Avenue at War Part III

Jim, like many other Londoners, is homeless after the Doodlebug attack has destroyed many houses in the Avenue. He has to find temporary accommodation until he and Edith can marry, though they will get some compensation later, for the loss of their houses. His daughters Fetch and Carry, the younger twins, are now involved with the 2 Americans, Mitch and Orrie, who have gone to France with the Normandy invasion force. The girls decide to leave London and get jobs in an American social club in Oxford. They move out of the city, and wait for their young men come home. Judy and Esme have bought a farm in Devon, since he has decided that he was never meant to be a writer. He is taking up farming and setting up a riding school. Judy becomes pregnant and leaves her job in the services to start her new life. Mitch and Orrie take part in the invasion. They are transport drivers, but they get lost. They are relieved to get ashore safely, and live to fight another day. They plan to set up a used car business in the US, when the war is over. Archie is doing his sentence and planning to lead a more sensible life after he gets out of Prison. He knows it was his drinking and the pressure of trying to defraud the income tax, that led him to the disastrous escapade which caused someone's death. In spite of his selfish nature, he is really sorry to have killed a young woman. Elaine visits him and tells him that she has an American boyfriend but that he does not seem to be that interested in her physically. Archie is amused, but reminds her that marriages to low libido men or gay men can work out.. He thinks that if Woolston is a generous rich man, she should take him. However, Elaine is not sure that her admirer is all that tolerant. Then, she has a row with him over his being willing to overlook a racist incident. Some American soldiers attacked a young black soldier, who was with a white local girl. Elaine insists on Woolston calling a doctor for the boy. Then when Archie is released, she goes to meet him. He tells her that as Maria, his wife, is a Roman Catholic, he may not ever get a divorce, but that he feels they have a good relationship. She breaks off with Woolston, and moves in with Archie. Having sold up his shops, he has some cash to start up in the property business. Archie then contacts Jim and Edith, who are due to get married. He wants to give them his house on the Avenue as a wedding present. He thinks it will suit them, as they are now close to retirement and they like living in the Avenue. He and Elaine are moving further out of town. Jim feels touched by Archie's wanting to show him friendship at last. He and Edith marry in January 1945, and move into the house. Around the same time, Judy has a son, Arthur. Archie and Elaine start living together and have a baby, whom he calls Louise after his late sister. Harold has been in hospital for a long time. He had suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries, and is lucky to be alive. He is still bedridden when they get married. He stays in for another operation to try to get his broken leg a bit better and make it easier for him to walk. He tells Jim that he'll go into lodgings when he gets out, as he will never remarry. Edith suggests that he comes to share their house, renting a flat there. But Harold decides that he will take a flat in another house nearby. He does not want to intrude on the married couple. He rents his flat from 2 ladies, and they help out during the cold winter after the war. His operation has helped him to walk better, and he can manage going out, except in very frosty weather. The girl twins marry their Americans, and move to the US, where they enjoy life as war brides. It's a lot more comfortable than it is back home. Jim realises that he himself has changed a lot over the years. He is now friends with a Tory like Harold, and he is no longer sure that the Labour movement is going to save the world. But he has become more tolerant, gotten a good relationship with his children, whom he tended to ignore years ago. He believes in the ordinary people of the Avenue, who are simple and not perhaps very clever, but their courage and determination won the War. The two novels cover the social changes of the 20s 30s and 40s, and issues like the increased freedom for women to get jobs, easier divorce, and the political trends like fascism and communism. Jim and Harold can never agree about Soviet Russia but they both are grateful for American help, even if they disagree with the Americans on some issues. The American soldiers are liked by most of the women while some of the men think of them as over paid, over sexed and over here.. And Elaine is shocked at the casual racism of some of them. The 2 books are warm and pleasant reads, which cover a surprising amount of ground.