Tracks

The opening poems, The Tracks and The Soldier, introduce us to Little Woodcote, with its black houses and smallholdings and to Edward Lister, the soldier recently returned from the Great War. He marries his childhood sweetheart Emma, and they have a child, Esme, but tragedy strikes, and Emma and Esme die in the Spanish flu pandemic (Emma and Esme, Walking Back Alone and A Ray of Hope).

The next poems introduce Hetty, her father James, and her mother Ann, who takes Edward to her heart, (Hetty, Fathers and Daughters, Mothers and Sons) and they share the horrors of loss and war (The Last Post and Coming Home).

Reading from 'The Tracks'

Edward starts to come to terms with his war, his wounds and the loss of his young family (Lost and Found, Demons, and Guardians). His relationship with Hetty grows into love (Permissions, Remembrance and Chalk and Church). They marry (A Wedding), and Hetty becomes pregnant (I Am with Child)

Reading from 'From Remembrance and Chalk and Church'