A memoir has been published to honour the life and legacy of an extraordinary Penarth woman.
Not an Ordinary Life tells the full story of Eileen Younghusband, who served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during the Second World War and later became a successful businesswoman, campaigner and public figure.
The memoir was released on what would have been her 104th birthday.
Keren Williams, head of marketing at Candy Jar Books, said: "I never had the chance to meet Eileen, but I feel as though I know her well from my time working at Candy Jar.
"Candy Jar has kept Eileen’s story alive, paying tribute to her legacy by incorporating her history into various Doctor Who spin-off novels.
"I always knew she was an incredible woman, but reading Not an Ordinary Life has shown me just how exceptional she truly was."
Born in 1921, Ms Younghusband joined the WAAF at the age of 19 and was assigned to the RAF’s top-secret Filter Room.
There, she helped track enemy aircraft and played a key role in detecting the first of Hitler’s V-2 rockets as it struck London.
Her wartime memoir, One Woman’s War, received widespread acclaim and won The People’s Book Prize.
It also inspired Robert Harris’ bestselling novel V2.
Mr Harris wrote the introduction to the new memoir.
Not an Ordinary Life goes beyond her wartime experiences, recounting her early years as an au pair in France, her business achievements, her campaign for health reform and her decision to earn a university degree at the age of 88.
The book includes previously unseen photographs from her personal collection.
Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, said: "Eileen’s motto, ‘No problems, only solutions,’ has become a guiding principle here at Candy Jar.
"We are immensely proud to publish her complete memoir on our 15th anniversary – a fitting tribute to her inspiring life and to the power of stories that need to be heard."
Ms Younghusband died in 2016 but remains a source of inspiration for many.
Not an Ordinary Life is available from July 4, distributed across the UK by the Books Council of Wales.
Share