One of the great tragedies of the war is that it left many families with no news of the soldiers who went missing. The names of the missing are recorded, many on the breathtaking memorial arch at Thiepval which dominates the Somme countryside.
Thiepval Monument.
Photography © Scarpa
With thanks to the copyright holder for their permission to reproduce these images. These should not be reproduced or reused without prior permission.
BOOK NOTES
Remembrance follows the lives of five young people through World War One. This was a time of huge change and upheaval, with issues of pacifism, militarism, emancipation of women, and the development of sociological ideas. It examines the concept of human expression through art and literature.
The author is grateful for the permission granted to use quotes from the work of one of the war poets, Siegfried Sassoon, at the beginning and end of the book. The publication of his verse during the war is referred to in Chapters 30 and 31.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
In addition to the newspapers not revealing the whole truth, Maggie’s father also censors the news as he reads it out to his wife and children. Maggie begins to read the newspaper for herself, which enables her to think independently. Reading of the lack of ammunition, she decides to go and work in the munitions factory. Francis’s mother, Mrs Armstrong-Barnes, also undergoes a shift in her views of the war and society.
How are the various characters revealed through dialogue and letters?
Do they change as the war progresses?
EQUALITY, SUFFRAGETTES, EDUCATION, CLASS, AND THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN WORLD WAR ONE
Education, opportunity to travel, and a sense of one’s place in society created barriers and boundaries. Discuss how the experience of World War One, at home and abroad, altered that perception.
Was there pressure on the male characters to go and fight? What is your opinion about men having the major responsibility to fight and die for their country?
Maggie’s mother tells her that, as the daughter of the shop owner, she ‘belongs’ in the shop. Have you encountered similar attitudes to this?
How would Charlotte and John Malcolm’s friendship be viewed by their families and the villagers?
Maggie reflects on how her father speaks to her and how intellectual activity in the house is deferred to the men. Discuss why the young women have to fight against the disapproval of parents to make decisions and take charge of their own lives.
PACIFISM, MILITARISM AND CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
What was the significance of a white feather during World War One?
To begin with Francis refuses to enlist but then changes his mind. Do you think both these decisions required a particular type of courage?
John Malcolm and his young brother Alex desperately want to join up – to the extent that Alex runs away to do this. Is their decision to ‘do their bit’ and ‘fight for a just cause’ a good one?
While nursing the wounded men, Charlotte thinks of the poems and paintings showing the glory of war. Is war glorious in any way? After discussing this, read the conversation between Francis and Maggie at the end of the book.
CENSORSHIP AND MEDIA REPORTS
Francis writes that he sees ‘through a glass, darkly.’ Some would say that when under attack, one must defend oneself. Was it right that the jingoistic tone of the newspapers of the time led people’s thoughts to glory and honour?
Were the war poets a successful counterbalance to that?
Should it be considered treason to report the reality of death during war?
USE OF LANGUAGE WITHIN THE BOOK
Discuss the challenge of writing about World War One without sanitising the truth or traumatising the reader.
Why does access to literature (Maggie sends Francis a book of Sassoon’s poetry) and exposure to art (seeing Goya’s work and his depiction of war) give Maggie an insight into her life?
In the munitions factory Maggie looks at the rows of ‘sullen shells’. Why do you think she later feels as if she has ‘stepped from behind a curtain’?
How do the letters reveal characters’ innermost thoughts as well as relating events?
Study the relevant passages in the text and discuss how major military engagements are described, e.g. Loos and the Somme.
The Great War was conducted on a vast scale involving millions of people. How has the author used language to personalise particular incidents?
The poetry of World War One was written by men who had been in action. Some of it was written as ‘protest poetry’. Compare how it contrasts in content and tone with the official reports of the time.
The book is divided into parts according to each year of the war. Look at the illustrations on the title page for each part. How do these relate to the book? Do you think they add to the enjoyment of the story?
The author would like to thank
Edith Philip, Assistant Curator, National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle
George Fraser, Archivist, Durham Light Infantry Museum
Staff, Lenzie Library
The French and Belgian Tourist Offices
Canadian Visitor Centre, Beaumont-Hamel
In Flanders Fields Museum, Ypres
Imperial War Museum, London
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Philip Daws – bookseller etraordinaire
The author is grateful for the permission granted to use quotes from the work of Siegfried Sassoon.
