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Back After the War Save as PDF
Chapters (74)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Also by Anita Frank
  5. Note to Readers
  6. Dedication
  7. Part One
  8. Chapter One
  9. Chapter Two
  10. Chapter Three
  11. Chapter Four
  12. Chapter Five
  13. Chapter Six
  14. Chapter Seven
  15. Chapter Eight
  16. Chapter Nine
  17. Chapter Ten
  18. Chapter Eleven
  19. Chapter Twelve
  20. Chapter Thirteen
  21. Chapter Fourteen
  22. Chapter Fifteen
  23. Chapter Sixteen
  24. Chapter Seventeen
  25. Chapter Eighteen
  26. Chapter Nineteen
  27. Chapter Twenty
  28. Chapter Twenty-One
  29. Chapter Twenty-Two
  30. Chapter Twenty-Three
  31. Chapter Twenty-Four
  32. Chapter Twenty-Five
  33. Chapter Twenty-Six
  34. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  35. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  36. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  37. Chapter Thirty
  38. Chapter Thirty-One
  39. Chapter Thirty-Two
  40. Chapter Thirty-Three
  41. Chapter Thirty-Four
  42. Chapter Thirty-Five
  43. Chapter Thirty-Six
  44. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  45. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  46. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  47. Chapter Forty
  48. Part Two
  49. Chapter Forty-One
  50. Chapter Forty-Two
  51. Chapter Forty-Three
  52. Chapter Forty-Four
  53. Chapter Forty-Five
  54. Chapter Forty-Six
  55. Chapter Forty-Seven
  56. Chapter Forty-Eight
  57. Chapter Forty-Nine
  58. Chapter Fifty
  59. Chapter Fifty-One
  60. Chapter Fifty-Two
  61. Chapter Fifty-Three
  62. Chapter Fifty-Four
  63. Chapter Fifty-Five
  64. Chapter Fifty-Six
  65. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  66. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  67. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  68. Chapter Sixty
  69. Acknowledgements
  70. Extract
  71. Chapter One
  72. Chapter Two
  73. Chapter Three
  74. About the Publisher

‘I won’t abandon my baby, Jack, and I don’t want to hurt it. If it stubbornly wants to stay and live, I must respect it for wanting to be. The fault is mine, not my baby’s, so I’m not going to try and get rid of it anymore.’ She walks towards him until there is barely a breath between them. She lifts her chin, but he immediately sees the confidence is feigned and when she speaks there is a tremor in her voice. ‘Make your offer again, Jack.’

He does not hesitate. He has no need to. He knows the words she wants to hear and, though he will never confess as much to her, he longs to say them.

‘Marry me, Gwen.’

‘Yes.’

Her voice is dull. There is no yearned-for sparkle in her eyes, just resigned defeat.

Without waiting for his response, she turns away and walks out into the night.

Chapter Thirty-One

Jack

August 1939

‘No.’

The force of Jim’s refusal causes Jack to step back, panic rising. This was not part of the plan.

‘Jim …’ He grapples for words, words that will convince the dour farmer to give him permission to marry his daughter.

‘No, Jack, I can’t give my blessing. I’m … well, to be honest, I’m totally taken aback. You and Gwen? Lad, you hardly know each other.’

‘We know what we want.’

‘I didn’t even realise the two of you were … well, are you? Courting? You’ve been to a dance, I’ll give you that, but you’ve not exactly stepped out – gone to the pictures or …’

‘We’ve worked beside each other day in, day out for nigh on three months now, Jim. I reckon that’s a better way of getting to know someone than taking them to the pictures a couple of times a week, don’t you?’

‘But you’ve given no indication …’

Jack rubs his forehead, his mind racing. They are in the orchard behind the house, picking apples. It is not an ideal time, but Jack has been struggling to find a suitable moment since Gwen finally accepted his offer. They had agreed he would ask to speak to Jim that first evening, but Ted had turned up unexpectedly and they had ended up drinking beer and discussing the deteriorating situation in Europe, speculating on the possible implications of Britain’s pact with Poland.

‘When are you going to say something?’ Gwen had demanded after.