One young man's journey from a Somerset village to the trenches of France reveals the enduring human cost of war

From the fields of Somerset to the shattered lines of Arras - a young man's journey into war becomes a timeless tribute to sacrifice.

1917. Tom Boyce leaves his family's farm at dawn, his home-earth still warm under his boots. He heads for the front, his simple world of ploughing and harvests traded for mud, shellfire and trenches. As he learns to fight, endure and hold onto what remains of his humanity, the land he once knew seems a world away.

In the ruins of the Battle of Arras, Tom confronts loss that echoes across generations, and a brotherhood forged in fear that will bind him long after the guns fall silent. Through shattered villages and frozen fields, his story becomes one of resilience, hope and the quiet insistence of memory.

Rich with rural authenticity and vivid in its portrayal of war's cost, this novel is a tribute to those who left the soil behind and found their fate in distant lands. A profound, emotionally charged journey, it speaks to readers who seek history through the individual, and the enduring link between home, country and the men who gave everything.