everybody small town were relatable.

The perspectives coming from the adult residents painted mostly a grim picture of greed, jealousy, and vindictiveness. A shortage of contentment was self-inflicted. All of which I found disturbing. On the other hand, the depiction of childhood closeness as reflected by the boys’ palling around was a refreshing throwback to a simpler time. Also, gave way for hope that maybe the young adults could shed their sadness and hardened hearts just long enough to have a change of focus helping them find a way back to the closeness they once shared. And possibly turn the page to an easier future.

[Mary Kay Wooten]

PART 1. FRENCH LETTERS

This is Part 1 of either a trilogy or one novel divided into 3 separate books. French Letters focuses on the citizens of a small Texas town in 1944. There is drama, fraud/greed, misinformed romance, nosy citizens, comedy, sorrow, happiness. I started this book not knowing exactly what I would be reading. It didn't take me long to love it. Part 1 is 251 pages that I read one rainy, dreary Monday. I have immediately started Part 2. So far, I think this would make a great PBS miniseries. I hope you enjoy this as much I have & anticipate the remaining 2 parts,

[Stephen F Newton]

a vivid glimpse of small town Texas during the War

Jack London is a lawyer. I know that because we went to law school together. That legal mentality and the disciplined attention to details really helps the characters fit together tell the story of Virginia and the small town of Tierra so well you almost feel like you grew up there.
The book is also an excellent historical portrayal of the human side of wartime rationing, funneling of basic supply chain items to the war effort, and the inevitable efforts to skirt around all those regulations.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Joan Grable]

A personal look at a small town in Texas in 1944 during the War. From young boys playing War... to the Sheriff cheating the government and the loved ones waiting to hear about their soldiers... an intriguing cast of characters well researched.

[Peggy Hess Greenawalt]

Rhe story is interesting and will read two and three coming out in November. I liked the historical subject and characters. Local author, so nice to support his work.

[Melissa B]

An interesting take of the lives of those left at home during WWII

[Joan]

Real Slice of Life at Home During WWII

This book is Volume 1 of a trilogy entitled “French Letters. This story is told through the eyes of a young boy, Sandy Clayton, who with his two best buddies Sluggo and Butch managed to get into everything, be everywhere and see everything, although they didn’t always understand what they saw. The boys playing war games gave Sandy a broken nose, which sent him to old Doc Pritchard, a cranky old man. While in his office, he overheard Doc talking to a young woman, and then heard him call her father, Poppy, and tell him “Sure, I know what’s wrong with her. She’s knocked up.” Poppy’s beautiful daughter Virginia, just out of high school, worked in the courthouse office as a clerk handling ration books. During WWII, meat, butter, sugar, coffee, other food staples, tires, gas, and such were rationed out according to one’s occupation, age, etc. It caused hardships on folks at home, especially if they lived in the country. The town of Tierra, Texas was a little town dying on its feet after the cotton gin burned down. Men, separated from their families, left home and went where there was war work.

Poppy was an enigma whom people didn’t care to decipher. He seemed just a little smarter than anyone else and when most boys age 18 either had to join the service or get drafted, his son Bart was 4F because Doc Pritchard found him to be unfit for service. Poppy managed to have him appointed postmaster, but Bart was actually stupid and vindictive. Poppy’s daughter Virginia was ignored by Poppy after her mother was institutionalized for mental illness. Virginia was shocked to learn she was pregnant and didn’t know how she could deal with it. A classmate, Will Hastings, always had a crush on Virginia and continually asked her to wait for him. She didn’t care to be tied down. He attended medical school to become doctor. When he graduated from medical school, he entered the service as a doctor and officer. Just before he left, Will and Virginia made love only once, which impregnated Virginia.

Will attempted to write Virginia when he was over seas, but Bart, out of meanness, withheld the letters from Virginia. Without Virginia’s knowledge or agreement, Poppy published an announcement in the local paper that Will and Virginia had eloped at Thanksgiving time, which was just before Will left. Because of Bart’s actions, Will’s and Virginia’s letters never reached each other.

The story centers around Will and Virginia, the government’s intrusion in everyone’s lives, shenanigans by a few local men who managed to have rationed goods stock piled and an extra supply of ration stamps. It is a true life picture of small town America during these times when everyone worried about the young men off at war, the emotional pain of parents and girls who lost loved ones, even a small section covering the Bataan death march.

The story is told in a simple manner, but comes alive for the reader. Because Americans at home haven’t been physically so affected since WWII with rationing, lack of medical supplies etc. many of the aspects revealed in this story may be an eye opener. This reviewer was 11 years old at the time of Pearl Harbor and lived through the days of rationing, innocent, naïve teenage boys leaving home to go to war and life for those left behind. I truly enjoyed this story and recommend it.

