Pauline’s Window to the Past

Pauline was born in 1924. She was the illegitimate child of Frances, after her ex-officer husband, Charles, sailed to Canada, in 1923, to follow his dream. Frances abandoned Pauline in London’s East End to follow him with their two toddler children. Her leaving, allegedly, was without any trace being left behind.

Pauline’s illegitimacy and adoption was kept a secret, shaping her identity through the 20th century. She grew up unaware of her biological family in a time when social norms dictated silence. Learning of her beginnings in adolescence, she had many unanswered questions about her origins.

Pauline married and went on to build a life of love through her children and grandchildren. Notwithstanding her many trials and tribulations, that sense of incompleteness lingered and there was always that longing for belonging. So her son Christopher opened Pauline’s window to the past. He delved the annals for a decade in his search to find her bloodline while his ageing mother still lived. Chasing shadows trying to find someone who didn’t want to be found. A testament to endurance, determination, and resilience to discover what many thought impossible.

As Pauline reached her ninety-first year, what did destiny have in store?