When you fall in love with someone serving in the Armed Forces its hard to imagine the impact their career will have on your life. In Dont Say Goodbye Fiona Stanford tells the untold story of the people left behind when our soldiers go off to fight. She reveals the hidden side to modern conflict
- the story of the families but in particular the wives girlfriends mothers & children
- how it feels to live on a knife edge bombarded with 24-hour news & footage of the war & the constant terror that the next death you hear about on the television or the radio might be your loved one. Through tales of the Army lifestyle she explains the reply to the age old question: How do you cope? which is usually: You just get on with it Fionas husband handed over command of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards to Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe before they deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. During the tour seven of their men were killed including Rupert & many were wounded. Here she shares the rewards & challenges of Army life
- the desperate goodbyes with young children in tow the bittersweet sense of pride & the huge relief of homecoming. She also tells of other goodbyes; to friends when posted on to children when they go away to school & the ultimate goodbye revealing the heartache of families whose loved ones do not return. This is a story of love
- how love can survive & even grow when couples are separated by thousands of miles & days of anguish. Dont Say Goodbye sheds light on the unique camaraderie that develops amongst the women as they pull each other through the toughest of times. Poignant inspiring & deeply moving this book is a tribute to the women & families that support our heroes on the frontline.www.welshguardsappeal.com