ABSTRACT
This chapter examines an archive of soldiers' letters home as a source for inquiry into resilience processes. It considers that narrative characteristics are embedded in the chronological and sequential form of letters. The chapter highlights key moments, turning points, in which Gene and Woody contend with points of stress, noting how they write about these in their letters home and how they resolve the dilemmas and disruptions of home and war. It traces how people engage with social support systems, negotiate relationships and navigate towards resources to enhance the present and to plan for the future. The chapter suggests that narrative inquiry has the potential to show resilience in action, and is essential for a better understanding of the unfolding personal and social dynamics of people's responses to life challenges. It also suggests that, used in combination with other research approaches, understanding resilience-building processes is enhanced through the narrative analyses of letters and letter writing.
