TOMORROW TO BE BRAVE by SUSAN TRAVERS
Random House R92
THIS IS the story of the life of a woman named Susan Travers, the only woman
to join the Foreign Legion.
But this is not just a war story of exceptional bravery and dedication to
duty but also a story of a long and lasting love in the face of many very
real obstacles.
Susan was born in England but grew up in France. She was a rather spoilt
young woman who spent her youth travelling Europe, playing tennis and
visiting friends.
But once war broke out, she decided to aid the war effort by becoming an
ambulance driver. Little did she know that this objective was not easily
achieved and she was forced to take a nursing course when she enlisted with
the French Red Cross.
After her training, Susan was sent to Finland and then to North Africa.
She became a driver, but not of ambulances. Her task was to ferry senior
personnel to various parts of the desert and it was here that she met
General Koenic, the commander of the Free French, and fell in love.
Susan, the general and various colleagues eventually found themselves at Bir
Hakeim surrounded by Rommel’s Afrika Korps where they made a daring bid for
freedom in a struggle that saw the loss of many lives.
Travers’ descriptions of the desert and of the war leave you with a deep
sense of the danger that dominated the lives of all those who took part in
the battles raging in North Africa, as well as being keenly aware of the
incredible bravery of the many men and women who fought and died for world
peace.
Travers’ writing style is simple and compelling and her book is not a litany
of woes and hard-done-bys, but an honest chronicle of her life and a story
of a very brave woman.
It was with a sense of sadness that I closed the book.
Jenny Muller
