Our Tom

About the Book

Our Tom is set during the First World War and is the story of Thomas Middleton, a lonely 36-year-old labourer from Derbyshire, though well-respected and a pillar of the community he is lonely and sees the outbreak of war a chance to escape his humdrum life. Upon hearing of the sinking of the Lusitania, decides to enlist not only to get away from his life but to protect his family and the country he loves. What he discovers on his journey is that the welcome world of men, and the strict regime of military life are not everything. Amid this turmoil, he meets a feisty young nurse, Ella, who helps him come to terms with the death of a friend and shows him what love is and what it means to be loved. As romance blossoms, Tom’s life merges with the life of this young nurse. As the eve of the third battle for Gaza looms, Tom and Ella are torn apart by the rigid rules and a hidden secret.

About the Author

J. E. Gaulton is an avid genealogist and writer. She is a member of The Fellowship of Australian Writers Inc. and was a member of the Northern Beaches Writers Group (NBWG). Publishing credits include ‘A Travel Story,’ set in Egypt published in T-Zero (online writers eZine) and a short story entitled ‘The Instructions,’ published in an anthology called Fearsome Engine by the NBWG. She also contributed the first and last chapter to an episodic book entitled ‘Fractured’ as yet unpublished by the Port Macquarie Hastings Branch of the Fellowship of Australian Writers Inc. She has always been interested in the First World War, and upon discovering that no less than three of her ancestors had fought in it, it inspired her to use her passion for family research as material for a novel. Entitled ‘Our Tom’, the book combines history and fiction, shaped in part by connecting with her ancestors through the act of writing. She is currently researching her second novel. She lives in the Port Macquarie, Australia, with her husband.