The Severed Cord is a story about love, loss and redemption.
As the world turns to war in 1914, three brothers and an aboriginal stockman have a decision to make - join the conflict or remain within their rural idyll.
When the eldest enlists, the remaining brothers are bound to follow and Jimmy, the aboriginal stockman is coerced into joining them in Palestine, where they battle to survive, eventually returning to Australia, their lives forever changed.
In Palestine, Jimmy assumes the role of protector and is forced to negotiate a world where prejudice is suspended only to be replaced by the horrors of war, a conflict that leads to the most profound betrayal and loss.
Interwoven with Jimmy's story are the modern-day exploits of the grandson of one of the brothers. Harry is an immature man beset by self-doubt and self-recrimination, avoiding responsibility for his actions and any of his relationships, until a chance meeting with Anika leads, at last, to love, to purpose and the genesis of understanding about his life.
From a prosperous pre-war Australia, to a war-torn 1917 Palestine and from the modern-day shores of Israel to the water saturated deltas of Bangladesh, The Severed Cord is a tale of adventure and misadventure that delves into the genesis of intergenerational trauma, a phenomenon that potentially binds us all to the negativity of the past, stalling the creation of a positive future.
The Severed Cord is the eagerly awaited sequel to The Veiled Thread, though it can be read as a standalone story.
Industry Reviews
"I found the novel easy to read, the descriptive language made the story easy to follow. 'I felt that I was observing a movie of the story'. Congratulations on a wonderful read."
-Darryl Kelly, medical professional
"Stephen Twartz takes us on a journey where we are introduced to how the fallibilities of one generation are manifested in subsequent generations. "
- Ray McMillan, Business Consultant
"A reminder that when we condone an act of war that we are, and will be, responsible for the destruction of many young and innocent lives that will take generations to absolve. Plumbs the depths of understanding and compassion that one traumatised soldier feels for another. An Australian story that applauds the individuals trapped in the collective influence of forces beyond Australia."
- Michael Lawrence-Brown, Australian emeritus consultant vascular surgeon