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Sweet Wine of Youth #1
None of Us the Same
2018 Goethe Award for Historical Fiction Finalist & Category Winner
2017 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Finalist
2017 B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree
2017 Wishing Shelf Book Awards Bronze Medal
Fiery Deirdre Brannigan had opinions on everything. She certainly hated the very idea of war in 1914. Childhood pals Jack Oakley and Will Parsons thought it a grand adventure with their friends. But the crushing weight of her guilty conscience pushes Deirdre to leave Ireland and land directly in the fray. Meanwhile the five friends from Newfoundland blithely enlist. After all, the war couldn’t possibly last very long…
They learn quickly how wrong they are and each is torn apart by the carnage in France.
What began with enthusiastic dreams of parades and dances with handsome young soldiers turned into long days and nights in the hospital wards desperately trying to save lives. And for the good and decent young men in fine new uniforms aching to prove themselves worthy on the field of battle, the horrors of war quickly descended.
But it is also the war which brings them together. Deirdre’s path crosses with Jack and Will when they’re brought to her field hospital the first day of the slaughter on the Somme. Their lives part, their journeys forward fraught with physical and emotional scars tossing them through unexpected and often painful twists and turns. But somehow, a sliver of hope, love and redemption emerges. And their paths cross again in St. John’s.
When the guns finally fall silent, can Deirdre overcome her secret demons through a new life with battered Jack? Can shell-shocked Will confront his despotic father’s expectations to become the man his young family deserves?
2017 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Finalist
2017 B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree
2017 Wishing Shelf Book Awards Bronze Medal
Fiery Deirdre Brannigan had opinions on everything. She certainly hated the very idea of war in 1914. Childhood pals Jack Oakley and Will Parsons thought it a grand adventure with their friends. But the crushing weight of her guilty conscience pushes Deirdre to leave Ireland and land directly in the fray. Meanwhile the five friends from Newfoundland blithely enlist. After all, the war couldn’t possibly last very long…
They learn quickly how wrong they are and each is torn apart by the carnage in France.
What began with enthusiastic dreams of parades and dances with handsome young soldiers turned into long days and nights in the hospital wards desperately trying to save lives. And for the good and decent young men in fine new uniforms aching to prove themselves worthy on the field of battle, the horrors of war quickly descended.
But it is also the war which brings them together. Deirdre’s path crosses with Jack and Will when they’re brought to her field hospital the first day of the slaughter on the Somme. Their lives part, their journeys forward fraught with physical and emotional scars tossing them through unexpected and often painful twists and turns. But somehow, a sliver of hope, love and redemption emerges. And their paths cross again in St. John’s.
When the guns finally fall silent, can Deirdre overcome her secret demons through a new life with battered Jack? Can shell-shocked Will confront his despotic father’s expectations to become the man his young family deserves?
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 15, 2017
42 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey K. Walker
4 books27 followersJEFFREY K. WALKER is a Midwesterner, born in what was once the Glass Container Capital of the World. A retired military officer, he served in Bosnia and Afghanistan, planned the Kosovo air campaign and ran a State Department program in Baghdad. He’s been shelled, rocketed and sniped by various groups, all with bad aim. He’s lived in ten states and three foreign countries, managing to get degrees from Harvard and Georgetown along the way. An attorney and professor, he taught legal history at Georgetown, law of war at William & Mary and criminal and international law while an assistant dean at St. John’s. He's been a contributor on NPR and a speaker at federal judicial conferences. He dotes on his wife, with whom he lives in Virginia, and his children, who are spread across the United States. Jeffrey has never been beaten at Whack-a-Mole.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 2, 2019
This is what I would call an 'earthy' read. The author doesn't spare anyone's feelings. The description of the war and the wounds received are practically brutal.
I liked the characters and the history throughout is very interesting. Deirdre is a little over the top for me at the beginning of the book but mellows as the story goes on. The research is very well done. I enjoyed the part set in Ireland as I love anything set here.
It's the first of a trilogy but I'm going to read something light before I tackle the second one.
A fantastic read!
If you're squeamish or offended by bad language this is NOT a book for you.
I liked the characters and the history throughout is very interesting. Deirdre is a little over the top for me at the beginning of the book but mellows as the story goes on. The research is very well done. I enjoyed the part set in Ireland as I love anything set here.
It's the first of a trilogy but I'm going to read something light before I tackle the second one.
