Return to Bayeux - Paperback

$28.04

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by Cilinda Stroud (Author)

The year is 1897 and a beautiful young French girl hides in the looming recesses of the magnificent Bayeux Cathedral, waiting for the church to empty, hoping to confess her sin in secrecy. Finally, as the last parishioners leave, Marguerite slips into the confessional. The young Catholic priest, faintly visible through the shadowy wicker screen, listens, his concern palpable as the teenage girl tearfully tells of her pregnancy and the abandonment by her boyfriend. It is the beginning of a relationship between the handsome young priest and the troubled young woman, that will grow to be a powerful attraction, threatening to disrupt religious vows. The desperate decision that Marguerite makes regarding her unborn child will demonstrate incredible love for her infant, and selfless sacrifice. From afar, Marguerite will watch with pride and regret as her son, Henri, grows to manhood, falls in love, and goes to war.

In 1914, as WW1 is erupting in Europe, Henri and his brother eagerly leave their French village to fight the Germans. Charismatic and handsome, Henri leaves behind a loving family and his beautiful girlfriend. The young lovers vow to write, vow that after the war they will be together forever, but the letters between them are mysteriously lost, adding to the already overwhelming angst, as the war overtakes them all.

Fighting side by side as snipers, the brothers struggle to survive the horror of trench warfare. As the Battle of the Somme unfolds its grisly terror, the unthinkable happens, and Henri's brother is mortally wounded. Traumatized and grieving, Henri huddles next to his dying brother in a battlefield hospital. As death closes in, Henri's brother reveals a devastating secret. Stunned and angry, Henri fights to accept the revelation as truth, but in the end reluctantly agrees to fulfill a promise to his dying brother, a promise that will forever change is life.

Returning to Bayeux one month after the war has ended, Henri is a mere shadow of his previously vibrant self. Traumatized by all that he has experienced during the war; Henri struggles to heal himself and restore the family farm in the Normandy region of France. Along the way, he must find the courage to confront the secrets and injustices of the past and ultimately fulfill the promise he made to his dying brother.

This is a story that demonstrates how hope and love can prevail amidst the tragedy and destruction of war. But it is much more than a war story. Return to Bayeux is a generational saga that illustrates the impact of strong women who have sacrificed and bore the pain of their decisions so those they loved could survive and know a fulfilling life.

Number of Pages: 296

Dimensions: 0.67 x 9 x 6 IN

Publication Date: May 10, 2024