Henrietta’s War and Henrietta Sees It Through by Joyce Dennys

Henrietta’s War by Joyce Dennys and its sequel, Henrietta Sees it Through, are a series of letters to a childhood friend during WWII. They document the small and amusing indignities and challenges of life in a “safe part of England” during the war. There is a cast of amusing characters, including the lovelorn Conductor, the indomitable Lady B, the heartless but beautiful Faith and Henrietta’s long-suffering husband Charles, and Henrietta herself is a endearing mix of heroism, humour and fear of loud bangs. These thoroughly enjoyable books are fictional, although perhaps semi-autobiographical. It was originally published as regular sketches in a magazine during WWII.