Wren Jane Beacon thinks a bit

When Wren Jane Beacon went home on convalescent leave to recover from her Dunkirk wounds she expected sympathy and an easy life. And yes, she got both of those but a good deal more she had not expected. Discovering that both of her parents were veterans of World War One with the scars to show for it, Jane’s own sense of uniqueness is reduced a great deal. But it also means that she can unburden herself to her mother and know that she will be understood. Doing this lifts an enormous load from her and she is able to face the future more confidently. At the same time her father challenges Jane to think much more deeply about her role in war, and helps her to see that simply ‘doing her bit’ contributes to the war effort no matter how she might try to avoid seeing it that way.
The second book in the series, ‘Wren Jane Beacon at War’ considers these matters in some depth and leaves the young, impulsive and still naive pioneer boat Wren much more thoughtful about what she is doing. Thoughtfulness, however, does not stop her from doing her job nor take away any of the profound satisfaction she gets from driving boats. Her sense of vocation is total and carries her forward against all hazards and risks. Her capacity for getting into trouble with Naval authorities is always balanced by her brilliance in her job and, with many a bemused shake of the head, those authorities keep her in her post.
In 1940 the social climate was much less open to the idea of women being anywhere close to the front line. But between the Blitz bombing and crucial manpower shortages the distinction between civilian and service personnel became more and more blurred. The entire population of Britain was at risk and the traditional view of women being safely in the rear ceased to have any relevance.
The services had no choice but to put them into much more risky occupations and with women like Jane Beacon in the vanguard the female population willingly took on these challenges and achieved many things which before the war had been considered quite beyond them. As time goes by Jane Beacon becomes more and more thoughtful about these matters without ever hesitating to do her own job.