Belfast lecturer’s Lagan war book earns praise
Added: (Mon Apr 19 2021)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
The story of a Belfast Community during the First World War has been brought to life in a moving debut novel by a retired history lecturer.
Kerry Whelan, who grew up on the banks of the River Lagan, initially began writing a series of short stories from around his home city.
But the outline plot set during the Great War and the community around Shaws Bridge on the edge of the City quickly developed into a full-blown novel.
See You on the Other Side has been awarded entirely five-star reviews since its publication in October.
Kerry, who was a lecturer at Queen’s University, said: “I started with the idea of a book of short stories all with a backdrop of the Lagan.
“The idea of the setting of the river in South Belfast occurred as I grew up near its banks and regularly walk it and could grasp the sense of the place and the settings - I thought it was as good a backdrop for a story as anywhere.
“I started to draft the outlines of each short story but See You on the Other Side quickly grew into something bigger as the characters and plot expanded - a few thousand words become 70,000.
“My work in the History and Politics of Belfast, the First World War, and the 36th Ulster Division at the Somme, together with a knowledge of the social and political tensions of the time, made it possible for me to give the storyline a realistic backdrop and add depth to the characters.”
Framed in the modern-day, through the discoveries of a chartered accountant, See You on the Other Side is a poignant, yet gripping, account of young men and women going off to war in 1916.
Kerry doesn’t shy away from brutality of the battlefields of northern France and Belgium with his authoritative and gritty narrative.
See You on the Other Side seamlessly blends fact and fiction in a story where there are no winners – only survivors.
Kerry added: “See You on the Other Side takes the reader along a journey of love, loyalty, bravery, understanding and reconciliation.
“It is a tale where the characters and situations, would have the same relevance, should it have been set anywhere in Britain or Ireland or beyond.
“To the close community of Shaw’s Bridge, South of Belfast, every sense was laid bare.
“A hundred years later, history, as always, has been rewritten - twisted and abused to suit the power brokers of the day.
“The real lives of those who lived those dark days disappeared like the morning mist over the River Lagan.
“In See You on the Other Side only ghosts return to tell a tale of their fate and destiny in the most unexpected ways.”
From the enthusiastic reaction to See You on the Other Side from readers, Kerry has decided to begin writing a sequel.
For more details, visit Amazon and search for Kerry Whelan, where the paperback and Kindle formats of See You on the Other Side are both available.
Notes to the Editor
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