A chance meeting between an English lass, Rose, and a young German begins a tale of unexpected romance, a tale very well told. It's the brink of WWI and their relationship and lives are about to change in ways neither they nor the reader could have imagined once war sets in. These are three-dimensional characters in a well-plotted story that will draw the reader in.
Interview with The Stray Ferret Newspaper, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
A former Rossett School student has recently published a novel that takes place in early 20th-century Harrogate.
Gary Baysinger lived in Harrogate more than 30 years ago and has now written a war-time novella set in the town.
The book, A Kind of Homecoming, was inspired by the 1969 film, “Oh What a Lovely War” – a musical about World War One.
A scene in the film depicts the Christmas truce of 1914, during which a German soldier tells a British soldier about his love for a British girl he left behind when he went to fight.
Mr Baysinger said:
“The scene left me with more questions than answers; who is this young man? Who is the girl? Did he survive the war? Did they end up together?
“I decided to write a story and answer those questions — I set it in Harrogate because I am fond of the place."
“I think we all sometimes wonder what would have happened if life had gone differently at a young age.”
Mr Baysinger’s family moved to Harrogate in the late 1970s, where his father took a position at Menwith Hill. Despite his short stint in Yorkshire – moving back to America in 1981 – he said he “wouldn’t want to be anywhere else” at the time.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“I recently visited Harrogate for the first time in nearly three decades. I met up with some old friends and was astounded by the warmth and hospitality they showed me."
