reader feedback

  “Lethbridge was magnificent. What a story! My only complaint is I wish it had been twice as long. I read it in a day and found the entirety of the book to be fascinating. The story certainly would make for an excellent movie or, better yet, a TV mini-series.” 

Randy C, Tilbury, Ontario

  “... and at times intense dialogue brings this story to vibrant life. I felt as if I were really in the mud and despair of the trenches – no easy glorification of the sacrifices of war here. Ultimately, the author shows us all, through generational contrast and conscious decision-making on the parts of the protagonists that love – love of one's family and one's fellow human beings – is everything.”

Pam E, North Hatley, Quebec

  “This is a fantastic book. I love the detail in the scenes. It really sets up perfectly for a TV or film adaptation the way each scene moves the story along. A touching story, too. I had allergy troubles when … oops, better not give anything away.” –

Don B, Lund, British Columbia

  “I started reading Lethbridge after the late evening news one night and finished it in the wee hours. It might be a fictionalized account of three people in the Great War, but it's all true. I was genuinely tickled to read how the author emulated the writing preparation style of Ian Fleming when writing the James Bond novels. You see, the real Stanley Knowlton actually served with the ‘real’ James Bond. Fleming once said Bond was inspired by William Stephenson, the Canadian master spy later known as ‘The Man Called Intrepid.’ In 1916, Stephenson was, like Stanley, a

corporal in the 101st Battalion.”

Jim B, Winnipeg, Manitoba

  “I loved it. I sat down to read it and I didn’t stop until I had finished. I couldn’t let it go. I caught myself with tears in my eyes many times, always hopeful the heroes would prevail. The First World War was so devastating, but it’s different when you read about real people; brave people who did everything they could to try and survive.”

Joyce C, Victoria, British Columbia

  “McConnell's source material for Lethbridge is comprised of family stories about his grandparents, the well-documented history of immigration to Canada in the early 1900s, and the heroic return across the Atlantic of thousands of those same immigrants to fight in the Great War. Stylistically, the tale of Hettie, Stanley and Harry is a hybrid — a novel/screenplay — a love story set within the framework of nation-building and a world war. It’s true Canadiana and a perfect candidate for a Canadian television

mini-series.”

Larry C, Lakeshore, Ontario

  “... intriguing and hard to put down. Will it make the New York Times’ Best Book of 2022? I’m betting on it.” 

Adrienne B, Swanville, Maine

   “I couldn’t put it down. … Lethbridge will be a book I will read and re-read for years to come. I will be reading it to my grandchildren. So well written, so well researched. I felt transported back to a place I never knew.”

Walter O, Fergus, Ontario

 " It usually takes me some tie to get through a book. But with Lethbridge, I couldn't put it down."

Jamie M, Waterloo, ON

  “I loved it. I felt so many connections in this work.” 

Deborah A, Toronto, Ontario

  “Wow! It’s a helluva story. Loved it!”

Claudio D, Windsor, Ontario

  “... from the first sentence. I became teary-eyed several times as I read it.” 

Joyce C, Powell River, B.C.

"I’ve just finished Lethbridge. It was a wonderful story, Honestly, I thought it would be a good read but it was so good that I only put the book down once, to make another cup

of tea. Well done!"

Carol M, Southampton, Ontario

"I think Lethbridge is really lovely. It’s brilliant — funny, terrifying, and moving. I don’t know what the process is for getting this book into the high school curriculum but seniors in schools across the country ought to consider this book for study"

Wayne M, Vancouver, B.C.

“Lethbridge was a Christmas gift from my sister. I enjoyed it immensely, a very good read!” 

David M, Nanaimo, British Columbia

"Loved this story! So interesting how the lives of the three main characters intertwine. I enjoyed that I could follow it without feeling lost and being able to 'feel' the story so

vividly. I'm definitely looking forward to a sequel."

Priscilla W, Nanoose Bay, British Columbia

Recently, I enjoyed reading this gem of a story, Lethbridge, about love and war and three characters I fell in love with from the outset. I certainly couldn’t wait to learn what happened in the end. A good story, my kind of story.” 

Diane P, Chatham, Ontario