Far Side of the Sea

by Kate Breslin

  She turned to him. “Just think, we are finally here . . . in America!”

  “And a new adventure for us both, Mrs. Mabry.”

  He smiled at her, the tenderness in his expression making her heart melt with love. Jo leaned against him, and he slipped his arm around her shoulders as they watched the tugboats, stacks chugging out sulphurous smoke as they worked to help the ship into port.

  Thinking back over the past few weeks, it still seemed like a dream. She was married to the man she loved and had come to a place far across the sea, where they could both make a new start.

  She and Colin had married quietly in a small Paris church, with Isabelle, Henri, and André in attendance. And while Isabelle had sighed over Colin’s romantic gesture of using a white pigeon to deliver the gold band, Jo’s new husband hadn’t known at the time that André had sent Little Corporal for the task.

  In the absence of her father, she had asked André to give her away. Jo was delighted when Colin’s father flew in to surprise them for their wedding. She and her new father-in-law had immediately warmed to one another, and after spending a few days in his company, Patrick Mabry told her how much she reminded him of his own daughter.

  A week later, with the help of the American G-2 office in France, Jo and Colin boarded one of a number of returning troop ships leaving out of Saint-Nazaire for America.

  Now, as they drew close to the busy New York waterfront, Jo noticed her husband watching more of the large Navy ships gliding in and out of the harbor, and she wondered again at his decision to leave military service.

  “Do you have any regrets?” Her eyes searched his. “Everything has happened so fast. I still worry you’ve had second thoughts about giving up your service to the Crown.”

  “None at all, I promise you.” He drew her close, the gold band on his right hand gleaming in the light. “I’d considered taking my discharge from the BEF when I returned from the war, but Jack offered me the job at Hastings, so I kept my rank even though I would never see action again.”

  She gave him an impish smile. “But you did see adventure, didn’t you?”

  He grinned before leaning to give her a quick kiss. “From the moment I met you, my darling wife.”

  “Truly, though, will you be satisfied working in an office here?” Jo had asked him the question more than once but still wanted reassurance he was happy with his decision. “I spoke with the American war correspondent on board, and she told me life here is rather fast-paced. Won’t the noise and the crowds bother you?”

  He looked toward the mainland, and Jo followed his gaze, noting the brick multistoried buildings and skyscrapers crowding one another across the city. Beyond the structures rose a number of tall church steeples, and she glimpsed the steel arches of a bridge.

  Alongside the busy harbor, the streets along the waterfront also swarmed with activity: motorcars and omnibuses traveled back and forth alongside lorries and horse-drawn carts, and while she couldn’t hear the noise above the drone of the ship’s engines, Jo imagined their horns blaring.

  Colin turned to her, a look of determination on his handsome face. “After I learned about the job here in America, I saw our chance for a future together.”

  His expression softened. “I plan to spend the rest of my life with you, Mrs. Mabry. Will our lives change? Of course, and I have no doubt we’ll encounter plenty of challenges along the way.” He leaned in to touch his forehead to hers. “But with God’s help, we will face them together.”

  Emotion rose in her throat, and she simply nodded and smiled. God had blessed her with this wonderful, courageous man.

  Once the ship had docked, the wounded troops were off-loaded first, followed by cargo. As Jo and Colin waited near the gangway to disembark, a short man in uniform strode in their direction. Jo recognized him as the ship’s disbursing officer.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Mabry.” The officer smiled as he reached them. He held a clipboard and a small brown parcel. “This package is for you, ma’am. Just need a signature.”

  “For me?” Jo’s eyes widened. “Who sent it?”

  “It was brought aboard in France by a customs agent. I was given orders to hold it for you until we docked in New York.”

  She glanced at Colin before taking the clipboard to sign her name. The officer handed her the package. “Thank you.”

  “Good luck to you both.” He stepped back and offered a curt nod before disappearing into the bowels of the ship.

  “What is it?” Colin moved forward as she removed the brown paper.

  Inside was a small ring box, and again Jo looked at him. She wondered if he’d planned this surprise, though she already wore his mother’s beautiful diamond wedding set beneath her glove.

  “It’s not from me.” He’d read her thoughts. “Open it.”

  She lifted the lid on the small box and drew in a breath as she stared at the large egg-shaped diamond nested in silver.

  Colin whistled softly. “Well, I’ll be . . .”

  “Yes.” Tears filled her eyes as she removed the ring and handed him the box. Pulling off her right glove, she removed the ruby and sapphire-eyed dove rings from her finger and replaced them a moment later with the glittering egg nestled between them.

  “There’s a note here.”

  Blinking back tears, she took the box from him and withdrew the folded piece of paper.

  My little bluebird,

  I send this to you with my blessings for a happy marriage and a family of your own. For now, Daughter, we remain an ocean apart, but my heart is with you always.

  Love, Papa

  She handed the note to Colin. After he’d read it, he gazed at her, his voice gentle. “Perhaps he’ll come to America one day.”

