SuitabookLa Grande Guerre, 1914-1918
Godard, Philippe
- Reading
- Read it in short sections, pausing to distinguish historical explanation from the children’s experiences. Talk afterwards about which changes were caused by war and which details need further context.
- Themes
- War reaching civilian life: The First World War is presented through its effects on children and households, not only through events at the front. The book appears to explain how a large conflict changed ordinary life for children and families.
- Children’s altered responsibilities: Some children have to work to meet their needs while fathers are away at the front. The book documents children’s changed circumstances rather than presenting work or hardship as an abstract idea.
- Family separation: Fathers leave for the front, while women and children remain behind and manage changed domestic circumstances. The book uses children’s experiences to show how military mobilisation affected family routines and relationships.
- Worth knowing
- Expect discussion of war’s damage, absent parents and hardship affecting children.