Sun in Winter: A Toronto Wartime Journal, 1942-1945 (review)

Gunda Lambton's journal tells a story of struggle and survival, coping with the challenges of being a single mother in the context of the privations of war on the home front. Sun in Winter allows the reader to piece together a complex world of work, child care, art, and politics. Although uniquely personal, Lambton's story has many points of connection with women who came before her and those who would follow.

When the diary begins on 25 September 1942, Lambton is living in Toronto in a single room with her two young daughters, Fiona and Bettina. Through numerous diary entries we learn how the family have made their way from England to Canada. Pregnant with Bettina, Lambton made the dangerous trip on the last ship carrying war guests, and eventually made her way to Barrie, ON. After a year of under-employment in Barrie and no support from her husband Garth Williams, who was then in New York City, Lambton left for the greater opportunities in Toronto.

In struggling to maintain her family as a single parent, Lambton reveals in her journal the complexities of finding and maintaining adequate employment, child care, and housing, while facing the uncertainties of sickness, accidents, and unfortunate events. By 1945, Lambton has had numerous jobs (artist, teacher, factory worker, union office assistant, airplane inspector, and social worker). The journal chronicles the problems of finding housing, not only in the midst of a shortage, but with children. Often Lambton's family faced rejection; as she wrote, 'usually the door is opened cautiously, and as soon as I mention children, it is closed' (105). Perhaps not surprisingly, it was difficult to find and preserve the balance among many factors. In April 1943, for example, the 'fragile equilibrium - crèche, work, home' (99) came undone when one of her children contracted the mumps, and both were quarantined. Faced with six weeks without work, Lambton managed to cobble together a survival strategy that included a few weeks of sick pay, the commission of a portrait, and reliance on friends. This is one of many difficult situations Lambton confronted. In ever-changing circumstances, sometimes mundane tasks of getting to and from work and preparing food were challenging. Often to earn extra wages Lambton would paint portraits for friends and acquaintances, some of which are reprinted in the book. These reproductions, along with the pictures of the family that are included in the text, help to draw the reader further into this intensely personal narrative. Also interwoven through the text are issues of racial and ethnic tension that plagued Toronto.

Despite the difficulties, there remains underpinning themes of optimism and endurance. Lambton's story is one of survival without bitterness, and includes forays into her leisure activities: camping north of Toronto with Fiona and Bettina, a bicycle trip from Ottawa to Montreal with girlfriends, art shows, and festive parties. Her many acquaintances offer a glimpse into personalities and groups in Toronto, from artists to politicians and union organizers. At the conclusion of the journal there is a sense of jubilation at the end of the war, the relief at finding long-term child care, gaining permanent employment as a social worker, and after three years, having a room of her own.

The book would have benefited from an introduction, since it is sometimes challenging to put together the scattered fragments of personal history. The epilogue deals primarily with what happened to her family in Europe. It is fascinating reading, but one would prefer a longer piece related to some of the many themes she raised in the journal itself. The journal was not given the careful editing it deserved, with the result that many typographical errors draw attention away from Lambton's words (including a factual error on the book jacket).

Sun in Winter is highly recommended. It is unfortunate that Gunda Lambton's story continues to have relevance in today's society...