A fantastic read!
If you're squeamish or offended by bad language this is NOT a book for you.
June 3, 2018
Accounts and novels of the First World War often heap horror upon unimaginable horror as they describe the slaughter of that conflict. None of Us the Same is a different calibre of work. Jeffery Walker takes the lives of six characters caught up in the conflict, and skilfully weaves their stories through the great events of the war. Five are young men who volunteer to join the Newfoundland regiment, the last is an Irish nurse working behind the lines.
This is the individual’s view of the war, in which the reader is taken by Walker into the trenches and clearing stations of Gallipoli and the Western Front. We sense the impact of the shells, smell the musty earth of the dugout, feel the crawling of the lice and hear the whine of passing bullets. We accompany them on their journey, from youthful optimism to grim realities they encounter. Then we follow them further, to the clearing stations and base hospitals as they are treated for their physical and mental injuries.
But Walker’s odyssey does not stop there. We see the survivors returning to civilian life, and share with them their struggles to pick up the broken threads of their former lives back across the Atlantic. This is an epic work, meticulously researched and superbly told. A century has passed since the guns of the Western Front fell silent, yet Walker’s novel is still relevant today. In the haunted gaze of his soldiers we can recognise the same trauma borne by the veterans of our own time.
This is the individual’s view of the war, in which the reader is taken by Walker into the trenches and clearing stations of Gallipoli and the Western Front. We sense the impact of the shells, smell the musty earth of the dugout, feel the crawling of the lice and hear the whine of passing bullets. We accompany them on their journey, from youthful optimism to grim realities they encounter. Then we follow them further, to the clearing stations and base hospitals as they are treated for their physical and mental injuries.
But Walker’s odyssey does not stop there. We see the survivors returning to civilian life, and share with them their struggles to pick up the broken threads of their former lives back across the Atlantic. This is an epic work, meticulously researched and superbly told. A century has passed since the guns of the Western Front fell silent, yet Walker’s novel is still relevant today. In the haunted gaze of his soldiers we can recognise the same trauma borne by the veterans of our own time.
November 26, 2018
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: None Of Us the Same
Author: Jeffrey K. Walker
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 21
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 21 readers:
21 would read another book by this author.
21 thought the cover was good or excellent.
21 felt it was easy to follow.
21 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
11 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
21 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
21 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘What a truly wonderful novel. The author is excellent, particularly in terms of plot development and creating characters for the reader to care for.’ Female reader, aged 66
‘A superbly crafted novel of hardship during WW1. The author offers the reader a winding plot, unforgettable characters, and a powerful ending.’ Male reader, aged 52
‘Although the plot is excellent, it is the dialogue that brings this story to life. The author know how to write speech realistically, and by doing so develop the characters. A thoroughly enthralling read.’ Male reader, age 48
‘Shows the horrors of war and the terrible effects on the people who live through it.’ Female reader, aged 62
‘Fantastic read.’ Male reader, aged 28
To Sum It Up:
‘A breathtaking account of life in war. A Bronze Medal Winner and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: None Of Us the Same
Author: Jeffrey K. Walker
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 21
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 21 readers:
21 would read another book by this author.
21 thought the cover was good or excellent.
21 felt it was easy to follow.
21 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
11 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
21 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
21 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘What a truly wonderful novel. The author is excellent, particularly in terms of plot development and creating characters for the reader to care for.’ Female reader, aged 66
‘A superbly crafted novel of hardship during WW1. The author offers the reader a winding plot, unforgettable characters, and a powerful ending.’ Male reader, aged 52
‘Although the plot is excellent, it is the dialogue that brings this story to life. The author know how to write speech realistically, and by doing so develop the characters. A thoroughly enthralling read.’ Male reader, age 48
‘Shows the horrors of war and the terrible effects on the people who live through it.’ Female reader, aged 62
‘Fantastic read.’ Male reader, aged 28
To Sum It Up:
‘A breathtaking account of life in war. A Bronze Medal Winner and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
July 2, 2018
A magnificent work of historical fiction, impeccably researched. History comes alive in this hard to put down WW1/post war story.
May 21, 2017
None of Us the Same was a really enjoyable read and a great debut for the author. Mr. Walker creates compelling characters that I look forward to seeing again in his future books. Dierdre is especially memorable and brings a nice element of the experience of WWI beyond those fighting as soldiers. Mr. Walker’s dialogue and scene descriptions really bring you into the story and the unique geographical settings (such as Newfoundland). He used enough historical detail to give a sense of the WWI-era setting without this being too heavy-handed or distracting from the overall arc of the story. Overall I highly recommend this book!
