From its onset, the Second World War changed the course of many couples’ lives as they were parted, not knowing if they would ever see their partners again. Documenting the hopes and the heartbreak of the young Jewish Weinstein family, this book uses a treasure trove of 700 letters sent between husband and wife to depict the everyday struggles of lovers surviving apart as war wore on in Europe and North Africa.

The letters, always vivid, sometimes funny, often passionate, contain intimate details of the pressure on the young couple, dealing with conditions at home and abroad, family and political rivalries, and even tension as talk of the temptation and ease of ‘playing away’ arises.

The Weinsteins’ War is an honest portrayal of the strains of sustaining a loving relationship when so far apart and of the hopes the couple had for a new, post-war Britain.

RUTH MENDICK & JEREMY WEINSTEIN are the children of David and Sylvia; they have worked tirelessly to collate their parents’ collection of over 700 letters and to research the events that they describe.