Recently I felt honoured to receive a signed copy of The Promise by Rob Redenbach. With my interest piqued in a discussion with the author just prior to publication, I promptly found an hour or so to read the novella from cover to cover.
I found the story deeply moving. While some of my life experiences are the result of the legacy of war, I am far removed from the immediacy of harsh realities on the battlefield. The mental, emotional and physical legacy is difficult to capture in words, but after reading the compelling descriptive passages I came away with a heightened awareness and intensely realistic insights.
The great many nuances in the story captivated my interest. The interconnection of the parts that make up the whole of The Promise weaves a profoundly insightful and compelling narrative that commands a place in the hands of readers of all ages post primary.
In his responses below, we gain insights into Redenbach’s journey in writing the story about the promise made by an unknown soldier to his dying mate.
What is the inspiration behind your book?
I have a good friend who is a Legacy Club President. He told me about the legend of a soldier in the trenches of the Western Front saying to his dying mate, “I’ll look after the missus and kids.” This became known as The Promise – and more than a century later it lives on in the work of organisations such as Legacy, RSL, Soldier On, Mates4Mates, the Bravery Trust and Cor Infinitus. What’s fascinating about the original promise is we don’t know anything about the soldier who said those words. So, I thought I’d fill some gaps and create a backstory that explores the limits of courage and the legacy of sacrifice.
Why is it important for the message of your book to be heard today?
Soldiers aren’t sports people playing a game or athletes swimming in a chlorinated pool. In most cases, soldiers are ordinary people doing extraordinary (yet necessary) things that many people would not only prefer to avoid, they’d prefer not to think about. If a community/society is to better appreciate the different facets of itself, it’s important to understand the sacrifices made by elements of that community/society.
Why did you choose to write the story as a novella?
About half way through the writing journey, I realised I was more focused on building the word count than telling a story in my natural style. At that point, I re-read two novellas* I’ve always liked and then did some serious editing of my draft. In the process the story became clearer, more concise and altogether more powerful. The fact that the end result happened to be a novella was more a healthy consequence of conscious editing rather than an initial literary goal.
Do you have a demographic for your book, or do you want your book to resonate with everyone?
Ultimately, I think readers determine what demographic a book is suited to. That said, I’d be satisfied if young readers in high school, through to anyone who has served in the profession of arms or anyone who wants to better appreciate what it’s like to serve in the profession of arms, valued reading the story.
In what ways do your own life experiences inform the narrative?
A reasonable amount. For example, the scene presented as a dream where the main character’s new born daughter starts to convulse describes what happened to my own daughter shortly after she was born. Other experiences such as providing armed protection to aid-workers in the Middle East also informed some of my understandings of what it’s like to operate in a war zone.
What part did research play in constructing the story?
Research was 80% of the work. When I wrote about “pale red brandy that smacked of methylated spirits” I described it in that way because that was how one of the soldiers in the trenches described the grog they used to put in their canteens. Similarly, when I described a German soldier recording 149 insect species in his leather-bound journal, that’s because I read the diary of a German soldier who recorded 149 insect species in his leather-bound journal.
In constructing your book, did you work with anyone to solidify your thoughts and ideas?
Yes, and no. In chatting with friends and veterans I’d sometimes introduce a thought or a topic related to the story but I’d do it in a conversational way rather than say “I’m thinking of putting this in my book”. I found this approach more natural and spontaneous. Afterwards I’d replay the conversation in my mind, reflect on how it unfolded and then when I next sat down to write, the memory of that conversation would influence my thoughts and my writing.
Is there another book you might recommend to read in tandem?
All Quiet on The Western Front would add a worthwhile layer of understanding. So too would Storm of Steel. Both books are written from the German perspective.
(*The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth and The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.)
I extend my thanks to Rob, for his responses and insights.
For further information about ROB REDENBACH visit www.redenbach.com
“The Promise is such an important story. Beautifully written, it brings history to life.” Melissa Doyle AM – author of 15 Seconds of Brave
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