Greetings and Welcome!
I’m Sylvia Dickey Smith, and I’m thrilled to welcome you to my website for A War of Her Own . . . my new novel about a young mother and “lady riveter” in Orange, Texas, on the World War II homefront in the summer of 1943. It is a tale of family secrets, love, betrayal, forgiveness, and self discovery.
Book cover design by: Amanda Cobb.
“Fans of The Help, fans of historical fiction, or people wanting to read about a strong woman will love A War of Her Own.”
– Kelli Nash, reviewer for “I’d So Rather Be Reading”
“Bea Meade is a spunky heroine who, after a rocky start,
takes charge of her own life in defiance of family secrets
and the exigencies of war.”
– Carola Dunn, bestselling author of the Daisy Dalrymple and Cornish mystery series
I was born and reared in Orange, and have always been fascinated by its rich history, particularly the war years when local shipyards obtained contracts with the Department of Defense to build warships. The sleepy little town exploded with people. I recall tales told by my mother of her years working at the shipyard. Desperate people caught in the backwater of the Great Depression flocked to the town and the population soared over 700 percent as a result of jobs-for-the-taking at the local shipyards.
Folks had money to burn, but with little to spend it on or a place to lay their heads. Except for the distant war, times were good. Production output of dreadnaughts, destroyer escorts, and P-T boats broke all records. Signs announced, If you work here, YOU KNOW you’re good. Gypsies camps settled outside of town around open campfires. Shantytowns sprang up to accommodate the severe housing shortage. Beds rented by the hour, the sheets still warm from one body when the next body crawled in.
Frenetic, hectic, and exhilarating.
Other than the distant war, life was good for everyone—for everyone except Bea Meade, who fought her own war. The enemy resided within her, yet she knew not its name.
Step back in time by browsing the links on the right and catch a glimpse of what life was like on the home front during one of the most fascinating times in American history. You’ll enjoy meeting this Texas version of “Rosie the Riveter”!
By the way . . . I love hearing from readers.
Email me at sylvia(at)sylviadickeysmith.com - or on the Let’s Talk button in the column on your left.
Author photographs: Galina Stepanova