CHAPTER NINE: CONNIE
Wednesday August 14 1940
Fittingly, the final chapter belongs to Connie and Jack, even though it seems that we finally have a reasonably complete grasp of their story. Narrated from Connie’s point of view, the chapter is a passionate retelling of their one and only night together just before Jack leaves for war and their final goodbye on the station platform, including the story behind how the photo in the biscuit tin came to be taken. And it’s a relief and uplifting that the novel ends with Jack and Connie alive and full of hope and feeling empowered. Connie is the one who ultimately decides she doesn’t want to miss out anymore, declaring, ‘all my life I’ve had nothing I’ve desired and I’ve given up having desires at all’ (page 285). So, feeling like she is ‘queen of a distant land and everything is at my command’ she takes the lead and they have sex, leaving her feeling that ‘No other living soul has ever felt this way’ (page 287). Connie is very much in control in this scene and freely explores her own sexuality with a sense of wonder, delight and desire. Connie and Jack plan to reunite when he returns in what he hopes will only be a few months and he leaves her with the tantalising promise that he ‘[has] one thing to ask [her]’ (page 288). Having convinced Mr Ward that a photo of the ‘embarkation of the part of the second AIF for North Africa would make a fine photo for the Argus’, Connie, accompanied by Kip, who ‘has the day off from the Hustings’ (page 289), sees Jack one last time. Connie is lifted to kiss Jack as he departs, and Kip takes a photo without telling Connie. The novel ends with Connie feeling she has finally had something that she wanted (page 293) and that, ‘Everything will be alright’ (page 294). Even though this does not lessen the tragic circumstances of her shortlived optimism—and her and Jack’s deaths—at least there is a some consolation that she did experience a moment of pure happiness, however fleeting.