A Ripple of Darkness : Friendship, Love, Betrayal, and Loss

Author: Puzey, John

Fiction & related items

Published on 28 May 2023 by Troubador Publishing (Matador) in the United Kingdom.

Born into a poor household in 1860's London, George experiences a terrible trauma as a thirteen-year-old when he believes his friend has drowned in the Thames. George blames himself and it haunts and shapes his life, with the incident constantly replayed and changed in his memory. George becomes a soldier and fights in the Sudan Campaign of the 1880's. But another friend killed in battle throws him into despair and self-recrimination. Later, with the death of one of his sons and the permanent disability of another, he believes he is being punished for betraying his friends. Then there is a meeting which questions whether the source of his despair and which shaped his life events, was real. This is an exploration of friendship, trauma, and memories, and how we might reinterpret them at different times in our life, to the point where reality and illusion become intertwined.