Unravelled

Two wars, two affairs, one marriage. 


In October 1935, Edward Jamieson's memories of war and a passionate love affair resurface when an invitation to a WWI memorial ceremony arrives. Though reluctant to visit the scenes of horror he has spent years trying to forget, Edward succumbs to the unlikely possibility of discovering what happened to Helene Noisette, the woman he once pledged to marry. Travelling through the French countryside with his wife Ann, Edward sees nothing but reminders of war. After a chance encounter with Helene at the dedication ceremony, Edward's past puts his present life in jeopardy. When WWII erupts a few years later, Edward is quickly caught up in the world of training espionage agents, while Ann counsels grieving women and copes with the daily threats facing those she loves. And once again, secrets and war threaten the bonds of marriage. With events unfolding in France, England and Canada, UNRAVELLED is a compelling novel of love, duty and sacrifice set amongst the turmoil of two world wars.


Praise for Unravelled

“M. K. Tod’s skilful debut novel spanning two world wars deftly illuminates the subtle stirrings of the human heart as movingly as it depicts the horrors of battle. Poignant and generous, Unravelled gives us Edward, scarred by war, and Ann, alive with longing, two people bound by the heartbreaking bonds of a marriage forged in the crucible of secrets and war.”

- Barbara Kyle, author of Blood Between Queens.


“A compulsive and convincing read: a story of webs that were innocently woven - and lives that subsequently become unravelled.” 

- Helen Hollick, author of historical fiction and historical adventure.


“An engrossing historical saga. With narrative insight, compassion, and a strong sense of time and place, M.K. Tod observes the inner workings of a marriage as it’s affected by the uncertainty and tumult of both world wars.

- Sarah Johnson, Historical Novel Society Book Review Editor.


“Wartime relationships have always been compelling reading and M.K. Tod’s Unravelled beautifully evokes an era of heightened tension in which her characters decisions become all the more heart-rending. A well researched and very enjoyable book.”

- Anne Easter Smith, author of A Rose for the Crown and Royal Mistress.


“A beartiful rendering of the healing journey of two war torn hearts.

- Elisabeth Stoors, author of The Golden Dice and The Wedding Shroud.


"A sweeping story of love and war with much of the style of Brief Encounter and the passionate intensity of Birdsong. The novel moves from poignant reminiscence, to the carnage of the trenches, to the unravelling of life and memory when a former Canadian serviceman involved in the battle for Vimy Ridge reflects on the loss of his comrades and is caught up again in the romance that saved his sanity. Told from the perspective of his wife, the slide into another world war tests the bonds of their marriage to the limit."

- Jenny Barden, author of Mistress of the Sea.