The Home Fires: Wartime Letters Written from Mother to Son

Book excerpt: The Home Fires is a true story of the unconditional love of a mother for her first-born son away in the U.S. Navy during World War Two. This emotion is rivetingly documented through the letters written by Helen Price to her son, Edwin, from his arrival in basic training in October of 1944 through to the dropping of the atomic bombs over Japan in August of 1945. Not merely a unique supplement to the historical perspective of the World War Two era, these letters illustrate the detail of Helen's everyday life, her hopes, her fears, her dreams, her foibles, and her courage. Written from the family farm in the Bustleton section of Philadelphia, this account will powerfully touch every parent who has ever had any concerns about their child leaving home for the first time. More than 60 years after they had been written, these letters are being published for the first time. They have been lovingly edited for clarity by Helen's grandson, Gregory Edwin Price.