In The Field

"In the Field" is a the story of a man named Stephen Norris, who fought for Newfoundland and Labrador during the first world war. The story starts as a historical telling of his life, and then goes into the tale of how a high school theatre class decided to take on the challenge of making a play about him.

This book was really interesting. I love history, and I love niche history at that, and this book really hits those bases. It starts off as straight facts, with sources and original documents that pertain to Stephen's life. The second part of the book is about those surrounding the play, the students, teachers and parents, and how this has effected or showed them something, among other little details of the play.

One main thing I will say is that this book will not be for everyone. It can be hard to start, as the information is a lot to take in to understand the story, and the second half of the book is more interview style with short blurbs from different people, so you really have to pay attention.

I really liked this book, and if you like to read heavier history books, or more interview style blurbs, then this is a read for you, and you will certainly learn a thing or two!

This is a non-fiction read that tells the story of Stephen Norris, a Newfoundlander lost in World War One. It explores how his death affected his family and his community. Newfoundland suffered devastating losses which, decades later impacted all of Newfoundland and the newer generations. In 2004, a high school theatre class creates a musical about the Newfoundland Regiment. They took a camping trip to the smaller, deserted island where Norris was from and found the remains of his boat.

This book starts with history and ends with a more current, interview style, of the high school production of the musical they created. I loved the two sections and how they fit together and I loved how the story of the First World War impacted these high school students once they felt the power of the stories of the lives that were lost. This is a shorter read but it is one that I wholeheartedly recommend especially around remembrance time. Sullivan takes the history of the Newfoundlanders at war and puts it in perspective giving stories and statistics in the perfect formula.