After the War

Author: Anita Frank

Publisher: HQ

Release Date: July 21, 2022

Secrets always have a way of reemerging no matter how much effort goes into keeping them.

Jack needs to escape from his past in Newcastle.  Putting as much distance as he can, he arrives in Berkshire.  There he meets a friendly farmer who offers him a job to help oversee the farm.  Even though he knows nothing of the work, Jack accepts his offer.  There he meets the farmer’s daughter, Gwen, who is hiding a secret of her own, a pregnancy.  Jack offers to marry her and, on that day, war is declared with Germany.  After marriage, Jack enlists and promises Gwen that she will never see him again. 

Six years later, victory bells are ringing across England.  Jack has been wounded many times but remains alive and decides to return home to England.  Gwen wonders if Jack will return and when he does, they find that one of the greatest challenges of their lives will be adjusting to married life.  As trouble arises, they find they must work together and trust one another to make it through life.

The first part of this story really drug out, but the second half flew by in a flash.  There are a lot of references to farm life that get monotonous and could turn readers away, but hopefully they will give it a chance.  Also, as the title states, this book is not about the war.  It is about what happens to Gwen and Jack after the war.  This is also when the tension really gets going moving the story along.  There is also not much romance in the book.  Even so, the ending is worth the read!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.