In 1943

In 1943, a Rose was a Rose.

By the time World War II was in full swing, little towns had large female majorities. If you can remember September 11, 2001, you are probably aware of how a sweeping sort of common spirituality took place. It was similar in 1943, but according to accounts I have heard from first-handers, the ritual and practice of attending services was more prolonged and ultimately permanent for many.

The Call to Serve is the funny and heartwarming story of four Catholic women and their men during World War II, set in southern New Jersey.

Joan and Annie seek happy marriages and 

desperately look for devoted husbands and future fathers. While Annie, the daughter of a baker, finds her man, Joan fears becoming the dreaded old maid and remains vigilant since she is already twenty-two years old. Helen, a middle-aged woman who has been married many years, just hopes for the safe return from the war of her husband, Harry. Bernice is the youngest at nineteen, and struggles to catch up with her friends’ abilities, as well as a need to do right by her friends and family, ultimately following a different path.

As time goes by, The Call to Serve further synopsis and some chapters will be featured on Coffee & Talkie. As always, your comments are welcome!