Book Salon
Testament of Youth
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This month we're reading Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. Our faculty host is Eavan Boland.
Listen to an interview with our Book Salon host.
"Testament of Youth is a unique account of a young woman's reaction to the First World War. In a compelling narrative she recovers a lost world, and with such lyricism that her account seems absolutely contemporary. "
About this quarter's book selection
Vera Brittain’s first memoir in a series of four, Testament of Youth portrays the impact on her world before, during and after World War I on women and British civilians. Chronicling her personal experiences within wider historical and social contexts, the autobiography reads like a love story, recounting her romance with a brilliant young soldier.
The book begins with Vera’s hard-won acceptance to Oxford. This classic feminist literature depicts her struggle to build a career in a society barely tolerant of educated women. Although she loses people close to her, the period also allows her to leave a chaperoned female enclave for various foreign fronts as a nurse. Passages from letters, diaries and poetry contribute to an insightful and beautifully written perspective of wartime.
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