Authors: Kristina McMorris
Letters From Home (39 page)
It all started with a family Christmas gift. That was my sole intent, anyhow, when I self-published a cookbook several years ago featuring recipes my grandmother had collected and created over several decades. For the biographical chapter, I interviewed Grandma Jean about her life—which entailed walking a minimum of six miles a day to attend school, in addition to caring for her siblings and keeping up with chores on her dad’s Iowa farm.
She then went on to recount familiar details of her courtship with my late grandfather during World War II, yet this time revealing an astounding fact: She had dated the U.S. Navy signalman during merely two of his leaves before they exchanged vows. To best explain why, Grandma retrieved from her closet a bound stack of wartime love letters written by “Papa,” a collection no one in the family knew existed. I needed to read only a few pages of his script, as elegant as his words despite the “plow jockey’s” youth, to understand the reason she so readily said, “I do.”
Long after the cookbook was complete, I continued to ponder their era, one charged with romance, tragedy, uncertainty, and loss of innocence. A time of self-discovery, sacrifice, and female independence. Intrigued by this dramatic setting, and with Papa’s correspondence lingering in my mind, I found myself wondering how different the couple’s relationship would have been had their courtship been woven with fibers of deception. Therein bloomed the idea for my first novel.
The deeper I delved into research, the more compelled I became to honor what has aptly been dubbed the Greatest Generation. Of the many firsthand accounts and texts I found invaluable, these gems could not go unmentioned:
The Good Soldier
by Selene H. C. Weise,
They Called Them Angels
by Kathi Jackson,
Letters Home
by Sally Hitchcock Pullman,
Foot Soldier
by Roscoe C. Blunt Jr.,
Roll Me Over
by Raymond Gantter,
Yorkie Doodle Dandy
by William A. Wynne, and
The Women’s Army Corps
by Mattie E. Treadwell.
Although mine is a work of fiction, I strove to be as historically accurate as possible. The only significant poetic liberties I have taken involve: military personnel processing, wartime postal speed and forwarding, and the fictitious village Slevant, inspired by the battle of Stoumont, allowing for flexibility of weather and combat specifics.
Conversely, I enjoyed incorporating such authentic elements as Smoky, the legendary Yorkie who made hospital rounds with nurses on New Guinea, lifting spirits of wounded soldiers with her clever tricks. I was also moved by accounts from families who first learned of their soldiers’ passing through a radio report or “letter from the grave.” And the most fundamental to my story was a documented instance of twin brothers assigned to serve side by side in World War II, even after the Sullivan brothers’ infamous naval tragedy. Authorities confirmed that legislation commonly known as the Sullivan Act or Law requiring the separation of siblings in the military was proposed but never enacted; and though the practice was thereafter frowned upon, there were exceptions to every rule—as always seems the case in love and war.
For more historical tidbits, actual excerpts from Papa’s letters, and creative ideas for book clubs, visit www.KristinaMcMorris.com.
These deliciously unique 1940s recipes, coupled with the Reading Group Guide Discussion Questions, are sure to make your book club gathering nostalgic and unforgettable. Each
Letters from Home
recipe was adapted from Hugh and Judy Gowan’s
Cooking on the Home Front
and
The Lily Wallace New American Cook Book
(a longtime favorite of Grandma Jean’s). More available at www.KristinaMcMorris.com
Sweet Carrot Pie
A memorable treat from Viola’s first date at the carrot festival! (If the recipe title has you cringing, rest assured it’s akin to pumpkin pie and just as yummy.)
2 cups chopped carrots
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups milk
3 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
9” refrigerated piecrust
Boil chopped carrots in water until tender (approximately 10 min.). Drain and set aside. In a blender or food processor, mix all remaining ingredients (2–3 min.), then add carrots and blend again until smooth. Pour evenly into unbaked piecrust. Bake at 350°F for 50–60 minutes. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream.
Baconized Cornbread Muffins
Just the way Morgan’s mother made them on their Iowa farm!
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal ¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 uncooked bacon strips, diced
Sift flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Beat the egg with buttermilk, then combine with flour mixture. Add melted butter and mix well. Fill paper muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with uncooked diced bacon. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then broil to crisp bacon. Serve warm with honey or honey butter. Yield: 12 muffins.
Herb’s Jungle Juice
Without the “zip” of island-brewed alcohol, this is a much safer refreshment, according to Betty.
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cranberry juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cups orange juice
1 quart ginger ale
Orange and lemon slices
Mint sprigs
Dissolve sugar in boiling water. Add all three juices. Chill. Just before serving, turn into punch bowl; add ginger ale and fruit slices. Serve decorated with mint sprigs. (The fresh mint truly makes this drink a swell one!) Serves 10.
Ham, Broccoli, Cheese Pie
In times of rationing, Cora took pride in serving this nutritious “one-pot meal” to her boys.
10-oz. package frozen broccoli florets
9” refrigerated piecrust
1 cup cooked ham, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1½ cups total shredded cheddar and swiss cheese
1 cup milk
4 eggs, slightly beaten
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
Blanch broccoli. Drain well. Layer in unbaked piecrust as follows: ham, broccoli, onion, and cheese (reserve some cheese for topping). In a medium bowl, gradually blend milk and beaten eggs. Add salt, pepper, and mustard, then pour liquid mixture over pie. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until center is firm.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Rosalyn says any respectable woman, Southern or not, should have a good recipe for these!
