Tony Ross

Joan Charles

Personal stories, especially those as compelling as Tony's and Joan's,  are hugely important in putting a "human" face on the war

Sir Peter Squire, Chairman of Trustees, Imperial War Museum

Wonderful . . . a tribute to the  strength of love

A  story of true love against the backdrop of war and separation

Intensely romantic . . . a remarkable courtship by mail which  survived the most testing of separations during the most difficult of times

[Gives] a flavour of a time when danger and  separation  made romance especially  poignant . . . an uplifting and relevant story

Love Letters from the Second World War

Dear Joan comprises a unique series of letters between a young airman, Tony Ross, and Joan Charles, a girl whom he met briefly in England before he was posted to the Mediterranean during the Second World War. Through these letters, the book traces the development of their relationship from friendship to long-lasting love. 
 
 With the enthusiasm of youth, Tony and Joan share their dreams of an ideal life in a reconstructed, post-Second World War Britain. Joan's letters reveal the problems of daily life in wartime Britain and give an insight into her voluntary work for the Fire Guard, the land army and the Red Cross, and the bureaucracy she encounters in her job with the Civil Service. Meanwhile, Tony describes the challenges of life in the desert, his increasing responsibilities in the RAF and his experiences in the numerous countries he visits throughout the Middle East. 
 
 Dear Joan is a touching account of how Tony's and Joan's love began with a chance wartime encounter and quickly blossomed through letters exchanged throughout the Second World War, across the miles that separated them.

Dear Joan

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Kate-Atkinson

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

prhuk-authors

Penguin Shop: 3 Clothbound Classics for £33

Joan Charles

Praise for Dear Joan

Personal stories, especially those as compelling as Tony's and Joan's, are hugely important in putting a "human" face on the war

Touching

Most enjoyable

Personal stories, especially those as compelling as Tony's and Joan's, are hugely important in putting a "human" face on the war

Touching

Most enjoyable

Personal stories, especially those as compelling as Tony's and Joan's, are hugely important in putting a "human" face on the war

Touching

Most enjoyable

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter