Over Periscope Pond : Letters from two American girls in Paris October 1916-January 1918

In these lively letters, an American girl named Esther recounts her first months in wartime Europe, writing from the deck of the ocean liner Espagne as it steam‑rolls toward France in late 1916. She paints the ship’s opulent interiors, the rush of lifeboat assignments and the quirky mishaps of a fellow passenger who has lost a suitcase—moments that sparkle with humor and a keen eye for detail. Her bright voice captures the thrill of learning French on the fly, turning simple misunderstandings into small victories that earn her the gratitude of strangers.

The correspondence continues as Esther settles into Paris, where the city’s grandeur mixes with the uneasy rumble of war. She describes concerts drifting up from steerage, the camaraderie of fellow Americans, and the uneasy anticipation of danger that lingers just beyond the harbor’s lights. Through her eyes, listeners hear the clatter of daily life, the charm of language lessons, and the tentative optimism of young women navigating a world suddenly altered by conflict.