About the Author
Theresa Breslin is a critically acclaimed, multi-award winning Scottish author. She is hugely popular with young people, librarians and teachers. She was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Whispers in the Graveyard, The Dream Master was shortlisted for the Children's Book Award, Prisoner of the Inquisition was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and The Medici Seal was shortlisted for the Book Trust Teen Prize. Theresa lives in Glasgow.
Also by Theresa Breslin
SPY FOR THE QUEEN OF SCOTS
Treachery, deceit and passion at the court of Mary, Queen of Scots.
‘Gripping’ The Bookseller
PRISONER OF THE INQUISITION
A gripping tale of fire, fury, love and revenge, set during the Spanish Inquisition.
‘Unputdownable’ The Times
THE NOSTRADAMUS PROPHECY
A dramatic adventure story set in sixteenth-century France.
‘Terrific novel . . . enormously enjoyable’ Guardian
THE MEDICI SEAL
‘A superb historical thriller . . . an enchanting novel about genius, and a gift to an enquiring mind’ The Times
SASKIA’S JOURNEY
A haunting tale of self-discovery.
‘Mesmerizing . . . truly memorable’ The Bookseller
DIVIDED CITY
Two young rival football supporters are caught up in an attack on an asylum-seeker.
‘A cracking good read . . . this is a book with far-reaching appeal and universal themes that will encourage young readers to challenge bigotry’ Guardian
Coming Soon:
GHOST SOLDIER
For junior readers:
THE DREAM MASTER
DREAM MASTER NIGHTMARE!
DREAM MASTER GLADIATOR
DREAM MASTER ARABIAN NIGHTS
For more information about Theresa Breslin’s books, visit:
www.theresabreslin.co.uk
www.facebook.com/theresabreslinauthor
@theresabreslin1
THERESA BRESLIN
GHOST SOLDIER
When Rob and Millie’s father goes missing in action while serving at the front during World War One, the children desperately search the hospital trains returning to Edinburgh with the wounded. But there’s no sign of him.
While hiding their puppy in the nearby woods in order to stop him being requisitioned by the army, Rob and Millie come across a building full of doctors treating
soldiers with shellshock and other nervous disorders - but overhear a conversation that suggests this could be a mask for altogether more sinister activity. What is really going on at the hospital? Who is the ghostly figure the children spy looking out of one of the top windows? And will their beloved father ever return to them alive?
A THRILLING, POIGNANT STORY OF HOPE AND LOSS SET DURING WORLD WAR ONE, FROM CARNEGIE MEDAL-WINNING AUTHOR THERESA BRESLIN
COMING SOON
Kezzie’s life changes for ever when a mining accident tears her village apart. Struggling to hold her family together, she takes solace in her dreams of becoming a doctor, and in her growing friendship with a handsome young Irish boy, Michael. But then her little sister disappears – and Kezzie must abandon everything in her search for Lucy.
Through poverty, homelessness and the threat of war, Kezzie fights bravely on, and her spirit and kind heart have always seen her through. But will her family be reunited? Can they survive the terrors of the Blitz? And will she ever see Michael again?
‘A remarkable story of hope and determination . . . which lingers in the mind long after the book is laid aside’ Valerie Bierman
REMEMBRANCE
Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company
This ebook edition published 2014
Text copyright © Theresa Breslin, 2002
Book Notes and Photographs section copyright © Theresa Breslin, 2014
Section title illustrations copyright © Jason Cockcroft, 2002
Photographs copyright © Scarpa
First published in Great Britain
Doubleday 9781446452714 2002
The extracts from Siegfried Sassoon’s poems ‘Suicide in the Trenches’ and ‘Aftermath’ are reproduced with permission. Copyright © Siegfried Sassoon by kind permission of George Sassoon.
The ‘Special Order of the Day’ is a real historical official document, stored by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Sourced from ‘History of the Great War’, compiled by Brigadier-General Sir James E. Edmonds.
The right of Theresa Breslin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.