Tom Kennedy

By John Rae

A chance meeting at the Menin Gate in 1969 between a young War Studies lecturer and an elderly Benedictine monk sparks a close friendship – one that will ultimately lead a dying Father Peter Quinn to entrust a family’s tragic secret to John Malcolm.

John discovers that his friend has asked him to read a manuscript. Written by Katherine Kennedy, it recounts the story of her husband Tom and the years leading up to his death – a death shrouded in shame among the devastating battlefields of the First World War. It is a story of love, conviction, defiance, bravery and loss.

Ultimately, it is also the story of one woman’s determination to track down the truth for the sake not only of her beloved husband but also of their son, born after his father’s death. Yet even Katherine is unaware of one key fact – a truth kept from her that would have destroyed any hope of happiness in her life after Tom.