A War of Her Own - A World War II Novel [Paperback]

Sylvia Dickey Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

A War of Her Own is a compelling World War II historical novel, set in Orange, Texas, in 1943, about a Texas version of Rosie the Riveter in search of happiness.

In the summer of 1943, Orange, Texas, is a sleepy little town overrun with tens of thousands of new workers. With jobs galore at the wartime shipyards, the workers are rich with cash and looking for a good time.

Bea Meade, mother of an infant son, finds her life shattered when her philandering husband announces he is leaving her for another woman. To make ends meet, Bea takes a job at a shipyard as a riveter. Meanwhile, she searches for the love missing in her life.

Life is good for everyone in Orange--except Bea, who has to fight her own battles against a no-good husband, the prejudice facing women in the workplace, and the mysteries of her own past.

Bea's journey to discover who she really is, a vibrant woman of her times, serves up an entertaining story of the World War II homefront you'll remember long after the final pages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The old cliché', 'All is fair in love and war', does not hold true for Bea Meade in A War of Her Own. Nothing was ever fair for Meade when it pertained to life, love, or war in this gripping historical fiction. 





  

--Peggy Scarbrough

 In crafting the character of Bea Meade, Smith has certainly lived up to expectations.

--Jamie, Colloquill

About the Author

Sylvia Dickey Smith was born in Orange, Texas, and lived there through her high school years. She now lives near Austin, Texas. She is also the author of a popular mystery series featuring Sidra Smart, private eye, set in the borderlands where Texas and Louisiana meet.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Crickhollow Books (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933987111
• ISBN-13: 978-1933987118
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #986,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My name is Sylvia Dickey Smith. I was born in Orange, Texas, and grew up in a colorful Scots-Irish family living in the midst of a Cajun culture. When 34, my curiosity about the world took on a whole new dimension when I moved to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad & Tobago. Awed by the differences in customs and cultures, particularly as they related to West Indian women, set me on a journey of study and self-discovery.

Back in the U.S. at 40, I started college and didn't stop until I achieved a B.A. in sociology with a concentration in women's studies and a master's in counseling.

An advocate for women, my writing features those who recreate themselves into the people they want to be, strong women who take charge of their lives and get things done. (If you've met Sidra Smart or Bea Meade, you know what I mean.)

The stories dwell on the wondrous twists and turns of human behavior rooted in my background as a counselor before I became a novelist. The tales are fun, sassy, and (according to my fans) darn good reads. I hope you like these kind of books, too! I look forward to adding you as a fan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Recommeded Read for Historical Fiction Fans!, August 20, 2010

By 

RCBR - See all my reviews

This review is from: A War of Her Own - A World War II Novel (Paperback)

Sylvia Dickey Smith's first historical novel, A War of Her Own, takes us to Orange, Texas in 1943 where Bea Meade, who has always been a good girl and a good wife, discovers that there is more to life--and to herself--than waiting for her unloving husband to come home.

In the shipyards of Orange, Texas during World War II, the need for workers was so strong that women were hired to help in the war effort.

Bea Meade would never have imagined she would be one of them: her mama always told her that a woman's place is at home, with her children, and that she should live to make her husband happy. But her husband, Hal, is not as dedicated to her happiness and when Bea learns that he has been sleeping with another woman, now pregnant with his child, she begins to fear for hers and her infant son's future. Encouraged by her good friend, Masil, she decides not to wait for Hal to leave her and gets hired at the shipyard as a riveter. There, Bea discovers she is stronger than she ever thought possible and that the meek Bea Meade who does everything as she has been told, by her mother and her husband, might not be the true Bea at all.

During her journey of self-discovery towards true independence, her path will cross with troubled Oskar Eichel. Oskar, born in Germany, fled Hitler's dictatorship and is looking for his younger brother. In addition, Bea's sister, Edith, holds a secret that could change everything Bea knows about herself.

While the setting of the story and the story itself were interesting, I had a couple of problems with this novel. A War of Her Own is an historical novel and some of the readers might be unfamiliar with the period. The author takes the time to explain our new surroundings, and rightly so, but sometimes I felt the natural flow of the story and the credibility of the dialogue were sacrificed to give unneeded information. The chronology of some of the scenes is a bit unclear, and I felt that one of the darkest themes of the story is treated too lightly for such a serious subject.

That said, Bea's internal journey was compelling and I very much enjoyed learning about the hard lives of the World War II shipyard workers in Orange.

I recommend A War of Her Own to readers who like historical novels about women's fight for independence.

Reviewed by Noémie Saint-Gal for Reader's Choice Book Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never Underestimate The Resilient Power Of The Human Spirit..., August 14, 2010

By 

Apex Reviews (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A War of Her Own - A World War II Novel (Paperback)

The year is 1943, and in the sleepy little town of Orange, Texas, thousands of desperate jobseekers have taken up new residence, pursuing steady employment at the wartime shipyards. In the midst of all the growing hustle and bustle, Bea Meade finds her life suddenly shattered when her philandering husband announces his intentions to leave her for another woman. To make matters worse, Bea is the new mother of an infant son, forcing her to take a job as a riveter at a shipyard to support both herself and her baby boy in light of her husband's cruel abandonment. Faced with a host of unforeseen challenges - including a no-good husband, workplace sexism, and haunted memories of her past, Bea struggles to summon the strength to endure the tumultuous storms of life that threaten to darken any hope of a bright future...

Featuring an indelible protagonist you can't help but to cheer for, A War Of Her Own is a powerfully compelling read. In it, author Sylvia Dickey Smith presents the moving story of an innocent soul thrust in the midst of the most grievous of circumstances, chronicling her ongoing struggles to navigate her way through the mess and come out clean on the other side. Smith also brings the sights, sounds, and overall aura of WWII America to vivid life, based largely on her own personal recollections of the highly memorable era. With such a frenetic, vibrant setting serving as the backdrop for Bea's personal wars, Smith successfully draws the reader in to her well-crafted tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness, all of which Bea must contend with as she battles her way down the road of self-discovery.

Surprisingly heartrending, A War Of Her Own is an inspiring account of learning to overcome the most difficult obstacles without losing your true self in the process. A thoroughly engrossing read.

Karynda Lewis

Apex Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A War of Her Own, December 30, 2010

By 

Flora C. Edgerly (BRIDGE CITY, TEXAS, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A War of Her Own - A World War II Novel (Paperback)

A War of Her Own by Sylvia Dickey Smith is a novel set during World War II in the summer of 1943 in Orange, Texas. My father was one of the workers at the wartime shipyard and we still live in Orange. I Couldn't put this book down it brought back a lot of memory. This is a great book.