Two trees - G. J Greenhough

John Brownleader, a Black Country soldier, is injured outside Arras in 1918 and rescued by a German. Following capture, John finishes the war in a Berlin prisoner of war camp. He realises that the enemy has saved his life, even though he is in an appalling physical and psychological condition. On his return home, his family is forced to re-assess their own interpretations of the enemy and the traumatic impact of war. In poor health, John asks his girlfriend Ada to marry him and enlists her help to write secret letters to his German rescuer. The consequences of their actions are explored in the closing stages of the novel when John's divided family is obliged to meet the 'enemy'.This is a story about a small group of characters of different ages set against the very difficult circumstances and actual events of 1918 and 1919. The two youngest members of the Brownleader family, Hannah and George, see the unfolding situations in a very different way to their parents, elder siblings and the other adults. Hannah is a pivotal character and her greatest wish is for someone to read her a story from her favourite Wonder Tales. Two Trees contains elements of affection, laughter, courage, antagonism and personal challenge as well as an examination of individual motivation, empathy and family rivalry. It is a story about the human spirit and how a bond between two 'enemy' soldiers is created amongst the carnage and mayhem of the Western Front which nobody at home can really understand. The book will appeal to fans of hisorical and war fiction.