[Christine Zibas]

This engaging trilogy, French Letters, opens with a scene from a small Texas town, affected like most of the country, by World War II. Populated by characters both engaging and exasperating, the action is never dull. From a bump on the nose to a baby bump, the activities in one small town easily fill the first book in the series, “Virginia’s War: Tierra, Texas, 1944.” And by the end of the first book, readers will be wishing that they already had the next volume in hand.

The main circumstances of this story focus on Sandy Clayton, a small boy whose energy and interests always seem to keep him front and center of Tierra’s happenings, and Virginia Sullivan, a young woman whose recent pregnancy is less surprising to her than the activities of her own family. Whether it’s her newspaper-owning father announcing an elopement that never occurred or her brother Bart posting her personal letters on the bulletin board of the Post Office, something unexpected is always at hand.

Then there’s the back story of Virginia’s friends, the boys who went off to fight the war: Will Hastings (of the reported marriage), his brother Peter, Hoyt Carter, and Johnny Bradley, not all of whom will make it through. Whether set on the home front of Tierra, Texas, or on the fields of France or the islands of the Pacific, there is grief to be suffered, but also strength and companionship among these friends from Texas.

Author Jack London has given his readers a great opening salvo in “Virginia’s War,” something to sink their teeth into--a town worth exploring, interesting and complicated relationships, power struggles, and overshadowing it all, a World War. If London can keep up the pace of “Virginia’s War” into volume two, he will surely have a winning trilogy on his hands.

[Kathleen Rodgers]

2nd Runner Up in Military Writers Society of America 2009 Book Awards, January 9, 2010
By Kathleen M. Rodgers "Author" (Colleyville, TX USA) -

This review is from: French Letters Book One: Virginia's War (Paperback)
Award winning author Jack W. London is a gifted storyteller! The prologue's opening scene at a funeral sets the stage for a story that is full of small town rumors and gossip and secrets galore. Chapter One opens with twelve year old Sandy Clayton and his friends playing war games in the small West Texas town of Tierra, circa 1944. Soon we are introduced to Miss Virginia Sullivan, the title character, and we are instantly drawn into this wartime drama where scandals on the home front can prove almost as deadly as the bullets and bombs of a war raging across Europe and the Pacific.

All of the characters in this story feel like real people. You might love some and hate others, but either way you will find yourself quickly involved in their lives. One of my favorite characters is Old Mr. Bradley, the town barber. His conversations with young Sandy Clayton about the military had me in stitches. At other times I was in tears.

And about Virginia herself. You love her when she's mixing up a special cake to serve her brother Bart and Poppy (her father who pretty much runs the town), and by the end of book one you are left with more questions than answers about who is really the father of Virginia's baby. I can hardly wait to find out. Waiting for the second installment in the trilogy.

Kathleen M. Rodgers
author of "The Final Salute: Together We Live On"
Silver Medal winner for historical fiction 2009 MWSA book awards

[Jo Notary]

Tierra Texas is a town like any other small American town in 1944 -- caught up in the war, boys in the military, men and friends gone to the city to work in the airplane factories, everyone wishing it was over and life would go back to what it was before. Everyone except Poppy Sullivan, who used his perch as owner of the local newspaper to know every secret -- who had some hidden tires, extra ration stamps, a stash of gasoline, cattle hidden from the government buyers. It was a town where everyone knew everyone's business. So, when the Thursday before Easter an announcement was posted on the post office bulletin board that Poppy's daughter Virginia had eloped with her boyfriend, Captain Hastings, over Thanksgiving, the whole town was surprised, no one more than Virginia herself, who knew nothing about it. Virginia's War is a funny and wistful view of a simpler time where the worst of citizens took care of poor people and the best of citizens kept up a healthy trade in black market ration coupons, where boys played at soldiers and women wanted to have more of a say in their own lives.

[Jess]

Virginia's War (French Letters, #1) drew me into the story of scandal, family vengeance, corruption and cover-up in a small town in Texas during World War II.

Virginia Sullivan, a woman in her early 20s, finds herself unmarried and pregnant with her boyfriend Will Hastings baby. Will is serving the war as a surgeon in Europe and has no idea Virginia is pregnant. Virginia's father Poppy, owner of the town paper, finds out Virginia is pregnant and prints a false announcement in the paper that Virginia and Will eloped 5 months prior when Will was on leave (and Virginia got pregnant).

