Delayed Departure

by Tall Paul

It is 1918 and the Great War is over. Wil Drury is returning to Wyoming to marry his love, Carla, and start a family. Unfortunately, Wil's brother, Tall, is never coming home again. As Wil grapples with his grief and eventually becomes a father, he has no idea that very soon his young son will die and another boy will begin a journey that will transform his life once again. When little Jesse James's mother succumbs to illness, he escapes his misery on an orphan train in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He is plucked off the side of the road by the sheriff. In his possession is a knife with Wil's name on it - the same knife that Wil gave to Tall before they went off to war. When Wil realizes that Jesse is Talll's son, he takes him in as his own. As Jesse's coming-of-age journey leads him into the army, he is eventually captured by the Japanese during World War II. But when Jesse decides to exact revenge on an enemy commander, he unwittingly places the United States on the edge of an international crisis. In this historical tale inspired by true events, a young orphan is led down a compelling path through war to his destiny where he discovers the power of a promise.

104 pages, Hardcover

Published February 23, 2023