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: 0.9 x 5.3 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #796,716 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

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

By RCBR

Format: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 Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars As a storyteller myself, this is a geat one to get your teeth into. October 4, 2010

By Pearl Hewitt

Format:Paperback

Sylvia Dickey Smith has proven herself to be an excellent storyteller, blending historical facts about Orange, Texas during World War ll, with the fictional story of Bea Meade, her estranged husband and her struggle, against all odds, to succeed along the path of self discovery. It's fast paced, quick reading but very intriguing and grasps your attention from the outset. Emotions run high in certain parts of the book and you will need to keep a tissue handy.
I have lived in Texas for almost 10 years but I'm originally from a small, industrial, shipbuilding town called Jarrow on the River Tyne in the northeast of England. This story was very easy to relate to and it could easily have been about my grandmother or other women of her time, who were required to work in the bomb factories, steel works and shipyards, during the war, due to a shortage of male laborers.
This is not actually a tale ABOUT WWll, but rather a tale about a struggling young woman, living through the hardships of that time. Lack of money wasn't the problem. Money was plentiful but it was difficult to spend! Food and many other items were rationed and as the town boomed due to shipbuilding, the population exploded, creating an enormous housing problem.
Bea Meade was relatively disinterested in the raging war taking place on the other side of the Atlantic. She had enough problems to deal with and was literally fighting a war of her own. A philandering husband, male chauvinism, unanswered questions about her childhood, family intrigue, love, betrayal and forgiveness were all obstacles she had to wrestle with.
The storyline has been so expertly crafted, that once you pick the book up, you don't want to put it down.... Just enough information is presented about a certain character or theme and leaves you wanting more, but the story moves on to the next step. You know you'll get the answers to your questions eventually.....but when?..... You just have to keep reading to find out.
The story of Bea Meade, the riveter, definitely kept me riveted to my seat and I hated having to put it down to attend to the everyday necessities of life.
Well done Sylvia Dickey Smith. If I was your English teacher, you'd get a gold star from me!!!!
Hurry up and write the next story. I can't wait! Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It! September 12, 2010

By Patricia H

Format:Paperback

I have never read Sylvia Dickey Smith before, but my daughter is a big fan of her books and recommended I read A War of Her Own.

I absolutely loved this book! I sped through it in two days and ignored my husband and housework in order to finish. I just couldn't get enough of Bea's story. I loved reading about Bea's strength and resilience. The love story was well developed and I couldn't wait to see how that part of Bea's story ended.

I wish this book would have kept going and going. I think I could have read at least 200 more pages!

Sylvia Dickey Smith is now on my auto-buy list. I'm planning on reading her Sidra Smart series next. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, or readers wanting to read about a strong female character.

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

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars very good book October 14, 2010

By barefoot

Format:Paperback

I LIVED IN ORANGE AND LIVED IN RIVERSIDE IN THE TIME PERIOD THIS BOOK WAS ABOUT I FOUND THIS BOOK VERY GOOD READING

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine tale of the struggle of women during World War II October 9, 2010

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Paperback

Being a woman in the workplace rarely proves easy. "A War of Her Own" tells the story of Bea Meade, a woman who during World War Ii attempts to earn her place in a wartime shipyard in Orange, Texas. Life seems to be going well for the town, but Bea tries to establish herself for a career, and her husband doesn't seem to be helping her. "A War of Her Own" is a fine tale of the struggle of women during World War II.