The second World War took place from Sep 1, 1939 to Sep 2, 1945. This World War included the Allied powers which included The Soviet Union, France, Great Britain, China, the U.S. who were fighting with the Axis powers (Italy, Germany, and Japan). The war, which took place for many reasons, was largely caused by the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany, Itlay's fascist regime including their leader at the time Benito Mussolini, and the overall abuses of power by the Axis Power. Many people associate the beginning of the war based on the fact that France and Britain declared war on Germany for attacking Poland despite Germany agreeing not to do so. In The Flight of Gemma Hardy, Gemma describes Mrs. Marsden (the house servant) as a talkative, friendly woman: "Mrs. Marsden had become a fixture at Yew House. She had grown up in the Orkneys and could, sometimes, be lured into telling stories about the Second World War, or seals and mermaids." (Livesey 13). At this point in the novel, because of the connection to Mrs. Marsden's stories about WW2, we have an idea of time and setting.

History.com Editors. “World War II.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009.
Livesey, Margot. The Flight of Gemma Hardy: a Novel. HarperPerennial, 2013.

KJ