Those Left Behind

The Great War tests not only those who fight, but those left behind.

In summer 1914, the Steward family prepares for the joyous union of Hettie Steward and Geoffrey Bartlett, an event that will officially bond together two families that have been interconnected for decades. Little do they know that the ominous clouds of war will soon shatter the promise of new beginnings.

When husbands, brothers and sons march off to war, the women of Canada are left to endure the heartache, uncertainty and transformation that conflict brings. As the Stewards grapple with separation, loss and the unrelenting anxiety of waiting for loved ones to return, they face more than just an external war. A lifelong friendship faces its toughest test. Two marriages unravel. And the deadly influenza epidemic threatens to consume the community.

Told through deeply personal letters, diary entries and powerful moments of everyday life, Those Left Behind brings the Great War to life from a perspective too often forgotten: those on the home front. Rich with historical detail and emotional depth, this powerful women’s fiction novel reminds us that war touches everyone, even those far from the front lines.