Suvla John

by Warwick Deeping

A WW I soldier survives an attempted murder by his jealous friend who leaves him for dead on the night of the evacuation at Suvla Bay.

305 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

George Warwick Deeping was a prolific novelist and short story writer, who is best known for his 1925 novel "Sorrell and Son."

Deeping was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, then Trinity College, Cambridge to study medicine and science, and then to Middlesex Hospital to finish his medical training. During the First World War, he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He later gave up his job as a doctor to become a full-time writer.

Deeping's early work was primarily historical romances. His later novels can be seen as attempts at keeping alive the spirit of the Edwardian age. He was one of the best selling authors of the 1920s and 1930s, with seven of his novels making the best-seller list. His short fiction also appeared in several US magazines, including the Saturday Evening Post and Adventure.

Reviews

[Dorcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a bullet in his back, Sulva John was never meant to return from the war. But while Sulva John's would-be murderer comes back from the trenches a hero of sorts, ("He told me to look after you, Elsie ..") and marries John's finance, John wanders the world as a hired soldier under an assumed name...

When John returns to England, he hitches up with a gypsy caravan and falls in love with Richenda, an inependant, serious minded, pipe-smoking, straight-talking heroine. In her wisdom she tells John, " I want what is ours to begin like a perfect fruit with no other poor fruit lying rotten and unhappy."

So he returns to his former home to "lay some ghosts to rest", confront some painful memories and close a few chapters. But in the process he stumbles across Elsie, his former finance who has no intention of letting dead soldiers stay buried...

I really love Warwick Deeping. I love the ways he spins a tale. Although his stories are simple, they're meaningful and full of genuine characters, good and bad. A very enjoyable read.

FYI: It's very difficult to find this one. I haven't seen "Sulva John" on any public domain sites and I just managed to snag a used copy from Amazon. If your library has one, grab it before they "recycle ".

CONTENT: G