  Jo drew a deep breath and nodded. Looking back across the harbor from the direction they had come, she imagined she could see far across the shining sea. “You once told me that no matter where my papa was, I would never be alone.”

  She turned to him, her smile soft. “You said God was always with me, and I realize now He has been there my whole life, watching over me, teaching me to be strong. Through the sadness of Moira’s death, He led me to find the diary, and finally, to find my father.” She admired the gimmel rings on her finger, now complete.

  “God also led me to you, Colin.” She looked up at him with her heart in her eyes. “You are the one who helped me to believe in love and in miracles.”

  “They are one and the same, my darling.” He took her in his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Today, tomorrow, and forever.”

  Author’s Note

  Dear Friends,

  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Far Side of the Sea. With Colin Mabry wounded and returning home from the war at the end of Not By Sight, I wanted to tell his story, one about a world-weary soldier living in an environment to which he no longer feels connected.

  While this is a work of fiction, as I wrote the novel, I tried to imagine in some small way our men and women in today’s military returning home after serving overseas. I wanted to show how Johanna’s love for Colin and her ability to see the essence of the man beneath his scars helped him to heal and find a way toward self-acceptance, and from there, to reconcile with this new person he had become.

  Carrier pigeons were also in my thoughts. During research years ago for another book, I came across an excerpt describing the remarkable service of these birds during WWI. I was fascinated to learn that their legacy as message carriers originated in the days of the Egyptians, and in Europe today, pigeon racing remains a very popular and high-stakes sport.

  As described in my novel, the advent of the carrier pigeon’s wartime use in Western Europe took root during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. With Paris besieged by the enemy, these birds were used to carry messages back and forth from the capital to other parts of France. The pigeons’ marked success despite losses from enemy gunfire, natural predators, and extreme weather conditions established a new means of military corresp
ondence.

  During WWI, British Lt. Col. A. H. Osman, a pigeon breeder and fancier, was charged with overseeing carrier pigeons for war use. He employed the birds to serve not only in naval operations and the Air Ministry but for military espionage as well.

  Numerous accounts of heroism have been linked to these little birds, and the most famous of WWI was Cher Ami. In October 1918, this extraordinary carrier pigeon flew with gunshot wounds through his leg and breast to successfully deliver a message for help from the “Lost Battalion” to the American Army at the Front, saving the lives of nearly two hundred American soldiers trapped behind German lines. Other pigeons flew amazing distances in dangerous conditions, delivering messages that rescued ship captains, crews, and downed pilots, and bringing valuable enemy intelligence to the Allies. In the next world war, the carrier pigeon G.I. Joe would receive acclaim for similar acts of heroism, including saving an entire village of people in Italy, as well as the British troops occupying their war-torn community.

  Aside from these magnificent birds, I was also inspired to write my story after reading about the American G-2 Secret Service agency that operated in France during WWI. According to Thomas M. Johnson’s Our Secret War, a Black Book did, in fact, exist and contained the scandalous secrets of the most powerful leaders and famous personages in Europe and America. With the help of a German agent called “Zero,” the Americans were able to foil Kaiser Wilhelm II’s late summer of 1918 plan to expose those secrets in order to gain favorable terms for Germany’s surrender.1 At the time of Johnson’s 1929 book publication, the author claimed the Black Book had disappeared again and its whereabouts were unknown. I love a good mystery!

  Colonizing a foreign country with enemy spies was another established practice. German Secret Service head Wilhelm Stieber conceived of the original network when he first set up “fixed posts” in France.2 The “posts” or plants established themselves in a particular French community as tradesmen, shopkeepers, waiters, bartenders—any occupation that put them in frequent contact with the public or the military. This allowed them to earn trust and glean information to forward on to an assigned contact. I have no doubt that the practice is still being used today by various world powers. The spy game continues.

  As one who appreciates learning history through stories, I strive for historical accuracy in my novels whenever possible, but there are times when taking literary license is necessary. Such is the case with the Sant Sever Caves near Collbató, where my meeting between Johanna and Zero takes place. Because of the level of detail in the scene, I chose to make my caves fictional, though I did style them after the real Coves del Salnitre in that same area. And when Johanna sets Little Corporal free to fly back to Vernon and deliver her message of help, it’s late afternoon; however, when Colin receives the telegram with her message from Lacourt, it’s early the following morning. There is no issue with a trained pigeon crossing a distance of five hundred miles in eight to ten hours, but pigeons by nature do not fly at night, so that would have extended the time it took Little Corporal to reach Vernon. While I took license here, I did find research that explains that WWII wartime pigeons were trained by the military to “perform remarkable feats, sometimes at odds with their natural tendencies. One was flying at night.”3

  I’d love to share more with you about WWI history, but with limited space, I hope you’ll continue to explore the era on your own. I will leave you with this last, perhaps surprising, tidbit. The close proximity of Hastings and the rest of the East Sussex area to the fighting “meant that the sound of large artillery guns and explosions regularly drifted and echoed across the channel.”4 The bombing from siege guns that Colin hears coming across the water from France was a fact of that First World War.

