The Soldier and The Orphan

The Soldier and The Orphan is a lovable, sweet story outlining the separation and reconciliation of two brothers (twins) separated at birth. It explores different timelines relevant to the three main characters (Billy, Tommy and Mary), the brothers and their mother respectively. We follow each of their lives in emotional detail, from the war, to being an orphan, to being a mother out of wedlock at a time when such a thing was not acceptable.

Henry has done a tremendous job of juxtaposing different bursts of time (in years, at times) as well as entirely different periods into a cohesive narrative. It is evident that a great deal of careful editing would have been necessary to pace it in a manner that would not keep the audience waiting, but at the same time, flesh out the feeling of the different settings, from France during the war, to Canada, and England in the early part of the previous century.

The underlying plot takes time to reveal itself, but this is well balanced with a quick moving narrative that does not lag in between scenes or events. Nevertheless, one must love the setting and characters as much as the author evidently does in order to fully appreciate and enjoy the novel. And in doing so, climactic moments of victory, such as when the brothers finally do meet, are joyously experienced just as the author would have likely intended.