1939 - 1943 ORIGINAL 5-YEAR MANUSCRIPT WWII HOMEFRONT DIARY DETAILED BY AN ACTIVE NORTH CAROLINA HOMEMAKER

On offer is an extensive 5-year diary of a woman living in the American south during the early years of WW2. The diary spans 1939 through March, 1943. It measures 6.5 inches by 5 inches and is in good condition. It is 95% complete. The handwriting is quite legible. The author is unidentified. From context, it seems that she is married and has 2 young adult children. Her husband appears to be Guy and her 2 children are Marshall and Dorothy (age 19 in 1939). They live close to Raleigh, NC, a city they often visit for shopping and socializing. She is a homemaker and her days are taken up with the normal tasks of maintaining a home - cleaning, shopping, cooking, sewing, tending the yard, etc. For example: "Dorothy and I have been baking all morning - cakes to carry down to Estelles ..." [Apr 12, 1940]; "I have spent the day cooking and sewing. I am so tired, I don't know what to do. ..." [May 3, 1941]. She has an active social life and participates in local clubs and local activities. Her Bridge Club is an important part of that social life as numerous entries attest. Eventually she became President of that club: "I had one of the tables of the bridge club this afternoon. Tonight I went to the Bridge Club dinner at Ethel's" [May 9, 1939]. "Well my duties as President is over in the Club. They gave me silver candle holders. The supper was a big success"[May 9, 1940]. She takes an interest in public affairs and often visits the Legislature when it is in session. She participated in political life to an extent: "I attended the Democratic Convention today. There were mobs there from all over the state ..." [May 17, 1940]. When the United States entered WW2, she participates in community activities to support the war effort such as bond and stamp drives and hosting visiting servicemen. "We have three British Sailors with us for the weekend - Tony Moore, Ted Holmes and Les Homewood" [Aug 15, 1942]. In August, 1942, she developed an apparent tumour on her hand that gave her serious trouble: "Well the bottom fell out. I heard from Duke Hospital and they say it has malignant tendencies. It scares me to death" [Sept 2, 1942]. She mentions several subsequent visits to the doctor and then references to this cease. What makes this diary interesting and important to a social historian is its completeness in describing the day-to-day life of a very average American woman during post-Depression and early war years. It can corroborate many similar accounts from other sources