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Virtual Book Tour organised by Love Books Tours. Follow the tour across Instagram & TikTok.

Who Served Well by Lawrie Johnston

18^th – 20^th March 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 258

Publisher: Matador

BLURB

The First World War devastated Europe and beyond, stirred revolutions and toppled governments, fundamentally changing the world forever. For three young friends from Galloway in Scotland, embarking on their separate personal journeys at the beginning of the Great War, it was no less devasting. A bizarre set of circumstances brings them together again at Easter 1917 with tragic results.

Andrew McDowall ,a teacher and recent emigrant to Canada, where he hoped to escape the shackles  of  small town rural Scotland, instead returns to Europe to do his duty for King and Country .His carefree best friend Tam Murdoch ,a shepherd and territorial soldier sees action at Gallipoli and returns home wounded. Kathleen Marr, Andrew’s old flame and Tam’s secret desire, overcomes prejudice at home to serve as a nurse in the famous women’s’ only hospital at Rayoumont, Northern France.

Their experience of war changes them dramatically. The kind and genteel Andrew becomes embittered and callous as he guides his section through battle after battle. Kathleen’s determination, pride, and enthusiasm are whittled away by the relentless treatment of wounded soldiers. Tam, given an easy ticket out of the war by his paternalistic employer, forgoes the easy life to help an old friend and returns to the front.

Unknown to each other, during the battle of Arras, they are serving within a few miles. Tam is shell shocked and deserts. Kathleen is transferred to a frontline field hospital. Andrew loses a close comrade and has no hesitation in volunteering for a firing squad.

The horrific consequences of the execution and its aftermath haunt Andrew for the rest of the war and beyond into his civilian life back in Canada. A chance meeting with a long-lost veteran leads him to return to France where he hopes to find the answers to his troubling questions, not least of which is who served well?

Author Bio:I am a retired teacher of History, currently living in Edinburgh. I taught History in various parts of Scotland. I have contributed to nonfiction local history books and researched aspects of the First World War in order to give talks to local history groups. Who Served Well was inspired by researching war memorials in Galloway.

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