You know when you get a completely different perspective of a historical event, and it changes your whole view of that period? Well that has just happened.

War Crimes for the Home is World War 2 from a woman’s perspective, and as well as being glamourous (in parts), it is also really witty. The main character is Gloria, and the story is told by her in her alzheimish old age, with flashbacks to her life during the war. She and her sister work in a munitions factory and after their 12 hour shift, they generally go out on the lash to get merry and meet GIs:

 You know what they say about GIs and knickers? One Yank and they’re off!

Gloria and Marje like sex, I don’t know why I was surprised by this. I had this view of the second world war, and probably all periods in history, which didn’t really involve visualising the actual people who were a part of it, which of course is ridiculous, because if there were no people, then there would be no history. I think the reason for this is that history in books and films is slightly sanitised, and concentrates solely on events and battles and conflicts, and sometime overlooks the society which is affected. Maybe I am reading the wrong books.

 Anyway, I loved the crudeness of the main character, and the fact that she was never ever afraid to admit that she had had sex, and still had it at the age of 76 with a man in her nursing home. I found that refreshing, because it is nice to know that old people still have sex.

Apart from the sex, Gloria is faced with issues from her past, like a daughter she had and blocked out of her life. It is difficult to work out whether she always forgot it, because the present day narrative is based around the fact that she has lost her memory.

It rushes in quick sections from the heady days of the dancing of 1943 to her stale and depressing last days in a nursing home, and I think that is a reason why it is so powerful. It really hits home, that old people have had a life too. Excuse me for being naive and maybe ageist, but I think we forget this fact.

I for one will be asking my gran about her own life, something I don’t think I have really done properly. Hopefully she won’t tell me about her sex life but you never know with grans.