Postcard to Picardy

Postcard to Picardy is the beautiful sequel to my first historical novel, The Piano Tuner’s Daughters. It continues the story of the two young sisters, Francesca and Winnie as The Great War of 1914-1918 erupts shortly after their marriages. Like millions worldwide, their lives are disrupted. For Winnie, her life will change forever.

Now I think you will enjoy this historical sequel. There’s a lot on offer; romance, war, loss, mystery and tragedy and even two war orphans. You will travel from Sydney to London to France and the battlefields of the Somme in Picardy and the mysterious abbey of Mont Saint Michel. It’s a story that will pull on your heart strings especially as it is true. Love in a time of loss.

Across the oceans to war.

I nearly titled this book ‘Time Across the Oceans’ but this title is already taken along with all the good ones. The sisters had only arrived in Australia the year before after a six-week voyage across the oceans from Southhampton on the SS Rangatira steamship. Little did they expect the world to change so shortly after their arrival or that a war across the oceans would affect them so severely. Their young lives were about to enter a happy new phase of marriage and children. But suddenly, an event in faraway Sarajevo lit the powder keg of war. Young men voluntarily joined the fight. They wanted adventure and glory and left their countries in a wave of patriotism. Talk was the war would be over by Christmas. Instead, many of their young lives would be over by Christmas.

The Great War 1914 to 1918

No one at the time even the war mongering generals expected a nearly five-year ordeal of terror and bloodshed. The problem was the new weaponry of machine guns meant armies for the first time could not face each other in open space. If they had then it would be outright slaughter. Instead, the two sides hid in trenches and took pot shots at each other prolonging the war and consigning men to the mud and blood of unsanitary trenches. Postcards and letters to and from Picardy keep up the spirits of the men as they live in misery and news from the front calms troubled hearts at home.

Millions of lives lost to war

Francesca and Winnie’s menfolk like young men the world over left Australia for this horrendous theatre of war. Many fine young men would die just months after in the disastrous campaign of Gallipoli. Women waited in agony for news from the Dardanelles and later the front as they called these trenches in Flanders and France. They knitted socks, raised funds and kept the home fires burning. Their hope was for a swift end to the bloodshed, a victory over the Axis powers led by aggressive Germany and the return of their men. Not until 1918 with the arrival of American troops was an end in sight. Then the outbreak of a deadly flu forced the end before full negotiations. The Spanish Flu killed as many troops and civilians as the war. Unlike Covid it targeted the young between 20 and 40 years. Winnie’s family living in London is affected with tragic results that will haunt Winnie all her days.

Sister’s Time Trilogy

Take time to read. It’s a great escape from the reality of life. It enriches your experience and knowledge. It’s relaxing, nourishing and once you have the book, free! Stay tuned if you enjoy the historical books the conclusion of the story of sisters, Francesca and Winifred, Last Time Forever is your next stop. This book the third historical completes the Sister’s Time Trilogy and ends in 1950. Enjoy all three free on Kindle Unlimited or buy as a paperback. Please leave me a review!