Book
Pack up Your Troubles
In 1919, the war is over but the Hunter household remains divided by its consequences. Edward works at the Paris Peace Conference, delaying reconciliation with Beattie. Fred’s unit is sent to the Rhine, Laura guides visitors over the former battlefields rather than returning home, and the servants face further uncertainty as military demobilisation proceeds unevenly.
Peace brings unemployment, strikes and pressure on women to surrender the jobs that had offered wartime independence. Disabled veterans and grieving families remain visible reminders of the price of victory. As the first post-war year closes, changes within the household create the possibility of reconciliation and a different future. The series ends by treating peace not as a return to 1914, but as the difficult construction of a new social order.
Historical people
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