I was going to be a great woman novelist. Then the war came along and I think it’s hard for young people today, don’t you, to realize that when World War II happened we were dying to go and help our country.

Julia Child contrasts an early, private ambition—becoming a “great woman novelist”—with the abrupt redirection imposed by World War II. The quote captures a generational mood of urgency and collective purpose: for many young Americans, the war reframed personal plans as secondary to national service. Child’s phrasing also hints at the difficulty later generations may have in grasping that mix of fear, patriotism, and eagerness to be useful. In her case, wartime service became a formative detour that helped shape her adult identity and career trajectory, illustrating how historical crises can reorder individual lives and aspirations.