Excerpt: 'GI Brides' by Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi

Today we get to hear from authors Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi, whose GI Brides, an anthology of romantic stories about British women who left their homes to marry American soldiers, is out now.

Duncan and Nuala: In 1945, when victory in Europe was declared, it was cause for celebration in Britain. But for all the high spirits, thousands of women who had fallen for U.S. soldiers stationed in the country during World War Two now faced a daunting decision: Should they leave behind their friends, family and homeland forever, and cross the Atlantic to be with the man they loved? Or should they let their wartime romance fade into history?

Lyn Rowe, a young woman from Southampton in the U.K., was among those whose hearts had been stolen by a handsome GI — in her case an Italian-American officer called Ben Patrino. Ben was a gentle soul — shy, quiet and romantic — but also a man of strong principles. He had promised to love Lyn forever, and she believed him. But when VE Day came, the sacrifice that their love demanded was brought into sharp perspective.

This extract from GI Brides crystalizes the conflict of excitement and fear that Lyn, like so many would-be war brides, felt when the time came to make that life-changing decision.

The excerpt …

Opening of Chapter 13

As impromptu street parties began to spring up all over Britain, Lyn and Ben were snuggled up together in the cinema, totally unaware of the excitement that was fast spreading around the country. They were watching A Song to Remember, the story of the nineteenth-century composer Frédéric Chopin and his lover, George Sand. Suddenly the lights went up, the door flew open and the cinema manager came running breathlessly down the aisle. 'Ladies and gentlemen, the war is over!' he announced. The audience burst into a spontaneous round of applause. But even on such a momentous occasion most people decided to stay until the end of the film. Afterwards, however, it was time to celebrate.

The Polygon Hotel was marking the occasion in the way it knew best — with a dance — and Lyn wasn't going to miss out on the biggest ball of the year. When they arrived the hotel was swarming with people, and for once elegance went out of the window as elated American officers drank themselves silly, jitterbugging with abandon. Bottles of beer were shaken vigorously and sprayed around like champagne. 'My mother's going to kill me if I go home smelling of beer!' cried Lyn, as the pretty dress she was wearing got soaked. The mention of Mrs Rowe reminded Ben that Lyn's curfew was 10 p.m., even if the war was over.

As they walked home she couldn't stop humming the Chopin polonaise from the movie, which now seemed to sum up the victorious sentiment of the night. Ben was always the more reserved of the two, but now he was quieter than ever. Unlike Lyn, he was thinking beyond the current celebrations and worrying what the end of the war in Europe might mean for them. As they neared their usual bench in Watts Park, he suggested they sit for a moment. 'What's wrong?' asked Lyn. 'Aren't you pleased the war's over?' 'Lyn,' he said quietly, 'I want you to come to California.' 'What do you mean?' she asked, still so elated that she wasn't really concentrating. 'I mean,' he said, 'will you marry me?' Lyn couldn't believe what a wonderful night it was turning out to be — first the war had ended and now the man she loved had proposed to her. 'Yes, please!' she said, and Ben scooped her into his arms and gave an uncharacteristic 'Whoop!'

Ben would have to ask her parents' permission before any engagement was confirmed, so Lyn couldn't mention her news to her family. But she was more than happy to run up to bed and clutch her happy secret to her chest in solitude. As she lay down to sleep she had visions of herself in an exquisite long, white wedding dress. She played the scene through in her head — the perfect gown, the crowds of admiring onlookers, the wedding banquet, the romantic honeymoon. Then she suddenly wondered what came next. She remembered with a jolt what Ben had said just before he had asked her to marry him: 'I want you to come to California.' She had been so carried away that she had completely forgotten that part. Lyn was always one for adventure, and as a child she had longed to join the rich passengers who used to leave Southampton on the liners heading for exotic places. But the passengers had always come home again afterwards. Instead of spending the night dreaming of her white wedding, Lyn was soon tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

In the morning, she ran to the corner shop and used their phone to call Ben at the Polygon. At the first sound of his voice she blurted out: 'I don't think I can do this!' 'Lyn,' Ben said, sounding confused, 'what are you talking about?' 'I don't think I can marry you,' she said, a lump forming in her throat. 'Why?' 'I just don't think I can go that far away from home,' she said. 'What if I don't like it there? What if things go wrong? What if you can't find a job?' 'Don't worry,' he interrupted. 'We'll do the best we can.' 'But if things didn't work out,' she insisted, 'would we come back to England?' 'Lyn,' he said gently, 'I can't promise you that.' It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but it was a reminder of his honesty. 'Look, will you come here and meet me for tea?' Ben asked. 'Okay,' Lyn agreed. 'I love you, chowhound.' Lyn laughed, despite the tears forming. 'I love you too.' When she arrived at the hotel, Ben was already waiting for her. He jumped out of his chair and hugged her tight. 'I'm so glad you came,' he said. He looked like he hadn't had a good night's sleep either.

While everyone else had been celebrating the night before, some of the black GIs had been busy setting fire to taxi cabs and committing other acts of vandalism around Southampton. Ben knew they were furious at having to go back to America, to be treated as second-class citizens once again as if, despite the war, nothing had really changed. In a way, he couldn't blame them. Ben got Lyn a cup of tea and sat back down again. 'Guess what?' he said. 'What?' Lyn asked hopefully. Maybe Ben had decided they could live in England after all. 'I got orders,' he said. 'I'm being shipped out soon.' 'Where are you going?' asked Lyn, looking up in panic. 'They won't tell us, but probably Japan.' It was the word she had been hoping he wouldn't say. The war with Germany might be over, but the Japanese had still not surrendered, and while people were celebrating all over Europe the Americans were still embroiled in the increasingly bloody Battle of Okinawa. Many US ships had already been destroyed by kamikaze pilots, and thousands of men had been lost. Ben reached for her hand. 'I don't want to leave without being married to you,' he said. Lyn felt utterly overwhelmed. Now she had to consider not only the prospect of moving to another continent, but the fact that Ben was about to be sent to the most dangerous place on earth, and that she might never see him again. 'Please don't think I'm rude, but I have to go,' she said. 'I need to go home and think about everything.'

All day Lyn struggled with herself. She was devastated at the thought of Ben leaving the country, and of not knowing when they would see each other again. But she didn't want to rush into a marriage that might commit her to a lifetime away from everyone and everything she knew and loved. Another sleepless night passed for Lyn, and when she woke in the morning she knew she had to make up her mind. The worst thing would be if Ben was suddenly taken away from her, before they had a chance to resolve things. Back she went to the telephone at the corner shop. 'I've made up my mind,' she told him. 'Which way?' he asked anxiously. 'I think…' Lyn paused, knowing that what she said next would change the course of her life forever. 'I think I want to marry you.' Ben let out an enormous sigh of relief. 'That's pretty good news!' he said. She could hear he was choked, and it revealed the torture he had gone through waiting for her reply. But now that she had given it, she felt no regret. Her heart had always told her she should be with Ben, and once she had stopped listening to her fears, she had been able to hear it.