December 27, 2017
Mr. Walker has written a gem of a novel. In this, the first book in his Sweet Wine of Youth trilogy, he paints a vivid picture of life in Newfoundland and Ireland just before, during and after World War I. The battle scenes bring to light the horror, frustration and fatigue of that war. The characters are smartly drawn, with a vulnerability that makes them seem real and familiar. This book is meticulously researched which is evident through language as well as historical detail. A bit of an emotional roller coaster, The novel is also a testament to the enduring friendships made in childhood and through shared experiences. An impressive debut, I am eagerly awaiting Book 2!
September 23, 2021
The story is written during World War I when five friends go off to war. They all deal with loss of life during the war as well as other related changes to their lives including relocation due to the war. They all experience the grief of war in one way or another but maintain their friendships. It looks at war from other angles and holds your interest as the journey of each is followed.
June 22, 2017
I’ve read quite a few novels recently that in a way or another involve WWI and veterans from that war. None of Us the Same by Jaffrey Walker is the first one that truly rings authentic. It’s a very subtle line. It isn’t easy for me to say what it is that makes this story different, because also the other novels I’ve read were very well-researched. The different isn’t in the research itself, I believe, it’s more in the personal experience an author can put into their story.
Jeffrey is a veteran himself, and this shows in many places, especially in the long section about the actual war. There is something very ‘normal’ about his war scenes, if this makes any sense. While the other novels I’ve read gave out a strong sense of the tragedy WWI had been, Jeffrey’s WWI has a flavour of everyday life. This is how millions of men and women lived everyday during that time. Sure, there were the big battles, but there were also the little things of life happening in the trenches.
The war scene are my favourite. Of course they are very relevant on a narrative level, but they are also very important for connecting with these characters. And as I said, for me there was an extra level of authenticity to them.
The rest of the novel deals with what the war left attached to every one of these characters. Interesting as it was, it wasn’t as involving as the war scenes (this is probably quite natural), and it was also quite episodic. Every episode was good, it let me come very near to the characters and I felt for all of them, but it was kind of isolated. Not really a problem, but I wonder whether a more organic plot would have enhanced the sense of belonging even further.
It’s a good story, well researched, written with compassion and with relatable characters. I enjoyed it.
Jeffrey is a veteran himself, and this shows in many places, especially in the long section about the actual war. There is something very ‘normal’ about his war scenes, if this makes any sense. While the other novels I’ve read gave out a strong sense of the tragedy WWI had been, Jeffrey’s WWI has a flavour of everyday life. This is how millions of men and women lived everyday during that time. Sure, there were the big battles, but there were also the little things of life happening in the trenches.
The war scene are my favourite. Of course they are very relevant on a narrative level, but they are also very important for connecting with these characters. And as I said, for me there was an extra level of authenticity to them.
The rest of the novel deals with what the war left attached to every one of these characters. Interesting as it was, it wasn’t as involving as the war scenes (this is probably quite natural), and it was also quite episodic. Every episode was good, it let me come very near to the characters and I felt for all of them, but it was kind of isolated. Not really a problem, but I wonder whether a more organic plot would have enhanced the sense of belonging even further.
It’s a good story, well researched, written with compassion and with relatable characters. I enjoyed it.
July 16, 2017
Jeffrey K. Walker has created a captivating novel which does something remarkable- it plants the reader smack dab in the horror of the French trenches, then follows those lucky enough to survive to the hospital where doctors and nurses, themselves overwrought from the enormity of the wounded, care tirelessly and selflessly for their patients, then carries the reader through the beautifully drawn main characters’ struggles to forge a new way forward, all the while keeping the reader hopeful and even able to laugh occasionally! You had me at Chapter One. Nurse Deirdre Brannigan is one formidable woman! Do I love her or hate her? And the lads from Newfoundland who merrily venture off to the Great War are a fun, likable and engaging lot. I truly felt it too when tragedy struck. I felt like I was right there in WWI, in Newfoundland and on the rumrunning ship. Great story. Vividly imagined. Artfully written. Tough to put down. This is an author to watch for sure!
