''The Soldier's Return'' is the first novel in a quartet written by Melvyn Bragg.

Plot summary

Sam Richardson returns to the small

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. C ...

n town of

Wigton Wigton is a market town in the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies just outside the Lake District in the borough of Allerdale. Wigton is at the centre of the Solway Plain, between the Caldbeck Fells an ...

after fighting in

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. The war has given Sam’s wife Ellen a newfound confidence and Sam is a stranger to his son Joe. Sam is plagued by memories of the war and wants a new life, for himself, his wife and his son. The book won the

WH Smith Literary Award The WH Smith Literary Award was an award founded in 1959 by British high street retailer W H Smith. Its founding aim was stated to be to "encourage and bring international esteem to authors of the British Commonwealth"; originally open to all re ...

in 2000, and was followed by three sequels.

Sequels

''A Son of War'' (2001)

Sam Richardson is still struggling with effects of World War Two and to re-establish his relationship with his wife Ellen and young son Joe. Sam wants to become his own boss and start a business.

''Crossing the Lines'' (2003)

Joe Richardson is changing from an immature schoolboy into a confident student at Oxford who has the world at his feet. His parents Sam and Ellen have reconciled some of their difficulties and are drifting into middle-age.

''Remember Me...'' (2008)

Joe, still at Oxford, meets French art student Natasha. The story of their love and lives has been described as both "semi-autobiographical" and "nakedly autobiographical".

References

Novels by Melvyn Bragg 1999 British novels Novels set in Cumbria Hodder & Stoughton books {{2000s-novel-stub