The Shepherd - Frederick Forsyth - ★★★★
AUTHOR: Frederick Forsyth
GENRE: Historical Fiction Novella
RATING: 4 stars.
In a Nutshell: A beautiful Christmas-time novella set in the post WWII era. Might be predictable for today’s readers, but for the time it was written in, it is a standout piece. Definitely recommended if you can read it keeping in mind that it first came out in 1975.
Story Synopsis:
Christmas Eve, 1957. Our twenty-year-old narrator, a pilot with the Royal Air Force, has just taken off from West Germany to make it back in time to his parents’ house in England on Christmas morning. However, when he is over the North Sea, his plane begins to fail. First the compass and then the radio top functioning. With the fog rolling in, the pilot loses hope, until he spots a Mosquito fighter-bomber of WWII vintage. This plane acts as the ‘shepherd’ to guide the narrator to safety, but with barely any fuel left, will he make it?
The story comes to us from the first person perspective of the unnamed pilot.
As I had mentioned in my review of ‘The Rise’ by Ian Rankin, I am not a thriller fanatic, and hence, when I spy a short story by an acclaimed thriller writer, I read it to see if the author’s novels might work for me. Ian Rankin’s writing didn’t click with me, but based on this first taste of Frederick Forsyth’s work, I am keen to try more! (I have heard that his remaining novels aren’t in this genre – time will tell!)
This story was first written in 1975. I am sure that when it was a new publication, it would have been a highly impactful story, with the twist coming as a surprise to the reader. However, the problem with creative ideas is that they are soon replicated by others, and as a consequence, the original loses its value. As a 2023-reader, I was able to foresee the twisty trope much before it actually unfolded, and I am sure most other contemporary readers will also be able to guess it, because the plot device in use is fairly common nowadays. However, this predictability didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story.
I loved the significance of the title and its dual applicability to the novella. The author clearly knows much about planes and aviation practices. It was a treat to read such a well-researched story that flowed smoothly from start to end. The pilot’s emotions, whether confidence or fear or hope or confusion, came out well in every scene. The only thing I couldn’t buy was that the pilot was just twenty. (This might be because of the narrator – more on this later.)
In terms of impact, though I was not surprised by the proceedings, I was still impressed enough by the author’s attention to detail and the then-creative plotline. A story must be judged based on when it was written than on when it was read. For a 1975 work, this one sure packs a punch.
Worth a read, for sure. As a Christmas story, it ends with the right dash of hope and faith.
Through the below link, you can hear the CBC radio broadcast of this story as narrated by ‘Fireside Al’ Maitland. Al’s voice is much too gruff to sound credible as a twenty-year-old, but his narration is excellent. So if you want to try this story on audio, visit:
If you prefer a video version, check out:
On an unrelated note, the “twist” reminded me of a similar one in a book I had read during my childhood. The book was called ‘The Phantom in the Saddle’, and try as I may, I can’t find the author’s name or a reference to the book on Goodreads or anywhere else. But it was one of my favourite books then, and probably the first ever graphic novel I read in my life, though I didn't even know this word then. When I have some time to spare, I am going to dig through my old boxed-up childhood book stash and see if I still have my copy.
Editing on 30th December 2023:
I found my old book!!!
If you see the pic, you might wonder why it is in such a miserable state. So here's the backstory. This is exactly how the book was when I purchased it from a little used books store, more than three decades ago. The cover was missing, but as I liked the girl on the front page and as the seller was giving it away for peanuts (considering its tattered pages and missing front and back covers), I jumped at the bargain. (Or perhaps I should say, I convinced my mom to jump at the bargain!😄)
This would end up as the first ever graphic novel I read, and also the first ever ghost story I read, not counting Casper's tales. I never dreamt that the book would be in my life all these years later, and would become a favourite of my little ones as well. Still, I relish it as much as ever. My younger one just grabbed this from my bedside table, gave it another reread, and happily rated it 5 stars. Yay! 😍
Sadly, because of the missing cover and back page, I have no idea about the author's name, nor do I have an ISBN that I may add it to Goodreads database. All I know is that it was published by D.C. Thomson & Co, Ltd. in London in 1979. So the book's older than I am! 😄
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