Book info

• Title This Time Tomorrow
• Author Rupert Colley
• Year 2013
• Genre Historical

1915. When Guy Searight volunteers to fight with the British army in the early days of World War One, he leaves behind his girlfriend, Mary. While away fighting, Guy’s younger brother, Jack, seizes an opportunity to woo Mary for himself. Forthright and self assured, Guy has always looked out for his confident but frail brother and blithely promises his fretting mother that he’ll look out for him when Jack’s turn comes to join up. But embittered by Jack’s betrayal, Guy vows that when Jack has to face the horrors of war for himself, he won’t be there to look after him. When the brothers are reunited in the trenches of the Western Front, their thoughts are both with Mary. As Jack buckles under the strain of war, can Guy sustain his anger and allow his brother to suffer alone?

Thoughts

Obviously, as a novella, I was expecting this to be short. I don’t know if it’s the genre or just the style of writing in this particular one, but it took a while to get used to how fast the action moved. It was like diving in and out of this family’s life only occasionally, usually when something really important was happening. You sort of had to fill in the rest yourself, which is fine because it stretches the imagination.

It was a good, solid story. A bit of a soap opera, set during the war and involving two brothers, one girl, and their extended families. I enjoyed reading it and was sad when it came to an end, I would have liked to know more about what happened next but having said that, it was a really good ending too. Not soppy with happiness but tying the loose ends together nicely.

Rating: 3 / 5