Ted Watts Diary

Author: Steve Matthews 

Publisher: Big Sky Publishing 

Genre: Historical Fiction, History, Wars

Year of Release: 2023

Release Date: 04/10/23

Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

TW sexual assault, Suicide

 

Synopsis 

Ted Watts’ Diary is a coming-of-age love story.

An orphaned seven-year-old English boy arrives in Sydney to be adopted by his ne’er-do-well Aunt during the early 1900s. The story finishes 60+ years later, after we have followed Ted’s tumultuous journey into manhood. Ted Watts’ Diary has everything a ripping Australian yarn should have, and more: larrikins, mateship, humour, heroes and villains, whores and brothels, retribution, tears and laughter, thieves, spies, war, and tender love.

Ted’s difficult initiation into adulthood in Sydney leads him to Corowa, NSW where he meets and falls in love with Maddie ‘Dimples’. Before he settles down, Ted wants to follow his destiny – go to war and return to Corowa a hero. Like most young men, he has a problem expressing himself, so he promises Maddie he will write his life story in the pages of an old bible given to him previously by a dying old soldier from the Boer War. Under-age, Ted enlists, and Dimples promises to wait for him – forever if she has to. He undertakes to return with the bible, complete with his life story.

Much of the story unfolds through the eyes of Gertie, a German woman living in Bremen who finds an old bible among the WW1 paraphernalia belonging to her deceased stepfather, Ernst Bauer. This point of view allows us to witness the Great War from the German perspective as well as the Allies’.

Review 

Seven-year-old Teddy Watts arrives in Sydney Australia after becoming an orphan to be adopted by his maternal aunt Gladys, the pair manage for a short while but eventually, Aunt Gladys finds herself in financial hardship and goes in search of employment successfully securing employment at a brothel. 

It’s during his time at the brothel Ted befriends a former soldier George who now lives with a physical disability thanks to his time in the war. Ted’s curiosity about the soldier gets the better of him and Ted starts making regular visits to the brothel basement even after being advised it’s off limits and the pair strike up a fast friendship, George telling the young man about his days on the battlefield stories Ted Watts will keep with him forever, his desire to fight for King and country never once faltering. 

A short time after leaving the brothel Ted finds living with Glady’s is no longer an option and given that his arrival into adulthood was turbulent and a time Ted would rather forget than reminisce about; Ted finds himself setting off on his own his ambition and becoming a soldier is still firmly on his mind, he arrives in Corowa NSW quickly finding a place to call home, not long after arriving Ted meets and falls in love with Maddie or dimples as he has affectionately nick-named her, the pair make plans for their future together but with the war raging on in Europe Ted cannot forget the plans he made to fight for King and country so an underage Ted Watts enlists and sets off for the battlefield not knowing if he will return to Mandie a hero or mourned forever. 

Discovering author Steve Matthews book back in 2021 The Hitler trilogy has become a series that I to this day recommend to all and a series that takes pride of place on my bookshelf. I knew as soon as the trilogy reached its conclusion, I needed to wait a while for the next offering from the English-born Australian author, the longer I waited the more the anticipation grew and this is a good sign, as soon as I heard Ted Watts Diary would be hitting our bookshelves, I simply had to have it I was not disappointed. 

Once again Matthews has crafted characters a reader can connect to as the story spreads across the 60 years, I was able to form a crystal-clear image of these characters in my head and this reader was able to form a strong attachment to the boys in the 6^th unit, it felt as if this reader was fighting alongside these boys in the trenches. I also found the residents of Corowa hold a special place in my heart when amongst these pages, I believe this is because of the care and support they showed to Ted. 

Having finished the book late last year I think the only element I would add to the story would be dates, as it might have made it easier to connect to the story a little easier as so much happens in this book but at times it feels as if the passing years all become one, this in no way takes away from the plot.

I would have enjoyed learning what happened to some of the minor characters in the end.

A plot that spans 60 years would’ve been quite the undertaking and sounds like a never-ending novel, but the Author has done well to keep the plot moving whilst not leaving out any essential details from the book like emotion and the horror the young soldiers faced. 

An avid reader I’m continuously amazed at how these stories take shape and whilst it feels a little strange to call wartime stories interesting Steve has done just that! I think this is because there’s a little bit of community, coming of age, and protagonist ahead of his time, elements woven throughout this novel that kept the story fresh. And therefore, held my interest. 

The beginning of this book starts off exiting a ship with a young, orphaned child aboard making it similar to other books any Historical Fiction fan will be familiar with the rest of the book holds an original plot amongst its pages making it interesting, if you’re thinking I’ve read this genre before I know how these ends think again Steve has left the best detail to last. 

Thanks to Steve’s willingness to not shy away from the truth of what took place in history he has once again shone a light on events of this time highlighting the horror those younger soldiers experienced whilst in the battlefield, be warned not every gory detail will be glossed over making it in this reviewers opinion heavy on action this is one of the reason’s I will continue to support this author and any of his future books.  

Sub plots included in Ted Watts Diary: 

• Orphaned child was taken in by a family member. 
• First Love
• Financial hardship 
• Protagonist ahead of his time 
• Taken in by another family/ community.
• Brotherhood 
• Death of parents 
• Death of a mentor 
• Coming of age 
• Secrets exposed
• Friends to family

Tropes included in Ted Watts Diary: 

• Orphaned child was taken in by a family member. 
• First Love
• Coming of age 
• Protagonist ahead of his time 
• Friends to family 
• Death of a parent

That one religious person 

Upon reading the closing chapters of this book I found myself content with the ending, finding it hard to close the book after spending so much time with Ted and his diary. I highly recommend this book to a mature audience if you’re a Historical Fiction fan I encourage you to check out Steve Matthews previous offerings for adults in the Hitler Trilogy. 

With continued thanks to Big Sky Publishing, Simon and Schuster Australia for sending a physical copy of this book to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.