Dick Heldar is a war correspondent and an artist, well known for the drawings he sends home to the London papers from wars in exotic places like Sudan. When he returns to London, he attempts to make a career for himself as a serious artist and reencounters his childhood sweetheart, Maisie. Then he learns that a minor problem with his eyes is actually the onset of an incurable blindness, the result of a head injury during the war. As his vision fails, the light of everything around him—his life, hopes, and dreams—fails with it. Terrible choices must be made between the love of a woman and the love of the men who stood by him at the front.
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"This was one of the first novels I read in high school. Because it was all so new it left quite an impression on me. I loved this book but i'm not sure if that's because it was so great or because it was my first. "
— Kindel (4 out of 5 stars)
" A bit sentimental, but a good read. "
— David, 1/8/2014" No. It wouldn't have happened like that. I'm convinced. And usually I'm all for a nice and tidy tragedy. But this was silly and strangely posh (despite the whole starving blind artist "thing"). Two stars for the first chapter. "
— Gretchen, 1/7/2014" not usually a brit lit fan, but this surprised me. maybe all its modern-ess is enough of a selling point. anyway, definately readable. "
— Laura, 1/3/2014" A bit sentimental, but a good read. "
— David, 1/2/2014" There were aspects of this novel which will no doubt linger, such a work so preoccupied with light and color. I felt the characters genuine albeit incomplete. "
— Jonfaith, 12/26/2013" One of my favorite Kipling stories. Most of Kipling is better than most of what's written todays, so give it a try. "
— Owen, 12/8/2013" Kipling does it to me everytime. "
— Donald, 12/5/2013" A very depressing book. I read it when I was in high school. It was at a time when I was enamored of Kipling's writing, and was reading everything I could find by him. It was a major disappointment. "
— Erskine, 11/18/2013" One of my favorite Kipling stories. Most of Kipling is better than most of what's written todays, so give it a try. "
— Owen, 9/21/2013" A very depressing book. I read it when I was in high school. It was at a time when I was enamored of Kipling's writing, and was reading everything I could find by him. It was a major disappointment. "
— Erskine, 8/29/2013" OK, bit long winded, and moralising, and predictable towards the end. "
— Ray, 5/24/2013" I think I like Kipling's poetry and his fantasy and far-away books better, but this was a good, unusual book for me for the first week of 2009. "
— Laurele, 5/4/2013" OK, bit long winded, and moralising, and predictable towards the end. "
— Ray, 3/6/2013" not usually a brit lit fan, but this surprised me. maybe all its modern-ess is enough of a selling point. anyway, definately readable. "
— Laura, 5/27/2012" This was one of the first novels I read in high school. Because it was all so new it left quite an impression on me. I loved this book but i'm not sure if that's because it was so great or because it was my first. "
— Kindel, 2/24/2012" Though I love Rudyard Kipling, this was depressing and the parts about the comrades were dull. "
— Jillian, 9/3/2011" I'm not sure I agree with the assesment and plan of the "oculist", but perhaps medicine has changed "
— Kiersten, 7/4/2011" There were aspects of this novel which will no doubt linger, such a work so preoccupied with light and color. I felt the characters genuine albeit incomplete. "
— Jonfaith, 3/30/2011" A bit sentimental, but a good read. "
— David, 12/6/2010" Though I love Rudyard Kipling, this was depressing and the parts about the comrades were dull. "
— Jillian, 8/7/2010" Kipling does it to me everytime. "
— Donald, 6/1/2009" One of my favorite Kipling stories. Most of Kipling is better than most of what's written todays, so give it a try. "
— Owen, 5/19/2009" There were aspects of this novel which will no doubt linger, such a work so preoccupied with light and color. I felt the characters genuine albeit incomplete. "
— Jonfaith, 4/24/2009" I think I like Kipling's poetry and his fantasy and far-away books better, but this was a good, unusual book for me for the first week of 2009. "
— Laurele, 1/6/2009" I'm not sure I agree with the assesment and plan of the "oculist", but perhaps medicine has changed "
— Kiersten, 9/9/2008" I'm not sure I agree with the assesment and plan of the "oculist", but perhaps medicine has changed "
— Kiersten, 12/27/2007" not usually a brit lit fan, but this surprised me. maybe all its modern-ess is enough of a selling point. anyway, definately readable. "
— Laura, 10/24/2007" No. It wouldn't have happened like that. I'm convinced. And usually I'm all for a nice and tidy tragedy. But this was silly and strangely posh (despite the whole starving blind artist "thing"). Two stars for the first chapter. "
— Gretchen, 9/24/2007" I think I like Kipling's poetry and his fantasy and far-away books better, but this was a good, unusual book for me for the first week of 2009. "
— Laurele, 3/26/2007" This was one of the first novels I read in high school. Because it was all so new it left quite an impression on me. I loved this book but i'm not sure if that's because it was so great or because it was my first. "
— Kindel, 3/7/2007Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) was born of English parents in Bombay, India. At seventeen, he began work as a journalist and over the next seven years established an international reputation with his stories and verses of Indian and army life, including such classics as The Jungle Book and Kim. In 1907 he became the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize.
David Thorn spent his childhood in the Channel Islands off the coast of France, was schooled in England, and then immigrated to the United States at the age of twenty-three. He is retired from international commerce and currently resides in California.
Susan McCarthy is the narrator of numerous audiobooks, including such classics as Jane Austen’s Lady Susan and Sherwood Andersen’s Winesburg, Ohio. Her love for reading began as a young girl, when she discovered the Nancy Drew mystery series and was immediately hooked. Also a voice-over artist, she received her training at VoiceTrax San Francisco.
Bobbie Frohman, a third generation Californian, was raised in a large extended family, the niece of cowboys. Early on she developed a deep love of animals, training her dogs to perform with her at dog shows, and as a competitive barrel racer with her beloved horse, Lucky.