“This is a story of love and tragedy; yet infused with hope that the struggle is worthwhile, and that something ephemeral lies beyond it”
THE HEART OF WAR
by Simon Hirst
“This is a story of love and tragedy; yet infused with hope that the struggle is worthwhile, and that something ephemeral lies beyond it”
Backdrop – The Gilded Age
The duology of “The King’s Shilling” and “The Sovereign Coin” novels reveals the lives and loves, triumphs and tragedies of the ‘Lost Generation’ whose gilded way of life is about to be obliterated by the Great War.
The romantic melodrama unfolds on the edge of impending disaster, a defining moment frozen in time between the Edwardian era and the outbreak of the First World War — not merely an emotional catastrophe, but the very end of days. A mechanised war leading to unprecedented loss of life, accompanied by forces that accelerate the decline of Britain’s already-creaking Empire.
The Protagonist and Her Love Interest
It’s 1912. Our protagonist, Michelle de Montfaucon, is a young noble French girl. She has a troubled past and a dark secret to hide; a brief but abusive previous marriage, and a surreptitious divorce. In disgrace and afraid of the strict doctrines of the Catholic church, she’s dispatched over to England by her parents — to stay with the Grenfell family at their aristocratic seat, Wilton Park. Michelle arrives bearing an ulterior motive. Her father has insisted on her collecting on an old family loan… from the very people who are taking her in.
A new beginning is what she needs, but love is what Michelle really desires. She’s never been one to make quick decisions. Life grows more complicated when the spirited young woman is introduced to Lord Grenfell’s nephews, Francis and Riversdale Grenfell, a dashing pair of identical twins. Rivy plays polo for England. Francis is a Captain in the elite 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers regiment. He’s destined to become the first officer to receive the Victoria Cross (Britain’s highest award for gallantry) in WWI. Rivy is kind and considerate, whereas Francis is more outgoing and the first to crack the jokes. Caught in a trap, he needs to decide on one twin brother, but which — and how honest should she be?
Smitten but rejected by one, she gradually becomes entranced by the other. She vows her commitment, but will he respond in kind? Time is not on her side. World War I is declared. Now, only fate will determine the outcome.
Michelle becomes traumatised by the inevitability of death on the Western Front. One twin she feels guilty about, while the other has become the love of her life. She has a premonition, but is it real? Only when she is ready to ‘let him go’ will Michelle be able experience a spiritual reawakening… and revisit him all over again.
The Content
Book One, “The King’s Shilling”, begins with Michelle’s eviction from France; follows her halcyon days amongst English high society as the curtain begins to fall; and culminates in the outbreak of the First World War. Book Two, “The Sovereign Coin”, continues through the early years of the war and charts Michelle’s tireless service on the Western front. Michelle struggles emotionally as the death of her loved-one becomes all but a foregone conclusion; before experiencing a spiritual rebirth.
Background Research
Set in the England and France between 1912 and 1915, these two historical novels reflect exhaustive original research. Michelle de Montfaucon is a fictional character, but almost all the other people, places and events are real — including Francis and Rivy. The author is most grateful for the support and encouragement he’s received from members of the Grenfell family.
literary Provenance
to the Story
In 1920, John Buchan (author of The Thirty-Nine Steps) wrote a brief memoir of his two friends, Francis & Riversdale Grenfell. However, to follow his book, extensive knowledge of the people and places is required. Nonetheless, Buchan’s memoir was a key source of contemporary information on the lives and characters of the two twin brothers. Since then, the Grenfell’s have largely faded into obscurity.
fashion
The narration of the two novels is designed to be cinematic in style, as if the reader is looking through the lens of film director Sir David Lean’s widescreen Super Panavision 70 movie camera, when he’s filming ‘Dr Zhivago’. Consistent with this theme, the books showcase some of the most glamourous interior designs and fashions of the period, before they are swept away by the horrors of war. As part of his research, the author took inspiration from the photographic records and catalogues of some the world’s leading fashion collections (including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Chicago History Museum, and Arizona’s FIDM Museum).
Faith & Hope
The two novels explore the notion of faith in the context of a troubled young girl. She’s scared, overwhelmed, and has doubts about her beliefs. This is further tested by the terrible loss of life in WWI, which is shockingly indiscriminate. Only after suffering tragic loss, does Michelle finally find peace. Since her beliefs are personal (not proscribed) to her, this requires a degree of self-examination and re-discovery.
Lost Homes
The two novels will appeal to readers who have an interest in both British and French art and architecture.
Evocative the illustrated book ‘England’s Lost Houses’ by Giles Worsley, several important stately homes (Wilton Park and Eaton Hall) feature in the novels as they once were in their prime, before their demolition in the 1960s.
They also reveal existing places of historic interest that few people know about, including numerous locations in France.
Portrayal of The First World War
In contrast to several ‘revisionist’ works, the duology attempts to portray WWI as it was perceived by those who lived at that time – a battle of attrition that had to be won whatever the cost, even when the odds of survival were minimal. Hardly anyone in Britain wanted this war. Once enjoined, however, it had to be fought to the bitter end.
The Grenfell twins were volunteers, not conscripts, so knew what they were getting themselves into. Francis was seriously wounded twice (including in his VC action in August 1914), and yet still went back to fight for two additional tours of duty, the third one having fatal consequences. The two novels honour rather than decry those who sacrificed their lives so bravely in this conflict.
The story also deals with the tremendous psychological suffering experienced by the wives and girlfriends of the courageous men who went over to fight. These young women faced the ultimate dilemma – torn between trying to save their loved-ones from almost certain death; and letting them perform their patriotic duty to serve their country.
