It's my turn on the fantastic three day Blog Blitz for Sleeping Through War by Jackie Carreira. It's the story of a few women in 1968 on the same days in different countries. It accentuates the fact that we as women experience the same things under the same sky, albeit under different flags.
Jackie Carreira is a writer, musician, designer, co-founder of QuirkHouse Theatre Company, and award-winning playwright. She mostly grew up and went to school in Hackney, East London, but spent part of her early childhood with grandparents in Lisbon's Old Quarter. Her colourful early life has greatly influenced this novel. Jackie now lives in leafy Suffolk with her actor husband, AJ Deane, two cats and too many books.
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It is May 1968. Students are rioting, civil rights are being fought and died for, nuclear bombs are being tested, and war is raging in Vietnam. For three ordinary women in Lisbon, London and Washington life must go on as usual. For them, just to survive is an act of courage. How much has really changed in 50 years?
This is the story of multiple women taking place in different countries at the same time on the same days in the year 1968. Mixed in with the accounts are news reports of important events taking place throughout the world at the same time. Events such as important protests, deaths of civil rights leaders, important political news and of course wars classified as political skirmishes.
There is a mother in Washington D.C, who writes to her son the soldier in Vietnam. As we follow her letters we realise, as does she, that the fact they have gone unanswered for many months probably means he isn't coming back. Her hope and faith in his return is kept strong through the idea of communication. If I am writing then somewhere he must be reading my letters. It is powerful, and equally heartbreaking.
She even documents the way many people in the US reacted to this war in particular. Many demonstrated against the futile war and the number of deaths caused by the games of politicians. What is absolutely shameful is the way these poor soldiers were treated by their fellow countrymen, a cloud of shame they still haven't managed to lift after all these decades.
In London (UK) we have a nurse from St. Lucia, who has to deal with the racism because of her skin colour. We hear about Jim Crow laws, but less is said about the No Blacks, No Dogs and No Irish signs people had in their windows. One of the most poignant sentences and points in her story is that the British cover up their lack of friendliness by being ever so polite. I couldn't have said it better myself. In some countries they are openly racist, many Brits pretend they aren't, but are actually covert racists. I think the pretence is worse than the open hatred.
In Lisbon (Portugal) we hear from a mother, a war widow, who has to sell herself to ensure her son can be clothed and fed. How she falls into the trap with no way out and sacrifices herself to save him.
I purposely haven't added their names, because to me they are all in the same boat on different water and in a variety of weather conditions. You do what you have to, to survive. Grief and loss are emotions we all experience, but then again so is kindness.
What does become apparent, and I think this is something we all tend to forget, is that the lives of these women take place and go on simultaneously. It's almost like parallel worlds or universes that have no idea the other exists. Being completely unaware of each other and yet going through the same kind of problems, and that is the message I think Carreira wants the readers to take away from this book.
No matter who and where you are, and what situation you are in, some things are universal. The worry a mother has for her missing child, the extremes women will go to in order to protect their children, the doubts we have as mothers and the support we need from each other. The sisterhood remains the same no matter what nationality, the colour of your skin or which situation you find yourself in.
A little understanding, warmth, compassion and kindness go a long way in a cold world. Carreira connects the world of strangers by linking their pain, fear and emotions. It's a beautiful read, albeit at times a sad one.
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