April 11, 2020
An extremely well-written book. Great character development. Numerous twists and turns in the story but introduced at a pace that makes for easy, enjoyable reading. In my opinion it seems quite evident that the author did extensive research prior to putting pen to paper. I'm eagerly awaiting volume 2 in this trilogy AND hoping the wait is brief.
March 29, 2023
This is a story of six individuals who venture into the machinations of the First World War with distinctly different outlooks. Five Canadian boys rush to join up, worried that they will miss out on the chance of glory. Meanwhile, in Dublin, Deidre Brannigan loses herself in Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service overcome with guilt and grief following the death of her Father at Gallipoli.
None of Us The Same is not just another war story, recounting the horrors of the Western Front. Whilst Walker successfully paints a vivid picture of the deprivations of Gallipoli and the mud and slaughter of the Somme, its realities and its effects become all the more immediate and lasting as we see them through the eyes of the Newfoundland volunteers and as Nurse Brannigan, desperately tries to staunch the flow of the dead and wounded. We are drawn to each of the characters in turn, sharing their fears and frustrations and feeling their emotions.
The chums inevitably suffer loss and injury but, as theirs stories intertwine, and war gives way to peace, we are drawn further into their lives, the aftermath of conflict and the way in which they attempt to cope with making their way in the world. Each has their own scars, both physical and mental, and none of them are unaffected by their experiences.
A great story with some well-crafted characters.
None of Us The Same is not just another war story, recounting the horrors of the Western Front. Whilst Walker successfully paints a vivid picture of the deprivations of Gallipoli and the mud and slaughter of the Somme, its realities and its effects become all the more immediate and lasting as we see them through the eyes of the Newfoundland volunteers and as Nurse Brannigan, desperately tries to staunch the flow of the dead and wounded. We are drawn to each of the characters in turn, sharing their fears and frustrations and feeling their emotions.
The chums inevitably suffer loss and injury but, as theirs stories intertwine, and war gives way to peace, we are drawn further into their lives, the aftermath of conflict and the way in which they attempt to cope with making their way in the world. Each has their own scars, both physical and mental, and none of them are unaffected by their experiences.
A great story with some well-crafted characters.
September 11, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballybur Publishing for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
None of Us the Same is impeccably researched and, as a reader and historian, I can say I truly appreciated the work that went into this book. The author included various people from different backgrounds as the characters of this book. This allowed the reader to experience how various people were effected by the Great War. The inclusion of VADs and nurses is something not done as often in historical fiction as should be. It was refreshing to see it done in None of Us the Same.
One thing I adored about this book was the look at the aftermath of the War on those who served. Alcoholism and drug abuse is featured in this book but it’s done in a respectful way which faces the realities of so many people after the War. The insight into those who suffered as a result of the conflict was eye opening.
I highly recommend None of Us the Same for any fans of historical fiction looking for a well researched and in depth look at the Great War and its aftermath.
None of Us the Same is impeccably researched and, as a reader and historian, I can say I truly appreciated the work that went into this book. The author included various people from different backgrounds as the characters of this book. This allowed the reader to experience how various people were effected by the Great War. The inclusion of VADs and nurses is something not done as often in historical fiction as should be. It was refreshing to see it done in None of Us the Same.
One thing I adored about this book was the look at the aftermath of the War on those who served. Alcoholism and drug abuse is featured in this book but it’s done in a respectful way which faces the realities of so many people after the War. The insight into those who suffered as a result of the conflict was eye opening.
I highly recommend None of Us the Same for any fans of historical fiction looking for a well researched and in depth look at the Great War and its aftermath.
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March 1, 2022MWSA Review
None of Us the Same by Jeffrey K. Walker is a powerful look at how war affects not only its combat participants but also the medical personnel who tend to them and the families whose soldiers come back as a far different person than the one who left. Based on the author’s extensive research into World War I, the story alternates between a group of young Newfoundlanders and the Irish nurse who befriends and cares for them, both physically and emotionally. Since there are not many books written about Newfoundland’s and Ireland’s involvement in World War I, this novel adds depth and understanding to the era as well as to the awful cost of trench warfare and its effect on the bodies and minds of those who fought. Despite the horror, the book is engagingly written with beautiful detail. This is a must read if you are interested in WWI, nursing care, war tactics, post-traumatic stress, and coming of age novels.
