Review: Bonds of Earth by GN Chevalier

If this book hadn't been sent to me for review, I may well have never read it. The cover, whilst actually quite apt for the story, is not particularly eye-catching and also it's labelled incorrectly at DSP. This is not a 'civil war' story, nor is it a 'wild west' story so why DSP have put it under those categories is anyone's guess.  What it is, is a beautifully written story set just after the First World War in New York State and tells of Michael who is of Irish immigrant stock. Before the war he was studying in Dublin for a degree in medicine, but joined up as an ambulance driver and intern shortly after war was declared in Britain.  Haunted by his experiences in the trenches and unable to return to his medical degree, Michael is now working in New York as a 'rubber' or masseur with 'benefits' in a men's bath house. As the story begins, Michael is being blackmailed by his uncle into leaving the bath-house and going into the country to work as a gardener in a country house estate. It's here he meets John, a reclusive man and nephew to the owner of the house, whose body is twisted and almost useless from being injured in the war. Micheal sees that John could be healthy and whole again with his help but John is stubborn and bitter and refuses any help.

I've read quite a number of books set in and around war-time, and quite a few contemporaries which show the aftermath of modern warfare, but I think this is one of the few romances I've read which looks at the aftermath of the First World War. It's an interesting period in history because it was a time of great prosperity, and were there was a shift in the previous strict Victorian ideals.  Whilst this isn't the focus of the book, the ideals of the era still manage to permeate the setting which helped to ground it in the period.

There are a couple of themes running through the book. The most obvious one is the effect of WW1 on the characters. Not just the main heroes, but how the effects of loss trickle through to other characters too. This could be a tricky subject to handle, but I felt the compassionate way it was dealt with showed a great maturity in the writing. Both heroes suffer from a form of shell shock. The story is from Michael's third person point of view, and we see his flashbacks, but we also see John having flashbacks and eventually find out what he suffered in the war. Although this theme is sombre and has a tone of gravity that such a subject deserves, it wasn't heavy handed or maudlin because the focus of the story is very much on recovery. Michael helps John to recover physically, and in return John helps Michael to recover his love of medicine, his self-worth and confidence.  Each page takes the characters further away from the horrors they suffered and although by the end they are not forgotten or even completely well, both men are at a stage where they can begin to function to the best of their abilities rather than being crippled physically and mentally. It was rather beautiful to read.

The second theme is that of family. Both men are betrayed and let down by their families and much of the story shows how family is something that can be created when a group of people learn to love one another. Again this was not done in a heavy handed fashion, and there is much to overcome before the end, but I loved how Michael's gentleness and persistence led to his having something precious in a family who genuinely loved and cared for him.

The story wouldn't have worked without the subtle character of Michael. He seems a study in contradictions. He's a rough Irish man with a growling temper and a lower class upbringing, but he's also a gentle, thoughtful and very intelligent man. It would be very easy to make a whole lot of assumptions about Michael from the first few pages of the book, but they are all blown away as the book progresses. At first glance the pairing of Michael and John seems incongruous, but they work as a couple. John's sharp tongue and pride, fails against Michael's stubbornness and refusal to allow John to push him away.  I fell rather in love with Michael and was glad when he was able to find happiness.

I urge you not to let the fact that this is a book which deals with difficult themes put you off reading.  It's a book which is ultimately about hope. It didn't make me cry, because it didn't sensationalise what the men had experienced in the past or were experiencing now.  Instead it showed two rather gruff men struggling to cope on their own, and discovering that the way to recovery was in each other.  Marvellous, and highly recommended with a grade of 'Excellent'.

Buy this book HERE.