My Dearest Darling: Letters of Love in Wartime

U.S. naval officer Donald Storey was not just fighting for his country in World War II—he was fighting to come home to his love, Margery.

When Lisa Franco stumbled upon the couple’s lost love letters in an antique shop, she had no idea of the story she was about to uncover.

In My Dearest Darling: Letters of Love in Wartime, Donald’s and Margery’s intimate and heartwarming correspondence chronicles their romance, personal sacrifices, hopes, and dreams, and gives a firsthand account of historical events as they unfolded overseas and at home. Their letters also provide a unique window into the social norms, culture, and shifting family dynamics during war.

What starts as a long-distance military couple’s struggle during their separation throughout the frightening uncertainty of World War II becomes a road map of their destiny through letters, historical annotations, and the Storey family themselves.

Donald and Margery’s experience is one of many true stories about couples in World War II, but their unique journey will draw the reader in from the first “My Dearest Darling.”

Lisa Franco has been telling people's stories for more than four decades. As a writer/producer for the ABC television affiliate WTNH 8 in New Haven, Connecticut, she earned multiple Emmy nominations and journalism awards for her documentaries. She also served as public affairs director for the station before she became the state communications director for one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the country. While Lisa's background includes marketing, media relations, and public relations, these days she is a freelance writer and owner of Over the Moon Vintage, an online collectibles shop. Lisa's parents were members of the Greatest Generation, and her father, Nino Maurizi, was a World War II Army Air Corps veteran. She attributes this to her interest in the war and the loving relationships that developed during that period in our history. Lisa and her husband, Joe, live in Connecticut and Cape Cod and are the proud parents of their sixth rescue dog, Maggie.