Your Marriage in War Time

New York, New York: Commission on Marriage and the Home Federal Council of Churches, 1943. Very good. Light dust soiling.. A WWII-era advice booklet on marriage for young people, published for the Army and Navy Department to distribute among servicemen. The booklet encourages readers to think carefully before committing to marriage, citing a rise in emotional impulsiveness in wartime. It recognizes that there may never be a "safe" time to marry, but encourages young adults to carefully consider compatibility beyond physical attraction. Other issues to consider include: the possibility of men returning from war "crippled", or not returning at all; ensuring the wife can support herself economically without the breadwinner; the importance of letters and communication; and staying faithful. Interestingly, it also emphasizes the importance of the wife "to broaden her own horizons" while her serviceman husband is abroad, "so that she will be a woman worth coming back to" (p. 14). Provides a poignant look into love in wartime, with interesting insight into gender roles and generational gaps. Single vol. (5" by 3.25"), pp. 16, stapled in original printed self wrps.