4 medium firm green tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
½ cup Italian-style bread crumbs Vegetable oil
Cut tomatoes into ½-inch slices. In a small bowl, add sugar, pepper, and salt to the beaten egg. (Garlic powder and/or cayenne pepper optional.) Fully dip each tomato slice in mixture, then coat both sides in bread crumbs. Heat an oiled frying pan on mediumhigh. Brown tomato slices on both sides.
Peach Basket Turnover
A tasty twist on pineapple upside-down cake, this was another of Liz’s favorites made by Nana.
2 eggs (yolks and whites separated) ½ cup sugar
2 15-oz. cans sliced peaches in light syrup
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt, divided 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
In a bowl, beat yolks with sugar until light. Drain syrup from canned peaches into a cup. Set peaches aside. Add 1/3 cup of the syrup to yolk mixture. Beat 5 minutes. Fold in egg whites. Sift together flour, baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Blend with mixture and add vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter, then add peaches and rest of salt. Spread peach mixture evenly in greased 8”×8” baking pan. Pour batter over top. Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes or until done. Turn out upside down. Serve hot with whipped cream.
Butterscotch-Coconut Marshmallows
These remind Julia of Christian’s letters, which always read “sweet and smooth as butterscotch.”
1 cup butterscotch chips (or milk chocolate)
16 large marshmallows
1½ cups shredded dried coconut Wax paper
Slowly heat chips over low heat in a saucepan until melted. (If it starts to thicken, reduce or remove from heat and stir well.) Dip marshmallows in the sauce, immediately roll in coconut, and place on wax paper. Let solidify at room temperature before serving.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
LETTERS FROM HOME
Kristina McMorris
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are included to enhance your group’s reading of Kristina McMorris’s
Letters from Home.
Life-changing letters are the common link among all three major female characters. Typically the messages are ones the sender would not have expressed in person. What is it about writing that allows for more freedom and/or courage? If you were to compose a single farewell letter, to whom would it be addressed and what would you say? Is there a reason you are waiting to tell the person?
In each of Liz’s letters to Morgan, she reveals hints of the secret she is keeping from him. Can you pinpoint the clues? (Answers are available on author’s Web site.) Do you think these are merely slips, or are they reflective of Liz’s intention to come clean?
Of all the characters, which one surprised you the most with their secret? Is Morgan hypocritical regarding his firm stance on honesty? By withholding truths, did Frank and Julia benefit anyone other than themselves? Is opting for a burden of silence a sacrificial or selfish choice? Is it better to be honest about a wrongdoing, even if no one would ever find out?
By most standards of the era, Liz’s view of societal roles for women is unconventional. When offered an internship, Julia struggles with this very issue. How are Liz’s and Julia’s dilemmas over a career and motherhood relevant to women today?
After Morgan’s harrowing recon patrol, he wonders, “Were prayers of murderers, when fighting on the ‘right side’ of the war, ever heard—let alone answered?” And later, he watches a chaplain praying over a soldier. Do you believe any type of murder is wrong, or does it depend on the circumstance? How would you feel as the chaplain? Did your attitude toward the “Kraut” Morgan confronted change upon the discovery of the man’s photograph?
Through the course of the story, Liz and Betty realize they were unknowingly following the paths of their mothers. How do the results of these revelations contrast? Why do you think people often copy actions or behavior they disliked growing up?
While the contexts differ greatly, “cover me” is one of the first and last phrases Charlie and Morgan exchange in the story. Discuss the dynamics of their relationship as the duty of “covering” the other gradually shifts. In what ways do Liz and Julia reverse roles? Which character ultimately grows the most?
Discuss Leslie and Betty’s relationship. How do you feel about his actions? Under what circumstances, if any, would they have been justified? What do you think his letter might have said? Would you have reacted differently if you were Betty?
In search of support, Liz turns to her beloved friend Viola. Were you surprised by the message in the elderly woman’s anecdote? Did you agree with her? If you were Liz, would you have felt betrayed or grateful for Viola’s advice?
As is often found in time-travel stories, characters in
Letters from Home
wind up causing an event as a direct result of trying to prevent it. Do you think major events in our lives are predestined and unavoidable, no matter which action we take? Is the coin Charlie finds in the abandoned village, just as a sniper opens fire, random or an element of fate? If Dalton hadn’t canceled on Liz at the USO dance, where would her life have taken her?Among the central themes of the novel is loss of innocence. A prime example is the little girl who drops her doll on the slushy road from the Belgian village. What is the irony of her devastation? Why doesn’t anyone help her? Discuss the possible symbolism of the road, the girl, the travelers, and the soldiers in that scene.
What is the significance of Morgan’s two bedside neighbors, “Jabber” and the airman in the French hospital? Which one of them would most likely feel like a hero upon returning home? Did the book change how you viewed veterans, both male and female, of World War II? If so, in what ways?
From the origin of “Jungle Juice” to the use of ski suits for camouflaging German soldiers, the story is sprinkled with historical tidbits from both the home front and front lines. What is the most interesting information you learned?
Describe how you envision the life of each major character five years after the story ends.