  —KB

  Notes

  1. Thomas M. Johnson, Our Secret War: True American Spy Stories, 1917–1919 (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Company Publishers, 1929).

  2. Melville Davisson Post, “The Invisible Army,” Saturday Evening Post, April 10, 1915, 3–5.

  3. Linda Lombardi, “Pigeons: Unsung Heroes of War,” Vetstreet, May 21, 2013, http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/pigeons-unsung-heroes-of-war.

  4. Chris Kempshall, “The Sound of Guns,” EastSussexWW1, http://www.eastsussexww1.org.uk/sound-guns/.

  Discussion Questions

  Lieutenant Colin Mabry’s quest begins when he receives an urgent message, reminding him of a promise he made the year before. Initially he is torn over whether or not he can keep his vow to Jewel. Have you ever experienced trepidation over a commitment you made to someone? Were your instincts correct, or did things work themselves out?

  Upon his arrival in Paris, Colin has a strong reaction to the blasts of the long-range siege guns that the Germans are firing on the French capital. Having been at the Front, he suffers from shell shock, now called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Today many people outside the military are also diagnosed with PTSD. Do you know someone who has suffered the effects? Were you able to help them or can you offer suggestions on how our community might aid these men and women to recover?

  At story opening, Colin wishes to disassociate himself from his prosthetic. He refers to it as “the gloved hand” and keeps it hidden from view as much as possible. Perhaps to a lesser extent, we all have self-image problems we’ve struggled with. Is there something about yourself that you have always wanted to change or to be different? Have you been able to overcome the issue?

  Johanna has never met her sister, but through the words of Jewel’s diary, she comes to know her. Have you researched your family tree and come across details about an ancestor that helped you to gain insight into their nature and what they experienced?

  George Petit is a Texan who works with the American Secret Service in France. While he can seem annoying to Colin and Johanna throughout their journey, Petit shows his true colors in the end. According to research, G-2 did recruit “wild cards” for service in the intelligence police. Did you have any misgivings about Petit early on in the story, and did you guess his role?

  Diaries have been kept for centuries, at first to simply record the events of daily life and then, more recently, to note one’s own perceptions about those events. Have you ever kept a diary? Was it helpful to you? In what way?

  In Toulouse, Colin shares with Johanna his belief in our heavenly Father’s loving nature, and how faith will help her to see God’s miracles. Have you ever had the opportunity to share your faith with someone else? Was doing so beneficial to you as well?

  Johanna’s illegitimate birth made her the brunt of gossip and small-minded cruelty in the Irish village where she grew up. Bullying continues to be a problem today. Share any thoughts about how, especially in this digital age, bullying can be mitigated in schools or elsewhere.

  Jacob Reyer turns out to have a secret neither of his daughters knew about. Do you know an anecdote about a family member, past or present, which surprised you? Can you share the details?

  If the story were continued, which character(s) would you want to know more about? Why?

  Acknowledgments

  Creating a story that readers will enjoy is by far the most thrilling, gratifying, and challenging experience of my life and one which I could not do alone. Above all, I thank God for His gifts and for inspiring me to sit down each day and write the words. To John, my husband, I treasure your love and support, especially during the long days and wee hours when I’m still at the computer, and for being such a great first reader of my work. You are my real-life story hero!

  As always, my deep affection and appreciation go to my critique partners, mentors, and friends: Anjali Banerjee, Carol Caldwell, Darlene Panzera, Debbie Macomber, Elsa Watson, Krysteen Seelen, Lois Dyer, Patty Jough-Haan, Ramona Nelson, Rose Marie Harris, Susan Wiggs, and Sheila Roberts. Your willingness to share your time, wisdom, and inspiration with me has been a blessing.

  My special thanks also goes to Núria Nieto and Doriane Bertrand for your invaluable assistance with the
Catalan and French in my novel. And to pigeon fanciers Jim Novak, Mike Smith, WWII pigeoneer Ed Schmidt (101 years young as of this writing), and to Karen Clifton with the American Racing Pigeon Union. Sharing your vast knowledge and insight in regard to these truly heroic and beloved birds has made me a fan for life. The information you provided was so helpful, and if any errors exist in the story, they are solely the fault of this author.

  To my agent, Linda S. Glaz, and to my editors, Raela Schoenherr, Rochelle Glöege, Elisa Tally, and all those at Bethany House who helped to bring this project to fruition, I cannot express enough my thanks for your guidance, encouragement, and support.

  A Florida girl who migrated to the Pacific Northwest, Kate Breslin was a bookseller for many years. She is a Carol Award winner and a RITA and Christy Award finalist and lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington. Find her online at www.katebreslin.com.

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  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Endorsements

  Half Title Page

  Books by Kate Breslin

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Contents

  Epigraph

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

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