On 14 February 1945, the Allies fire-bombed Dresden, killing tens of thousands and starting a political row and propaganda war that lasted years. James Dalton leads the Pathfinder group that pinpoints the target with flares, ensuring maximum destruction is done. The raid is proclaimed a success, or an atrocity, depending on which side of the propaganda machine you are on.
In a subsequent mission, Dalton crashes and is horribly burnt himself. In the ensuing decade, he struggles with his disfigurement and a tormented soul that holds him accountable for a war crime.
In Dresden, a young boy survives the fire-storm and escapes to England. Years later, he and Dalton meet and Dalton emerges from alcoholism and PTSD to find spiritual healing and love through a gift that he unwittingly gave the young boy in Dresden in 1945.
Approximately 75,000 words.
