Norman Allen

Vermont Norman Allen

Inspired by a remarkable house, Vermont is a significant part of a small community in Southern France. The narrative follows the inter-connected lives of those associated with it, as they meet the many challenges of the first half of the Twentieth Century. The tranquil domesticity of the house and the benign rural landscape is the background to the enterprise and fortitude of many diverse characters (real and imagined). They are caught-up in the dramatic events of the Great War, the Depression and then the Second World War in Europe, but they always look forward towards better times. They share humour and romance, tragedy and reconciliation, whilst expressing their faith, empathy and hope. Their stories involve insights into personality, farming, construction, culture, politics, commerce, military tactics and intelligence, birth, life and death. Henry Ford may have neglected history, but the people of Vermont learned many hard lessons, - lessons that should not be forgotten, - if peace, harmony and prosperity are to be sustained in Europe and across the World.