The Step

by Derek Field

Who was to know the consequences of Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939 and the declaration of war by Britain on the German war machine. It struck terror into the hearts of all citizens of the British Isles, knowing that they were the last to hold out against this tyranny and realising that they were the next to face the onslaught. The children were horrified by the tales that were being told by the frightened adults and were warned of bombing and possible invasion. David Fellows lives in an area south of London and experiences six years of living under a cloud of uncertainty, not knowing whether he, or his family and friends, would see the sun rise on the next day. He experiences the devastation of bombing and raging fires, pilotless aircraft crashing into densely populated areas and massive explosions which seemed to happen without warning. As a child of eight, he experienced the break up of the family being evacuated to different parts of the country and the loneliness of being away from his home and loved ones. Finally, he shares in the joy of reunion and celebrations when Germany was defeated and the war was over. On striving to complete his education in the field of art he is dealt a further devastating blow which will affect the rest of his life. His relations with family, friends, girlfriends and lovers changes dramatically sometimes for the worst but occasionally for the better. His future and his life appears to have been taken over by others and his struggle to find independence is long and arduous. He is surprised to witness the changes in people’s attitudes to his crisis and the changes in relations of those that are close to him. The reader must be warned that there are some passages of a sexual nature, but the book avoids the use of bad language.

554 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2012