"Home Fires"

"Home Fires"
Photo via here

Have you been watching the wonderful television series Home Fires on PBS? If you are getting impatient for the next season of "Downton Abbey" to begin, this one will tide you over. I am crazy about it. The show airs on Sunday nights at 8:00 pm, just before Indian Summers. It begins in 1939, just as Britain is about to enter the war, and is set in a rural English village. It concerns the members of the local Women's Institute, a voluntary organization whose mission is to help with war efforts on the Home Front during World War II. The story centers around several of these women and their personal struggles. Two of the them are strong-willed rivals who want to lead the Institute. They are played by Francesca Annis and Samantha Bond ( she plays Aunt Rosamund in "Downton Abbey"). They butt heads over problems such as what land should be appropriated for farming purposes (the cricket field is one controversial option) and where the official air raid facility should be.

I loved learning about The Women's Institute and the important role it played during the war. It was a community organization that allowed women all over England to connect and support each other as they faced the challenges of World War II. With their sons and husbands gone, women learned new skills through the Institute and became better able to contribute to the war effort in meaningful ways. They helped with food production, education of the public, and social issues during this time of rations and sacrifices. The organization still exists as a social club. The series is based on the book Jambusters by Julie Summers which tells the history of Britain's Women's Institute. It is a fascinating story.

There is enough drama and romance in "Home Fires" to keep any "Downton Abbey" fan happy. The women's personal stories give the series its substance and depth. They concern a young woman who impetuously marries a dashing soldier, a mother devastated when her only child enlists, the local doctor and his family, an abused wife who begins to stand up to her husband, and a conscientious objector who is vilified by the community. If you love period dramas, this one will make you very happy. The cast is predominantly female and you will have fun recognizing many of your favorite actresses from other British television shows. With the days getting shorter and the nights longer, we have another good reason to stay home on Sunday night.