January 1919
Term has barely started when the blizzard blows in. For three days nothing except snow moves in the grounds. On the fourth day a young man appears on the front drive...
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The Blurb
For a while they are within a painting, both openly staring, with the only movement the glittering of dust motes. Light halos the marble-white figure on the floor, burnishing his hair, sharpening his features with shadows...
January 1919. A new gardener at a snowbound boys' boarding school catches everyone's attention. It's rumoured he is a war hero. He's nineteen-year-old Albert, haunted by Great War experiences and figting the temptation of one particular prefect. What they want is illegal.
Being caught would ruin them. Then Albert's past finds him, making teir quest for a place where love can safely dwell look impossible.
My Review
This was a fabulous book and I enjoyed it very much.
The author has crafted her novel in a way that made it a joy to read. It is beautifully written. She hasn't wasted a word and has placed each with care, thought and precision.
It features two young men in the immediate aftermath of World War One. Eighteen year old Edgar is a pupil at Whitethorne Boarding School in January 1919 when he notices the new gardener. Albert is nineteen years old and just back from his time in the trenches, both young men subtly observe one another and feel an instant attraction. However, both know that acting on their desire could end in imprisonment for gross indecency and shame on their families.
The novel is slowly paced, which was perfect for this book. In fact, I found myself slowing down my reading so that I could appreciate every word that went into creating this novel and also because I didn't want it to end. It's very rare that I come upon a book that makes me feel as though I want to continue to read it forever, but this one definitely had that effect on me.
It deals with issues of love, healing and the aftermath of a war which virtually killed an entire generation of young men. It also addresses class, homosexuality and trauma, but the author does this compassionately and sensitively. The lyrical narrative mean that the words flow from the page and had me completely mesmerised by her story and writing.
Furthermore, when I did reach the end I was surprised by the way it finished. I thought I had worked out how the author would conclude her book, but I was completely wrong. This in itself was refreshing.
As a debut novel this is remarkable and a huge accomplishment for a first-time author. If this book is anything to judge by, then we can look forward to future work from this Ms. Baldry.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1917005401
Publisher: Northodox Press
Formats: e-book and paperback
No. of Pages: 336 (paperback)
Purchase Links
About the Author
Rue Baldry is an author of novels and short stories. Her novel, Dwell, will be published by Northodox Press in February 2026 and her short story collection, Nice Things, will be published by Fly On The Wall Press in December 2026.
She was born in 1969, the year of Woodstock, the Stonewall riots and the moon landings, and raised in Essex in the UK, and Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania. In 1988 she moved to York to study English Literature, fell in love with the city, and with the man she married in 1992. She is still living here with him. They now have five children, who are all adults. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of York and an MA in Literary Theory and Creative Writing from the University of Leeds.
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(all opinions are my own)
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