Shifting Perspectives

In Pale Battalions 

by Robert Goddard

“The dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."  ― Robert Goddard








"In Pale Battalions" by Robert Goddard is a captivating and intricately plotted novel that weaves together elements of historical fiction, mystery, and family drama. Goddard’s second novel showcases his early mastery of suspenseful storytelling and his ability to craft complex narratives that keep readers guessing until the final pages. Set against the backdrop of World War I and spanning several decades, the book explores themes of secrets, deception, trust, and the long-reaching consequences of hidden truths.

The narrative opens with Leonora Galloway and her daughter Penelope touring France's Thiepval Memorial, a monument honoring the Somme's dead. There, Leonora reveals a puzzling detail: her father, Captain John Hallows, is listed as having died in April 1916, yet she was born in March 1917, making it impossible for him to be her biological father. This revelation sets the stage for a multi-generational tale that unfolds through shifting perspectives and timelines, pulling readers into a web of family secrets centered around the Meongate estate in Hampshire.

The story explores Leonora's early years, which were characterized by the controlling influence of her cunning step-grandmother Olivia and the aloof demeanor of her grandfather, Lord Powerstock. As an orphan raised in a household steeped in mystery, Leonora’s quest for the truth about her parentage drives the story forward. Lieutenant Tom Franklin, a friend of John Hallows and a wounded soldier, joins the story and, while recovering at Meongate in 1916, discovers a complex web of deceit, extortion, and murder. Characters like the scheming Olivia, the enigmatic American Ralph Mompesson, and the vulnerable yet resilient Leonora Hallows add depth and tension to the unfolding drama.

The author's careful plotting and poetic prose are exquisite. The novel’s structure—told through multiple narrators, each revealing partial truths—mirrors the elusive nature of the mystery itself and kept me engaged as I pieced together the puzzle. The World War I setting serves not just as a backdrop but as a catalyst for the moral ambiguities and identity crises that permeate the story.