To ensure Poppy's son Bart stays out of the war and does not get drafted Poppy drives the postmaster out of town and appoints Bart as the new postmaster. Spiteful Bart humiliates his sister Virginia, keeps Will's letters from Virginia and does not send Virginia's letters to Will.

The story is very good and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received Virginia's War (French Letters, #1) for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Susan McDuffie]

In the sleepy West Texas town of Tierra, in 1944, young boys play at war while Virginia Sullivan fights her own battle; she is unexpectedly pregnant, and unmarried. Her father, “Poppy”, controls the little town; he owns and runs the newspaper, the “Tierra Times”. Poppy Sullivan has his finger in every pie, and his foot on top of just about everybody in the tiny town as well. Her father’s solution to Virginia’s dilemma will transform her life, as well as that of Bart, her scheming brother, and the army doctor, Captain William Hastings. In fact, Poppy’s machinations bring change to just about every one living in the tiny town of Tierra. War transforms things, and not only for those on the battleground.
Small town life in west Texas during WWII is vividly evoked in this engaging novel. Jack Woodville London creates lifelike and compelling characters; his fine prose brings the citizens of Tierra and the everyday struggles of making do on the home front, while the war was fought in Europe, into a sharp and brilliant focus. I devoured the book in one sitting! Recommended.

[J. Jones]

In this, the first book in Jack Woodville London's French Letters series, you will see how literary fiction is done. This book reminds me a bit of “Home Fires Burning” by Bob Inman. From this book it is easy to see why London was named writer of the year by the Military Writer's Society of America.

This book follows the intertwined lives of the residents of Tierra, Texas while their young men are off fighting World War II. From the young boys, to an able bodied young man whose influential father has tricked the system into keeping him out of the war, to a pregnant young woman whose man is in the army, their lives are all connected. London's prose is smooth and his character development is strong. The writing is so good that you are identifying with the characters before you realize it... even the ones you don't like.

This is the first of London's books I have read, but it will not be the last. Check it out, you'll be a fan before you realize it.

[Alana White]

Set in Tierra, Texas in 1944, "Virginia's War (French Letters, #1") shines a light on a small American town during World War II and on the war itself. It is spring when Virginia Sullivan reads in the local newspaper that she has eloped with Will Hastings, who already has gone off to fight for his country. Will is the father of the baby she has on the way—or is he? This engaging novel follows the ins and outs of many of the major players in town, from Virginia herself and her emotionally distant, powerful father, a man we suspect is up to no good, to the young boys playing at war, and the young men who go off to engage in battle against an enemy they don't know. Over the course of the book we learn to know these people well—their strengths, their weaknesses, their daily victories and losses, large and small. London keeps the stakes high as he carries the reader rapidly forward—only to leave them hungry for more in the next book in the series, "Engaged in War (French Letters, #2").

[Darlene Jones]

I enjoyed French Letters for it's unique take on WWII. Here we see the war and rationing and evasion of rationing through the eyes and actions of the adults and youngsters of small town USA. The story is well written and certainly holds the reader's attention. I came to care about the characters, liked some, loathed others and wanted to know what would happen to all of them as the action played out. Kudos to the author for that.

The enjoyment of the story is marred somewhat by formatting glitches and the ending, while fitting, was rather abrupt. All in all, a good read.

[Alice]

This is a wonderful first novel by Jack Woodville London. The characters in this book brought back so many memories of growing up in a small town soon after the end of World War II.

The impact of the war on the lives of rural America as sons left to fight on foreign soils and daughters stayed behind to manage an interrupted life is richly told in Mr. London's intriguing story.

I highly recommend this book.

[Stephanie Barko]

This is the first in a historical fiction trilogy by new Texas author
Jack London. In French Letters, we find humor and a mystery with a minor romantic element. The dialog is authentic to the WWII era and west Texas, where this first installment is set. Both men and women will enjoy this story and learn or remember something about this era
as they read it.

[Nick Woodall]

Well, what can I say....? This was a lawyer's first attempt at writing a novel. My suggestion is that he keep writing legal briefs, because the novel was not that good. The chapters were too long. There was too much space between sentences and paragraphs. Whoever laid this out did a poor job. I wanted to like it, but alas, I didn't.

[Virginia]

At times I didn't want to finish the book, seemed to go on and on. But, the story was good enought to continue on. History good, waiting for the next one by Mr. London!

[Leeann]

Jack London really understands small town life, and has done an incredible amount of research so he could add details to make this story come to life. Waiting for the 3rd in the trilogy!

[April]

Can't wait to get the next book in this series in my hot little hand...

[Thea]

My daughter won this book so I decided to read it, I like the insights into WW II.

[Joyce Faulkner]

Jack Woodville London - MWSA 2011 Author of the Year!