“That old ocean is a tremendous barrier between us and home”: how young people and their families spoke across distance during the First World War

Abstract

Thousands of miles and countless other barriers — including illiteracy, technological limitations and experiential differences — distanced soldiers serving in the First World War from their families living in the Canadian Prairie Provinces. This thesis draws on hundreds of letters sent between these families to examine the numerous strategies they used to overcome this distance maintain their relationships during the conflict. It examines in depth the work that young people (under the age of twenty-five) performed within their families and draws on methods from social history to uncover their unique experiences.