War Bride
The Letters of Mary Price Barber
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
This is a collection of letters written by Mary Price (1919-1991), a Welsh nurse, to Samuel Barber, an American Army Lieutenant, from 1944 to 1948. During much of this time, Mary was working in London as a nurse and Sam was a soldier with American forces in Europe. The letters mix observations about the historic events of the 1940's with the personal concerns of individuals living during the historic times of the 1940s. Mary’s letters contain references to Winston Churchill, observations of the horrors of war she saw while working in military hospitals, complaints and praise of the new Labour government, along with humorous comments about her nursing friends and her family.
By 1946 Sam had been shipped back to his native North Carolina and left the service. Thereafter the letters reflect Mary’s struggling to crawl through the bureaucratic immigration maze so she could join Sam in America. This struggle, which was sometimes humorous and sometimes despairing, was endured by countless G.I. Brides in the 1940's. A few months after arriving back in America, Sam bought a house for them. which Mary dubs in her letters ‘Shangri-La’, after the popular novel of the 1930's. Mary finally arrived in America and married Sam in June of 1947. Mary and Sam had two children, Elizabeth and David. These letters were discovered shortly after the death of Sam in 1999 and are edited by Sam and Mary’s son, David John Price Barber.
About the Author
Mary Price, a Welsh nurse, met Samuel Barber, an American Lieutenant in Britain, during World War II. A romance developed between them and Mary began to write Sam letters during their separations. After the war and many delays, Mary was finally able to immigrate to America in June of 1947. Mary and Sam married and had two children, Elizabeth and David. Mary continued her nursing career in the United States and worked for more than 30 years as a registered nurse in the United States. These letters Mary wrote to Samuel were discovered some years after her death and are edited by her son, David John Price Barber.