This isn't the best book I've read about Canadian experiences during WWI, but it isn't the worst either. Angus is a pacifist when the war breaks out and does his best to stay out of the action. But when his wife's brother goes missing in action, Angus decides that something must be done and signs up thinking that he will be able to be a cartographer behind the scenes. Left behind in Nova Scotia are Angus' quiet wife, his son and his severe father. The storylines alternate between the battle front, where Angus gets sent, and the small fishing village.
The setting of both the front lines and the village life is well done and I enjoyed the details of both. I also liked the two main characters of Angus and his son who is coming of age on the other side of the ocean without a father. The mood is pretty sombre, but I thought that it felt more atmospheric than oppressive. And while I don't normally have a problem with slow stories, this suffered from super slow syndrome. The middle dragged for me, and I was happy that the story got more engaging once Angus returned from the war and thought that it could have been further explored. And while the characters of Angus and his son were strong, Angus' wife is a complete after thought which I think suffered the story.
There is a lot going on here and the themes are sort of all over the place. Further complicating a nice sweet story unnecessarily was the story of the brother in law at the front. Completely unnecessary and the conclusion of that storyline was awkward and melodramatic.