The Rainbow Walkers / Peter R Mould (ePub)

The ominous drone of aircraft engines turned to ear-splitting explosions as German bombers strafed Coventry in 1940s England. Kath and Roy huddled inside their tiny, corrugated steel shelter - shallowly dug into the backyard of their new row home. They stiffened to stem their fear and comforted their two-year-old son screaming in a bunk bed. They were desperate to believe the assurances of safety they were giving him. The shelter, covered only with inches of soil, became a tin can that amplified the concussive explosions and shook in response to the falling debris threatening to entomb them. After fear-drenched hours, the bombing stopped, the drone receded; the "all clear" brought gasps of relief. They emerged. They had survived. The house was alight - they were homeless!

This spell of wartime hell became the earliest memory of the youngster in the shelter. Eighty years later he has used that memory to write an engaging, heart-tugging memoir about the pluck and courage of his parents in rebuilding their lives and shaping his.

The author recounts his parents' struggles, successes, setbacks, and joys with the poignancy of an only child. Yet he confesses, after years of reflection, that his own indifferences likely contributed to their struggles. The life journey of his Mum and Dad (The Rainbow Walkers) is illustrated in vignettes of daily life, enlivened by a dry British wit, that capture the texture of the times. Kath and Roy's love for each other, their resilience, humor, and playfulness shine through like the colors of the rainbow they walked.