Sara Rowell began writing thanks to a chance conversation with a friend, after a career in marketing and communications. She is fascinated by stories within ordinary families at extraordinary points in history, and how they can echo down the generations. A member of Solihull Writers (solihullwriters.co.uk), her writing includes historical biography and historical fiction. Since 2020, she has won the Solihull Writers non-fiction competition three times and in 2024 won the fiction competition.
For more information, visit sararowell.com
Yvonne Millet was born into poverty in Paris during La Belle Époque, in the shadow of Notre-Dame cathedral. Taken to a childminder in the countryside a few days after birth, she became a ward of state at the age of three when her mother disappeared. A stable childhood in the beautiful Somme region of northern France was shattered when, aged fifteen, she was sent to work as a maid in a military town, during the First World War. Her devastating experiences would change her life and haunt her forever.
As a troubled young woman facing a precarious future, chance led Yvonne to marry a former British soldier. Hopes of fulfilment with a husband and family were marred by profound insecurities and the Second World War.
A moving, true account of one girl’s formative years in early 20th century France, Yvonne, Child of the Somme is also the story of thousands of children like her, who shared a similar fate. Most were too ashamed of their background ever to reveal their heart-rending stories. The echoes of their pain reverberated down the generations, unexplained.
‘Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.’
― Søren Kierkegaard, Danish Philosopher, 1813-55
I was delighted to be invited to give a talk about 'Yvonne, Child of the Somme' in French to an audience at the Abbeville Archives and Heritage centre in November 2023, as part of their Remembra ........
My book, Yvonne, Child of the Somme, was recently featured in an article published in the Welwyn Hatfield Times. The feature shared some startling insights about writing history, the story share ........
I am delighted to announce that my book, Yvonne, Child of the Somme, has been featured in The NARPO NEWS Magazine. The concise review article gave a sneak peek into the storyline.
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