Book excerpt: Calgarron is the story of one man's life from boy to warrior to lover to husband and father. Set to the background of the Japanese invasion of the Malay Peninsula and the Second World War, his fast-paced novel moves through Asia, Australia, USA, and Europe. War brings injury, friendship, and love, but his family secrets shatter his life and grip on reality. Lavinia Calgarron looked down at her son fast asleep in his bed. The last hundred years' war had ravished not only her own family but especially the Calgarron family. Lavinia had lost her husband during the First World War, and now deep into the Second World War, the only Calgarron left lay wounded in a bed in Darwin hospital. He was the captain of a destroyer and had returned in triumph from a rescue mission on Timor but in the process had broken his leg. Lewis Calgarron lay sleeping; he was thinking of Sophie, the woman he loved. They had met under such unusual circumstances thrown together by war. She had lost everything; he had lost estates, wealth, and status because of the war with Japan. He needed to build back that fortune, and he felt under self-applied pressure to produce an heir to carry the dynasty forward. He was determined to not only win the war but to win the peace. "Lavinia out!" he heard. He opened his eyes and saw his mother standing near the door. Lewis thought he was dead! He smelt her first, that unmistakably scent, her musk. He slowly turned his head and looked deep into Sophie's eyes. She smiled at him and whispered, "Lewis Calgarron, I love you." He smiled back at her and said, "I love you too. Was that my mother?"