In twentieth-century England, many working-class people were victims of values and circumstances not of their own making. They were people to whom things were done to, not for. Billy and Tommy Jones and their mother, Mary, were such people. The boys were born out of wedlock at a time when such a thing was regarded as a disgrace -the sins of the father being visited on the sons. Neither boy knows they have a brother – it is to be a dark family secret between the Catholic church and Mary, the boy’s mother. The trajectory of the boy’s lives takes them to different parts of the world where they suffer the consequences of circumstances beyond their control which they must confront and resolve. Billy is injured in WW2, falls in love with his nurse, and is left struggling with shellshock after being discharged from the army. Eventually, through the kindness and compassion of strangers, he regains his health and, in a surprising turn of events, learns the truth about his birth. Tommy is a victim of the British Home Child program and is sent to Canada when he is thirteen to work on a five-year indenture labor contract on a dairy farm in Quebec. When his contract ends, he travels to Jersey, a Channel Island, just before the Germans invade and occupy the island. To avoid capture and deportation to Germany, Tommy becomes resourceful in surprising ways. The Soldier and the Orphan is a fast-paced, emotionally packed novel with strong characters and surprising twists. It will elicit unexpected tears of joy and sadness as the story touches on colonialist attitudes, discrimination, love, and tragedy. And for readers wanting an extra taste of mystery and suspense. The Soldier and the Orphan brews up a good share of deceits and secrets, and even murder as the novel threads to a powerful, heart-warming conclusion. The Soldier and the Orphan will appeal to readers of all ages and backgrounds but will be of special interest to those who have traced their Canadian ancestry back to a British Home Child. Readers who enjoyed the Orphan Train and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will enjoy the unique plots and settings of this novel.

John W. Green (1841-1920), an enlisted man with Kentucky's famed Confederate Orphan Brigade throughout the Civil War, fought at Shiloh, Baton Rouge, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, Atlanta and many other crucial battles. An acute observer with a flair for humanizing the impersonal horror of war, he kept a record of his experiences, and penned an exciting front-line account of America's defining trial by fire. Albert D. Kirwan provides a brief history of the Orphan Brigade and a biography of Johnny Green. Introductions to each chapter explain references in the journal and also set the context for the major campaigns.

WALL STREET JOURNAL BOOK OF THE MONTH "This is the incredible World War II saga of the German-Jewish commandos who fought in Britain’s most secretive special-forces unit—but whose story has gone untold until now." —Wall Street Journal “Brilliantly researched, utterly gripping history: the first full account of a remarkable group of Jewish refugees—a top-secret band of brothers—who waged war on Hitler.”—Alex Kershaw, New York Times best-selling author of The Longest Winter and The Liberator The incredible World War II saga of the German-Jewish commandos who fought in Britain’s most secretive special-forces unit—but whose story has gone untold until now June 1942. The shadow of the Third Reich has fallen across the European continent. In desperation, Winston Churchill and his chief of staff form an unusual plan: a new commando unit made up of Jewish refugees who have escaped to Britain. The resulting volunteers are a motley group of intellectuals, artists, and athletes, most from Germany and Austria. Many have been interned as enemy aliens, and have lost their families, their homes—their whole worlds. They will stop at nothing to defeat the Nazis. Trained in counterintelligence and advanced combat, this top secret unit becomes known as X Troop. Some simply call them a suicide squad. Drawing on extensive original research, including interviews with the last surviving members, Leah Garrett follows this unique band of brothers from Germany to England and back again, with stops at British internment camps, the beaches of Normandy, the battlefields of Italy and Holland, and the hellscape of Terezin concentration camp—the scene of one of the most dramatic, untold rescues of the war. For the first time, X Troop tells the astonishing story of these secret shock troops and their devastating blows against the Nazis. “Garrett’s detective work is stunning, and her storytelling is masterful. This is an original account of Jewish rescue, resistance, and revenge.”—Wendy Lower, author of The Ravine and National Book Award finalist Hitler’s Furies

Jason Wander is ready to lead the final charge into battle. After forty years of fighting the Slugs, mankind's reunited planets control the vital crossroad that secures their uneasy union. The doomsday weapon that can end the war, and the mighty fleet that will carry it to the Slug homeworld, lie within humanity's grasp. Since the Slug Blitz orphaned Jason Wander, he has risen from infantry recruit to commander of Earth's garrisons on the emerging allied planets. But four decades of service have cost Jason not just his friends and family, but his innocence. When an enemy counter stroke threatens to reverse the war and destroy mankind, Jason must finally confront not only his lifelong alien enemy, but the reality of what a lifetime as a soldier has made him.