My Father the God
by
D. Allen Henry
© D. Allen Henry 2015
On the Cover
Photo taken by the author
Also by D. Allen Henry
at
Hawk Banks
Those Who Fought for Us
Of War and Women
Enlisting Redemption
Finding Patience
Merging Destiny
Dedication
To my daughters…
Preface
The twentieth century was dominated by a succession of wars, two of which were on a global scale never before seen on this planet. As such, the effects of those wars profoundly influenced the course of history. I am speaking of course of The Great War (termed World War I in the United States), World War II, and to a lesser extent, The Vietnam War, and the Gulf Wars. Although much has been written about the history of these wars (especially the first two), much less has been written about the effect of these wars on the lives of those who lived (and died) through them.
The Sutherland Saga consists of a sequence of six novels chronicling the lives of four generations of the fictitious Sutherland family, the patriarch being the Earl of Winston. Set against the backdrop of world-changing events of the twentieth century, the saga traces the travails of the Earls of Winston and their loved ones. Having been awarded the Earldom of Winston by King James the First, the ancestral home of the Sutherland family is located at Wharton Manor in Gloucestershire, England.
I have chosen each of the four wars mentioned above as the backdrop for one of the stories within The Sutherland Saga. Accordingly, the first book in the series depicts events during the era of World War I, whereas the second and fifth books spans the period of World War II. The timing for the third book is during the Vietnam War, and the fourth and sixth books in the series span the period roughly corresponding to the Gulf Wars, thereby leading up to present day. As such, the plots are strongly connected to their associated wars and, although the storylines are intimately related to English culture, there is also a strong thread of both Scottish and American ancestry evident as the saga evolves.
The idea for the Sutherland Series was born from my own experiences, travels, loves, and losses, spanning a lifetime. While the stories themselves, including the primary characters, are entirely fictional, the places are not. In addition, I have, where appropriate, included historical figures who played significant roles in the events portrayed with the series. Indeed, I have attempted to portray both historical events and historical figures within the series as accurately as possible. Where I have erred, I offer my sincere apologies.
D.A.H.
Figure Credits
Fig. 1 Map of Burma {{PD-1923}}
Fig. 2 Map of Egypt {{PD-USGov}}
Fig. 3 Photograph of Ramses II’s Temple during Reconstruction, photo by Per-Olow Anderson accessed in February, 2014 at https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo:Abusimbel.jpg {{PD-Sweden-photo}}
Author’s Note Regarding Sectional Perspectives
The reader will notice that throughout the text I have delineated sections by the use of boldface titles. Each title normally describes the setting location and date for the section that immediately follows. However, when only a date is included, it is implied that the location for that section is identical to that of the previous section. Furthermore, each section begins with a few boldface words immediately after the section setting. The name of the first person included in boldface within the section is intended to be the person whose perspective is taken within that section of the text.
Author’s Note Concerning Language
The characters in this novel come from several English-speaking nations, including England, Scotland, Wales, and the United States. Furthermore, the story is set in the middle of the twentieth century. There is no doubt that the vernacular forms of the English language deployed by many of the characters found herein would have been markedly different from one another. In my view, any attempt to accurately portray these various differences in language would significantly detract from the story that I am attempting to articulate. With this conjecture in mind, I have ‘simplified’ the language deployed by the characters.
In some cases, I have employed terms that are crudely representative of the way that the user might have spoken, based on where they were described within the storyline to have been born. Where I have done so, it is with the intention of either intensifying the plot or as a subtle reminder of the character’s lineage. I have attempted to use these terms accurately based on my own research. Where I have erred, I apologize to those who take offense.
Chronology
1894 – Alastair Stewart is born in Aberdeen, Scotland
1898 – Edwina Turnberry is born in York, England
1920 – James Moorehead is born in Concord, New Hampshire
1921 – Sloan Stewart is born in Edinburgh, Scotland
1922 – Isolde Channing is born in Cardiff, Wales
1923 – Sabrina Dewhurst is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
September, 1938 - James Moorehead commences his studies at Harvard University
July, 1939 – Isolde Channing and Sloan Stewart make the Atlantic crossing together by ship
September, 1939 – Sloan Stewart commences his studies at Harvard University
September 1, 1939 – World War II begins
June, 1940 – The French surrender
Summer, 1941 – James, Sloan, Isolde, and Sabrina spend the summer working at The Orchard Inn in New Hampshire
Fall, 1941 – Sloan Stewart enters military service in Britain
December 8, 1941 – The United States enters World War II
January, 1942 – The Burma Campaign begins
1942 – James Moorehead and Isolde Channing are married
1942 – Robert Moorehead is born in Boston
1945 – James Moorehead completes his studies at Harvard University
1946 – Sloan Stewart and Sabrina Dewhurst are married
1947 – Elise Stewart is born
1951 – Sloan Stewart completes his studies at Harvard University
1961 – James Moorehead becomes Chancellor of Harvard University