Remembered Lives: where the past and present collide
Ripples Through Time
by Anna Jensen
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England. Home ground of the Liverpool Football Club. And place of remembrance for the victims of one of the worst football disasters in British history.
South Africa, 1899-1900. A bitter war rages between Britain and the Boer republics of the Transvaal and the Free State. Boer commandos lay siege to towns in British-controlled Natal. The British Army must fight to relieve them.
But first they must reach them, marching into hostile terrain against an enemy with unrivalled marksmanship skills, and travelling on horseback.
Both sides target Spionkop, a hill rising from the Natal plains - destined to be christened 'an acre of massacre' by watching reporter, Winston Churchill; and to find its name gracing one of the most famous football stands in the world; Anfield's The Kop.
South Africa 2015. Liverpool football fans Jimmy, Sarah, and Des travel to South Africa to commemorate the Hillsborough Disaster, where they discover more than they expect - about the distant past, and about themselves.
“Justice was one thing, healing quite another. And peace? Something else entirely.”
14 October 1899. It will be over by Christmas. That is what Percy Barnes had told his sweetheart when he enlisted with the Lancashire Fusiliers. It was about time someone put those Boers back into their place. He had every confidence that the British Army would be victorious, and once he returned home, he would ask Flo’s father for her hand in marriage.
Wilhelm’s thoughts follow a similar pattern. He would fight the British, defend his homeland, return to the farm, and marry Katryn. Despite the British numerical superiority, Wilhelm and his compatriots’ intimate knowledge of the terrain provided a crucial military advantage in their homeland’s defence.
15th April 1989. Jimmy sat down with his family to watch the FA Cup semi-final between his beloved Liverpool versus Nottingham Forest. It was going to be a match to remember. A few of his friends had tickets to watch the game live at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium, if only he had been so lucky. Instead, he would have to watch it on the telly with his family and try to ignore the clacking of his Nana’s knitting needles.
However, neither Percy nor Wilhelm will be home by Christmas. As for Jimmy, that football match will change his life forever.
With its blend of historical and modern settings as well as a touching storyline, Anna Jensen’s Remembered Lives: where the past and present collide (Ripples Through Time) truly captivates. The story’s power lies in its exploration of the full spectrum of human emotion, leaving an indelible mark on the reader forever.
The interwoven narratives of the Boer War, the Hillsborough disaster, and their lingering effects on individuals create a powerful and unique story concept. There are three interconnecting protagonists in this novel - Jimmy, Percy and Wilhelm. The novel effortlessly blends its two timelines, creating a smooth reading experience between periods. In the modern era, the tour guide’s insightful commentary adds a wonderful dimension to the historical narrative, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the past.
The Hillsborough disaster serves as a pivotal event in the present-day storyline, driving the narrative forward. The novel opens with Jimmy excitedly waiting for the football match to begin. He’s dressed as if he were going to Anfield (the home of Liverpool Football Club), complete with last season’s shirt, woolly hat, and scarf. The sun was shining brightly, and it promised to be an exciting match. However, just two and a half minutes into the game, it became strikingly clear that something was seriously amiss; even Nana ceased her knitting. Jimmy and Desmond’s lives were forever changed by the Hillsborough disaster, the worst sporting tragedy in British history. Recalling the Hillsborough disaster still evokes a chilling response to those old enough to remember it. The televised scenes of people trying to escape the crush and the survivors’ stories are heart-breaking, all of which was compounded by the official cover-up and the long delay before the truth emerged.
The Liverpool anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, echoes ironically in Jimmy and Desmond’s tale, as Jensen described the pervasive loneliness and guilt felt by many after the disaster. In total 97 people died, and the survivor’s guilt that both Jimmy and Des experience is acute. Twenty-five years later and it still seemed like yesterday. Jimmy and Des have remained friends all this time, but Jimmy often feels that he has to compensate for his absence at the match. It is an obligation that becomes harder to shoulder as the novel progresses. Jimmy feels the need to hide his own ongoing mental health issues from everyone, including his wife. Des, on the other hand, buries himself in work and alcohol. Jimmy watches his friend’s rapidly failing mental health decline with no idea what to do about it, and he is just as clueless as to what to do about his own.
The connection between the historical and modern storylines is established through the symbolic link of the Spion Kop. Des invites Jimmy and his wife for a holiday to South Africa to visit the Spion Kop, where the Boars had beaten the British in a bloody battle, and where the Liverpool stadium in Anfield got its name. This holiday will either bring the two friends closer together or drive them apart. Through Des and Jimmy, Jensen masterfully depicts the far-reaching effects of untreated PTSD, and how it impacts the individual and their families alike. Therefore, this story is very moving and emotionally challenging at times so having some tissue near to hand would be advisable, and yet, the way Jensen has portrayed both of these characters and the events at Hillsborough shows her deep understanding of not only what happened but its lasting impact. Through her fictional characters, Jensen has depicted the terrible cost of human life and yet it is also a fitting tribute to all those who did not make it, or still struggle with their mental health because of it.
Jensen possesses an intuitive sense of history’s captivating qualities. The book’s engaging narrative and clear prose are a testament to the countless hours of research the author has invested in it. Jensen smoothly takes her readers back to the Boer War, showing both sides of the conflict through Percy and Wilhelm. The military might of the British is thwarted by a guerrilla war-like stance the Boers take - this is a new kind of war, a foreshadowing for a world war that is yet to come. It was with particular pleasure to note that Jensen has an understanding of all things equine. This story breaks from the typical portrayal of horses in historical novels as tireless machines, instead, Jensen depicts their needs for rest, food, and water.
While graphically violent battle scenes are abundant, the emotional impact on the characters is what resonates most with readers. Both Percy and Wilhelm are incredibly endearing, fostering strong emotional connections with the reader. The idea of the two of them one day facing each other in battle is abhorrent and the reader is kept on tenterhooks hoping they never will.
Remembered Lives: where the past and present collide (Ripples Through Time) by Anna Jensen is a monumental work of historical fiction. It is a story that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Anna Jensen
Anna Jensen is a British ex-pat who has lived in South Africa for nearly as long as in England. She has exchanged squirrels in the garden for monkeys; the caw of crows with the terrified-seeming cry of the hadeda ibis. She swelts under a hot summer sun, rather than shiver in the freezing rain.
And it is there, under a wide-open sky, that she has begun to write, in response to a call from Jesus to ‘write what she sees in a book’.
And so the journey has begun, seeing and writing. She trusts the eyes of your heart will be opened to see with her as you read.
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