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An English Governess in the Great War: The Secret Brussels Diary of Mary Thorp

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Intimate wartime diary of an English governess.

Mary Thorp's secret war diary offers a compelling glimpse into the lesser-documented civilian struggles during World War I. Her unique vantage point as an English governess in German-occupied Brussels provides a poignant, day-to-day account of resilience and life amidst transnational turmoil. If you're captivated by personal histories and the intricate fabric of human experiences during wartime, Mary's narrative is a treasure waiting to be discovered.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
New

An English Governess in the Great War: The Secret Brussels Diary of Mary Thorp

Regular price $21.90
Unit price
per
Compare to estimated retail price: S$43.28  
ISBN: 9780190276706
Date of Publication: 2017-05-01
Format: Hardcover
Related Collections: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Goodreads rating: 3.71
(rated by 34 readers)

Description

An Englishwoman of no particular fame living in World War I Brussels started a secret diary in September 1916. Aware that her thoughts could put her in danger with German authorities, she never wrote her name on the diary and ran to hide it every time the "Boches" came to inspect the house. The diary survived the war and ended up in a Belgian archive, forgotten for nearly a century until historians Sophie De Schaepdrijver and Tammy M. Proctor discovered it and the remarkable woman who wrote it: Mary Thorp, a middle-aged English governess working for a wealthy Belgian-Russian family in Brussels. As a foreigner and a woman, Mary Thorp offers a unique window into life under German occupation in Brussels (the largest occupied city of World War I) and in the uncertain early days of the peace. Her diary describes the roar of cannons in the middle of the night, queues for food and supplies in the shops, her work for a wartime charity, news from an interned godson in Germany, along with elegant dinners with powerful diplomats and the educational progress of her beloved charges. Mary Thorp's sharp and bittersweet reflections testify to the daily strains of living under enemy occupation, comment on the events of the war as they unfolded, and ultimately serve up a personal story of self-reliance and endurance. De Schaepdrij
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Intimate wartime diary of an English governess.

Mary Thorp's secret war diary offers a compelling glimpse into the lesser-documented civilian struggles during World War I. Her unique vantage point as an English governess in German-occupied Brussels provides a poignant, day-to-day account of resilience and life amidst transnational turmoil. If you're captivated by personal histories and the intricate fabric of human experiences during wartime, Mary's narrative is a treasure waiting to be discovered.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.