They plan an idyllic holiday at the family's ancentral home in Norfolk during the golden summer of 1914, but their inner emotional battles are thrown into further turmoil as the Balkan Crisis turns to war.
One has to remain in England with his father, the other is to also return home with his father - a German navy officer.
Now separated for the duration of the war, will peace bring a happy reunion?
Born in 1963 with a lifelong love of history, by 1981, this love of the past had carried him to university, where he trained to become a history teacher — a role that would take him across continents, from Rochdale to Kuwait, and finally to the vibrant world of London.
But John’s journey didn’t end in the classroom. Retirement opened a new door: the chance to breathe life into the stories he had spent years teaching. Now, with pen in hand and a historian’s heart, he crafts rich, emotionally charged tales where forgotten moments are given voice and timeworn bonds are reborn.