William—An Englishman

William Tully is an unremarkable English clerk, passing his mundane and well-ordered life by doing what others tell him and trying to live up to their expectations. But when his mother passes away suddenly, William finally decides to take control of his own life and discover his purpose in the world. Inspired by a coworker’s advice, William becomes immersed in political activism and eventually meets Griselda Watkins, a young suffragette. The two fall in love and get married, and decide to spend their honeymoon in the Belgian Ardennes during the summer of 1914, away from everything and everyone they know in England. The looming shadow of World War I draws nearer with each day. William and Griselda may have suffered hostility and persecution while campaigning for their shared beliefs, but nothing could ever prepare them to face the horrors of war in a foreign country. Cicely Hamilton wrote William—An Englishman by drawing from her experiences while working in an army hospital during the Great War. The novel is a reflection on the naivete of youth, the senseless cruelty wrought by the conflict, and the irremediable disruption to the lives of the ordinary people caught in the crossfire. First published in 1919, William—An Englishman is notable for being a satirical critique influenced by the aftermath of World War I and the rise of new social and political movements like pacifism and socialism. The novel eventually became the first recipient of the Prix Femina—Vie Heureuse prize in 1920 for helping to illustrate the spirit and character of England to contemporary French readers.