Book description
Dear Joan comprises a unique series of letters between a young
airman, Tony Ross, and Joan Charles, a girl whom he met briefly in
England before he was posted to the Mediterranean during the Second
World War. Through these letters, the book traces the development of
their relationship from friendship to long-lasting love.
With the enthusiasm of youth, Tony and Joan share their dreams of an
ideal life in a reconstructed, post-Second World War Britain. Joan's
letters reveal the problems of daily life in wartime Britain and give
an insight into her voluntary work for the Fire Guard, the land army
and the Red Cross, and the bureaucracy she encounters in her job with
the Civil Service. Meanwhile, Tony describes the challenges of life in
the desert, his increasing responsibilities in the RAF and his
experiences in the numerous countries he visits throughout the Middle East.
Dear Joan is a touching account of how Tony's and Joan's love
began with a chance wartime encounter and quickly blossomed through
letters exchanged throughout the Second World War, across the miles
that separated them.
Tony Ross
served in the RAF between 1940 and 1946, reaching the rank of wing
commander and being awarded the DFC. After the war, he enjoyed a long
career in marketing, before retiring in 1990. He married
Joan Charles
in 1946 and they remained married until Joan's death in 2006. Tony
lives in France and will celebrate his 90th birthday in 2011.
