I don’t usually review books in my column. It took over a year for local author James Black to convince me to read For Freedom & Honour, but once I started I couldn’t put it down.
Although Black was born after the war ended, he remembers the rationing and destruction that was visible for years in Britain. He has written an engaging historical fiction novel that takes place during the Second World War in memory of his uncle who had immigrated to Canada in 1911 only to return overseas where he fought and died in the First World War as a fighter pilot.
Black’s novel is the story of James Somerville who joins the RAF at a very young age to fight for Britain in the Second World War. Somerville, whose home is Scotland, is a spitfire pilot and soon the leader of his squadron. With a girlfriend back home that I was sure Somerville was never going to figure out he was in love with, to the close relationship of his comrades in the RAF Black has created a story of family and friends, life, love and loss. It was a time when men and women fought for freedom and honour and grew up and died much too soon.
Black’s descriptions of war from the perspective of a spitfire pilot in Britain, Malta and Italy will take the reader on a journey of fear and gratitude. Fear that these young men may never see home just one more time, fear that their families might not see their sons again and gratitude from everyone for the courage it took to go back and fight another day.
In Canada, we didn’t suffer the destruction of our cities or the daily fear from bombings that Britain did during the war. Black gives fair credit to Canadians for their part in winning the war. Yet in any war, after reading Black’s book I wonder, does anyone really win? No matter where a war is fought, it is inevitably about human beings, people with families, friends and loved ones who will all suffer a loss if they don’t come home.
Bentleys Books on Nov. 11 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. to sign books, share stories and memories.
