Here is the second installment of Chapter One from the Wind at my Back novel entitled "Leaving Home".

Wind at My Back gives us a taste of some of the great turns of phrase that were popular in the 1930s, particularly from the lips of Grace Bailey. Here are a few more examples of 30s slang!

Did you know season 1's "Moonshine Struck" portrayed what would have been a very new means of Hallowe'en celebration at that time?

Today we return to our "exploring an era" section with a few more tidbits from today's date in 1931.

Hub and Fat Bailey’s fascination with boxing was not unique to the 1930’s.  In fact, the era they were born into was much different than today in terms of people’s widespread preoccupation with the sport and the heavyweight champions that ruled it.  In Season Four’s episode, “The Shadow Boxer”, Del teaches Fat a street style of boxing, while Max dotes on Hub as the “star boxer”.  Tension rises between the two brothers when Fat’s rougher style gets him disqualified from the regional boxing finals.

One of the main elements of Wind at My Back that viewers pick up on is the authenticity of the costumes.  Although the 1930’s was the era of the Great Depression, it was also a fascinating time for women's fashion.  Costume designer Ruth Secord paid special attention to the smallest details and social norms of the period while creating outfits for the show.

If you don’t know the kind of person I am
and I don’t know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

Sometimes when the boy was troubled he would go
To a little cave of stone above the brook
And build a fire just big enough to glow
Upon the ledge outside, then sit and look.

W. H. Auden is considered one of the 20th century’s greatest writers.  The Anglo-American’s early poetic works, which were inspired by themes of love, politics and religion, were written in the time period of the Great Depression – the age in which members of the Bailey family struggled to form their own personal relationships.  Here is one of his more witty romantic poems:

The time period in which Wind at My Back is set allowed for some beautiful costumes to be worn by its leading female characters especially.  Veteran costume designer Ruth Secord was the woman who brought the fashion of the 1930s to the forefront of the show.