History in Vogue discussion

Part I : Chapter 5 part 7 - Part II : Chapter 7 part 2

Vera looks forward to Roland's Christmas leave and waits eagerly with his family for news of him. Her innocence is lost forever when she learns he has died of wounds. Over the weeks that follow, she learns the details surrounding his death and his mother writes a memoir. Vera acts like a zombie but takes comfort from her friend Victor. Vera returns to work but Edward gets sent to the front.

I still don't get the impression Roland loved Vera as much as she thought she loved him. She's infatuated but her love, as she frequently points out, is selfish. She wants to be miserable. Roland's death was really stupid but that's war. I guess Julian Fellows may have been inspired by bullet wound to the spine. (Downton Abbey Season 2 hackneyed plot). Geoffrey is wounded and recovering in London.

Does anyone know what's wrong with reading Compton Mackenzie's Carnival? She doesn't explain why Matron was so upset and why her having been a student has anything to do with it. (I'm noting this here so I can look it up).

Geoffrey has shell shock and a slight face wound. That is not good at all. He'll have a hard time of it if he survives.

That's as far as I have gotten so far. I'll be back later to add more thoughts.