This book explains the ambiguities of wartime changes in the private and public lives of New Zealand women. It considers women as mothers, wives and lovers, as well as workers, using many examples from real lives. Deborah Montgomerie's main argument is that despite the changes, the war was essentially a conservative period, pointing out that understanding the continuities in gender relations is as important as cataloguing female 'firsts'. Her book stylishly challenges accepted wisdom and offers a clear, fresh view of a period often viewed through the blurry lens of nostalgia and anecdote."--BOOK JACKET.