by David Garnes (Author)
World War II, perhaps the defining event of the 20th century, didn't happen only on the battlefield. WAITIN' FOR THE TRAIN TO COME IN is an historical novel about a New England family on the home front during the tumultuous years that changed the world--and the lives of all Americans. The novel follows the Stewarts of Springfield, Massachusetts as they cope with the sacrifices, adventures, and drama of "the war to end all wars." Live the years 1943-1946 through the eyes of Laura and Alan Stewart, their son Billy, and his Aunt Belle as each experiences life in an urban neighborhood and, for one, on a Navy ship in the Pacific. Through the eyes of Laura, Billy, Belle, Alan and many other characters, WAITIN' FOR THE TRAIN TO COME IN also explores larger outcomes of the war: the changing role of women; adjustments of returning veterans; life in wartime factories; and the struggles of being a child and adolescent during these turbulent years. Re-live air raid drills; rationing; holiday and end-of-war celebrations. Experience life in the Navy, from basic training to kamikaze attacks, typhoons, and the pleasures of wartime Honolulu. David Garnes' extensive research also adds to the vivid re-creation of popular culture of the Forties: on the radio, in the movies, and in newspapers and popular books and magazines. WAITIN' FOR THE TRAIN TO COME IN will appeal to readers who lived through this period, as well as those who did not experience the war but enjoy a well-plotted novel set against the backdrop of a crucial and exciting time in our history.
Author Biography
David Garnes is the author of AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER: POEMS OF AN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD and a memoir, FROM MY LIFE: TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. His work has also been published in many anthologies and academic reference titles. He is the recipient of two writing awards from the Connecticut Authors And Publishers Association. David began his professional career as an English teacher and then worked as a librarian at Columbia University and at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. Since his retirement from UCONN, he has been a part-time manager and guide at the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst, MA and has led many literary discussions for Connecticut Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is working on a second memoir, LIVING MY LIFE: MORE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES, as well as a novel set in New York City in the Forties and Fifties. David lives in Connecticut and shares his home and computer with two smart cats, Samantha and Delilah.