It’s the 1930s and the Great War still casts its shadow over rural England. One ex-soldier, ‘The Veteran’, is suffering from shellshock and spends his days wandering between the market town of Devizes and the surrounding villages.

He’s as outcast as the bullied schoolboy, Billy Shelton, who he befriends and protects. But when The Veteran is accused of a crime can Billy protect him?

WHAT DO OTHER READERS THINK…

"I loved this story from beginning to end. The characters were woven with skill and the story gave a convincing glimpse into yesteryear. The descriptive prose conjured up the sights and sounds of the day perfectly. The relationships were accurately and empathetically observed. I felt I knew everyone in this story that has all the nuance of days gone by informed by modern observation."

“Smith explores the friendship between two social outcasts and the social and political injustices of the time. A compelling and well-written piece with some very visual and sharp writing.”

“Smith’s visual writing gives a strong sense of landscape, place and character. The settings are as real as the interrelationships between the characters.”

“I was reminded of the works of John Steinbeck, especially ‘Of Mice and Men’.”