Sulva John by Warwick Deeping

With a bullet in his back, Sulva John was never meant to return from the war. But while Sulva John's would-be murderer comes back from the trenches a hero of sorts, ("He told me to look after you, Elsie ..") and marries John's finance, John wanders the world as a hired soldier under an assumed name...

When John returns to England, he hitches up with a gypsy caravan and falls in love with Richenda, an inependant, serious minded, pipe-smoking, straight-talking heroine. In her wisdom she tells John, " I want what is ours to begin like a perfect fruit with no other poor fruit lying rotten and unhappy."

So he returns to his former home to "lay some ghosts to rest", confront some painful memories and close a few chapters. But in the process he stumbles across Elsie, his former finance who has no intention of letting dead soldiers stay buried...

I really love Warwick Deeping. I love the ways he spins a tale. Although his stories are simple, they're meaningful and full of genuine characters, good and bad. A very enjoyable read.

FYI: It's very difficult to find this one. I haven't seen "Sulva John" on any public domain sites and I just managed to snag a used copy from Amazon. If your library has one, grab it before they "recycle ".

CONTENT: G