Henry's War
About this book
Imagine you’re a quiet, sensitive 18-year-old. You’re just about to embark on your first relationship. You’ve never spent a night away from home and never been outside your own county.Then, one day, a letter arrives that will take you away from everything that’s familiar to you for six long years. You will face physical and mental challenges, the like of which you could never have imagined. You will be transported two thousand miles away to another continent. And the journey back home will lie through bitter battles and political intrigue. Only your loved ones’ letters will help preserve the fragile thread of connection with home.This is the reality Henry Leonard faces when he’s called up to serve in World War Two. As both a foot soldier and a gunner at different times, a private then a sergeant, Henry takes part in fierce battles in North Africa and Italy. But the mental conflicts he faces on and off the battlefield prove to be his most difficult tests. When the fighting is at last over for him, Henry faces his final adjusting to the new realities of peacetime. This means coming to terms with the shifting alliances of the new Cold War, as well as re-establishing old family and personal relationships. In particular, it means finally confronting an authoritarian father and a bullying colleague. And facing up to the inner demons Henry brings back with him from his war.To give the story immediacy, Henry’s War is told by Henry himself in a first-person narrative, as if it is happening in the present. As well as detailing the hard realities of warfare, the novel also recreates, through dialogue between Henry and his closest comrades, some of the ironic, soldierly humour which helps them through the toughest of times.Henry's War is written for readers aged 13-18+.