Philippa Logan enjoys two novels exploring civilian life during the First World War

It’s not really surprising that fictional stories set in the First World War have many common themes. In reality, many couples who were ‘stepping out’ before the war were separated when war actually arrived.

Some of the men returned; many did not. Many of those who did return were irrevocably changed. Besides eyewitness accounts from the survivors, many letters also survive, sent in both directions, between those who had been separated: sons writing reassuringly to mothers, girls writing to keep up the spirits of their brave soldiers.

The Moon Field and Poppy are two fairly similar works of fiction set in the First World War, in which young lads — sons, brothers, sweethearts — enlist and are sent into an uncertain future in France. Young girls are inspired to do what they can, and sign up as volunteer nurses to look after the wounded soldiers. Both novels look at how social boundaries were eroded by the war to some extent.

At the centre of Judith Allnatt’s The Moon Field (Borough Press, £12.99) is George, the postman, who falls for Violet, the unattainable daughter of the manor. He finds out to his dismay that Violet is engaged to another man who, ironically, becomes George’s commander when both men are dispatched to Flanders. Despite the plot progressing in an expected direction — the statistics of mortality in the trenches are well known — it is an engaging novel, softly-written, with rather a touching ending.

Social inequality in the other direction is at the heart of Henley-based Mary Hooper’s novel Poppy (Bloomsbury, £6.99).

Hooper’s novel is ostensibly for young adults, though in fact adults of any vintage might enjoy it.

An added perspective here is that of the conscientious objector: it’s not a main theme, but an interesting sideline to the parlourmaid-loves-country-gent wartime story.

The book ends on a note of promise to come: a sequel is due to appear in 2015.

Both books involve gentle writing about unimaginably horrific events and the gory aftermath. Both are what you might call a light read, despite the subject matter.

But neither approaches the poignancy of the matter-of-fact tales of heart-breaking courage, hope and urgency by soldiers writing real-life letters from the trenches, or memoirs of the dreadful horror that was the First World War.

The Moon Field
By Judith Allnatt
Poppy
By Mary Hooper

Two novels throw light on life at home in Blighty