Solstice Publishing Createspace Set amidst the dramatic landscape of both France and Germany during World War I, His First Mistake traces the intersection of disparate lives during war. Newlyweds Frances and Reginald retreat to the French countryside at the outbreak of World War I, but unseen events, and a brutal attack by a stranger, force them to leave for Dessau, Germany. It is in Dessau that Frances meets Elsha, a young German woman, and Derek, a Belgian art student – two people who will forever change Frances’ preconceived notions of friendship and love. This romantic, tragic, and haunting story evokes the uncertainty of war, the sacrifices one must make, and the indelible force of love.