Kirk Lashley

Dearest Rene and All Kirk Lashley

When the author's mother died he discovered over 200 letters in a shoe box that his father had written to her during their separation during World War II. Captain Lashley was stationed first at a hospital in England as a supply officer and then as the commander of a prisoner of war camp in France. During those months his letters tell of the events of his life. Some are boring and seem to be of little consequence, others are filled with emotional turmoil. Rene Lashley, his wife, has his fourth child while he is away, moves in with her mother and sister and raises her other three children. Kirk, the second son, is puzzled by what is happening, but continues doing those things a normal child does. The book is an effort to show the common, everyday concerns of all the family members in what is an unprecedented time in the life of the family and the world. The story is told through the voices of the soldier, the mom, and the child.