Miss Carter’s War

 by Sheila Hancock

I was surprised to find that the author of this book was non other than the much-respected actress Sheila Hancock! Although she has written a couple of biographies, this is her first attempt at a fictional novel (though based on fact), written at the age of 81!

Marguerite Carter is a strong woman.  Half French and half English, she worked behind enemy lines for the SOE during the war, and is now one of the first women to receive a degree from the University of Cambridge. During her time there, she learns some difficult lessons – how not to dress being one of them, to ensure that she is taken seriously and is respected for her achievements. And so, the glamorous, well turned out and fashionable Marguerite becomes the ‘sensible’, sometimes dowdy English teacher Miss Carter. Working at a grammar school, Marguerite has a mission. She wants to fight social injustice, prevent further war and educate a new generation. As someone who is permanently scarred by her wartime experiences, she is determined to do all that she can to prevent the world from heading towards another conflict and for her, the best way to change the world is to become a teacher and influence the girls at the grammar school.

And so begins a journey through post war Britain from the 1950s until the early 90s. As we progress through Marguerites life journey, we are given a powerful portrait of Britain as seen through the eyes of a single educated woman. Interspersed with the storyline are flashbacks, sometimes brutal and hard to read about, that give an insight into the life Marguerite lived during the war and some of the horrendous events she experienced. These do not go into any great detail, but are enough to show that the consequences of war, which are not talked about afterwards, are never forgotten and are as vivid many years later as they were when they were actually experienced.

There are many facets to the storyline. We can see that Miss Carter is a talented and inspiring teacher who is able to get the best from even the most difficult of students. We learn of the deprivations of the time for young girls and the harshness of their lives and we learn about different kinds of love and how each has a place in our hearts.

Through her deep friendship with Tony, the PE teacher at the grammar school, we are taken on the peace marches of the 1950s, through the swinging sixties, the rise of Margaret Thatcher and her effect on politics, the battle for gay rights and the spectre of a new and terrifying war.  Tony is a friend for life and Marguerite had hoped for more as they appeared to be kindred spirits, but Tony has a secret that could cost him dear should it be made public. We are shown the harsh reality of those who had to leave school to care for families despite having the potential to proceed to further education, the perils of drugs and the difficulties faced by homosexuals at a time when homosexuality was illegal and the devastating Aids crisis terrified the world.

As an ex teacher, reading about the new ‘modern’ approach to teaching which was proving to be highly successful but was ultimately shut down by those who believed the ‘rod’ was a better system, was really interesting and the whole book was a huge reminder of many experiences I have lived through but perhaps didn’t understand at the time as I was too young. For example, I didn’t know that during the 70s strikes, people were turned away from entering hospitals because they weren’t ‘sick enough,’ something that was decided by cleaners and administration staff rather than the doctors! I knew nothing of the Asian women’s strike and the behaviour of the police at that time and I was shocked that a forward thinking Headteacher who was gaining significant results was sacked because they were using an unconventional approach. Schooling methods have changed so much, our attitude to the LGBTQ community is far more understanding and the potential for girls to move onto further education and create their own careers is the norm. The changing life of a teacher is clearly seen with the hopes and fears for each different generation and the problems they face. Miss Carter is clearly a teacher who cannot stand by and watch wrong things happen without trying to stop them.

Miss Carter is a woman who stands up for what she believes in and ultimately wants to make the world a better place.  She has a natural empathy for others and an understanding of the problems many face and the social injustice of the time. She is a woman of principle who expects fairness and justice and believes in the transformative qualities of an excellent education. Through her story, we are given a glimpse into the class system of the 60s and 70s and a look into different lifestyles – the depression of the 50s, the optimism of the 60s and the hostility of the 70s.

I found this book a thoughtful read with some powerful messages - love can come in many different forms, we should stand strong for what we believe in, we should show empathy to others and we should not take our personal freedoms for granted. After reading this, I came to realise that many of our freedoms are hard won and can come at a high personal cost.

I would have liked to have known more about Miss Carter’s war time exploits, but they weren’t developed in any great detail – perhaps this could be a prequel to Miss Carter’s War! She is definitely a character that I liked and respected, though there was some sadness at her situation. Her ideals and determination to ‘not to do nothing’ remained steadfast throughout the half century we read about.

All in all, an interesting and though provoking read which I can highly recommend.