The fact that Michael is the equivalent of a massage therapist, and that John is handicapped is serendipitous as well. Their coming together is fateful, which is the way fate often works, when Michael is coerced into taking a rural job as a gardener, and ends up on John’s estate (actually belonging to an aunt). Out of this hell came two men, Michael McCready, the son of poor Irish immigrant and a brilliant medical student, and John Seward, a wealthy recluse, both indelibly scarred by the experience. It also meant all-out charges through and over ‘razor wire’ while being shot at by machine guns and sniper rifles. “Trench warfare” meant months of standing in muddy ditches, with “trench foot” attacking your feet, and the sounds of enemy artillery shells passing overhead for hours on end. The “Great War”, or the “War to end all wars,” was by all accounts a horrendous experience for those who participated. Perhaps, this is because it is her debut novel, or perhaps it is because the Canadian connection just never made it to the surface.īonds of Earth is a historical fiction set in the period directly following WWI. ♠♠♠Īlthough I have conducted an active search to find Canadian writers of GLBT fiction, it was only this week that Bonds of Earth, by GN Chevalier came to my attention. Some of her hobbies include playing music, video remixing, and photography. A long-time student of history, she is particularly interested in helping to tell the hidden stories that are only now being rediscovered. He and John find their battle of wills turning into something stronger, but fear may keep them from finding hope and healing in each other.Ībout the author: G N Chevalier has lived in Ottawa, Toronto, Québec City, and Montréal, but currently resides in Nova Scotia with her partner of many years. As John’s health and outlook improve under Michael’s care, animosity yields to understanding. John Seward’s body was broken by the war, along with his will to recover until a family crisis convinces him to pursue treatment.

While Michael nurses the estate’s neglected gardens, his reclusive employer dredges up reminders of the past Michael is desperate to forget. After fleeing New York to preserve the one relationship he still values, he takes a position as a gardener on a country estate, but he soon discovers that the house hides secrets and sorrows of its own. Once a promising young medical student, Michael buried his dreams alongside the broken bodies of the men he could not save. Story blurb: In 1918, Michael McCready returned from the war with one goal: to lose himself in the pursuit of pleasure.

Bonds of Earth, by G.N. Chevalier A great debut novel.

Bonds of earth by gn chevalier