Review by Betsy Beard (February 2022)
None of Us the Same by Jeffrey K. Walker is a powerful look at how war affects not only its combat participants but also the medical personnel who tend to them and the families whose soldiers come back as a far different person than the one who left. Based on the author’s extensive research into World War I, the story alternates between a group of young Newfoundlanders and the Irish nurse who befriends and cares for them, both physically and emotionally. Since there are not many books written about Newfoundland’s and Ireland’s involvement in World War I, this novel adds depth and understanding to the era as well as to the awful cost of trench warfare and its effect on the bodies and minds of those who fought. Despite the horror, the book is engagingly written with beautiful detail. This is a must read if you are interested in WWI, nursing care, war tactics, post-traumatic stress, and coming of age novels.
Review by Betsy Beard (February 2022)
July 7, 2021
Well written and enjoyable, good characterisation. An unusual perspective of WW1 and all the better for that. Shocking how many of the Newfoundland Brigade were injured or killed, but even for survivors and their families often the consequences of the war were terrible too. It was probably 4.5 stars, as maybe too many interesting story lines (and coincidences) crammed into the tale, and but rounded up to 5.
December 13, 2017
PTSD
This novel provides great insight into the psychological effect that war has on the people who experienced it. Not all wounds are visible is the mantra of today’s veterans. This was not the case at the beginning of the 20th century. Especially in the character of Will Parsons who suffered more from what he experienced than his wound.
This novel provides great insight into the psychological effect that war has on the people who experienced it. Not all wounds are visible is the mantra of today’s veterans. This was not the case at the beginning of the 20th century. Especially in the character of Will Parsons who suffered more from what he experienced than his wound.
April 30, 2020
So glad I picked this book up. I wasn't sure I could take a heavy read, but this book does a beautiful job of revealing the hardships throughout WWI, but also the hope and connection that could follow afterwards if you were lucky enough. I'm looking forward to the following 2 books in this trilogy.
September 15, 2021
Well developed characters, harsh, realistic prose, emotional provoking conversations. Walker gives us this and more in this well written debut novel.
Long lasting friendships carry us through WWI along with the very descriptive woes of the war and how each character makes it through.
Very much enjoyed this novel and looking forward to the next by this very talented author.
Long lasting friendships carry us through WWI along with the very descriptive woes of the war and how each character makes it through.
Very much enjoyed this novel and looking forward to the next by this very talented author.
Want to read
September 5, 2022Thanks netgalley for giving me a chance to read this.
It’s a cracker of a book. Well written and it feels well researched. I felt the characters sang to me, I was really intrigued by them. Their stories were beautifully woven and just makes sense.
I think it’s a great book for those of us who like historical fiction, especially during this time period.
It’s a cracker of a book. Well written and it feels well researched. I felt the characters sang to me, I was really intrigued by them. Their stories were beautifully woven and just makes sense.
I think it’s a great book for those of us who like historical fiction, especially during this time period.
November 15, 2023
Based during WWI this story tells of 5 boys from Newfoundland who sign up to serve in the war. It details some of the horrors and loss of war but focuses on the friendship of the ones who remain and returning to private life and love after the war. It reads a bit like a romantic novel but it is entertaining enough..though nothing special.
November 12, 2017
Jeffrey K. Walker took me to a place I had never been and a time I wasn't alive and made them both familiar with this compelling drama loaded with elements of life and death and beautifully tender friendships. I really liked the journey of Volume 1 and am anxious to follow this group onto Volume 2.
March 2, 2023
This book lives up to its title: the main premise is recounting the many different experiences of WWI and how The Great War left it’s mark on all who experienced it’s violent trauma. Warning: some language and sexual content that can be easily skipped.
October 4, 2017
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
'a very realistic portrayal of the consequences of war'
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
'a very realistic portrayal of the consequences of war'
October 13, 2017
We are proud to announce that -NONE OF US THE SAME by Jeffrey K. Walker is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!
January 3, 2020
Excellent historical fiction.
June 10, 2020
Beautifully written book that deals with war and the impact of it on participants. I really liked how the story was moved forward by the use of letters, documents and other corespondence.
June 28, 2021
Great book with characters that are so unique. Each story ties well in with each other and makes it all connect. Great for those that love history surrounding World War I. Highly recommend.
June 28, 2021
Great character development and interesting story line.
July 18, 2025
A look at World War I and the impact it had on the young men and women who served as soldiers and nurses. Why do we never learn?
March 18, 2021
The descriptions of the times and surroundings was excellent. It really gave me a good view into the characters and the time period.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews