conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide a description for a book titled The Soldier's Return about War, Burma, John with the genre: Literature & Fiction, Contemporary.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: 'Unsentimental, truthful and wonderful' Beryl Bainbridge, Independent Books of the Year When Sam Richardson returns in 1946 from the 'Forgotten War' in Burma to Wigton in Cumbria, he finds the town little changed. But the war has changed him, broadening his horizons as well as leaving him with traumatic memories. In addition, his six-year-old son now barely remembers him, and his wife has gained a sense of independence from her wartime jobs. As all three strive to adjust, the bonds of loyalty and love are stretched to breaking point in this taut, and profoundly moving novel. 'An outstandingly good novel...utterly credible, utterly compelling, and very enjoyable' Allan Massie, Scotsman 'Deeply felt, beautifully realised' John Sutherland, Sunday Times 'The first Great War came alive in Faulks's Birdsong; the second Great War, and in particular the Burma campaign, comes very much alive in Melvyn the author's The Soldier's Return -- wholly absorbing' John Bayley, Evening Standard 'Sympathetic, touching, infinitely believable...This is a highly accomplished novel' D.J. Taylor, Literary Review
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide the first five paragraphs for this book.. Start with the sentence 'The Soldier's Return
  Halfway through his second cigarette, he moved off'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The Soldier's Return
  Halfway through his second cigarette, he moved off. No one took much notice – and again he felt as though he were going head on into a force, a high wind which made him want to bend his head and butt his way through. Yet the day was calm and warm, High Street quiet enough, with a few cattle being driven down the cowpat-splattered street to the railway station for shipment, fresh from the small Friday auction. Only one car on the street, parked outside the Lion and Lamb. He even knew who it belonged to.
  The curious sensation persisted, as if he were walking waist deep in the sea, pushing against a tide, even a hint of panic in his breath. Hello Sam, yes, grand, glad to be back, lovely day... it never changes, the town... but in some way he could not define, it had. Or he had? Why did what was so familiar suddenly flip over into what seemed new? 'How do, Sam?'
  He began to feel claustrophobic. Just a street in a small Northern market town. Hello Sam, Hiya Sam, lovely day. He saw nobody from the war. Some at work – the non-Burma lads – or didn't make it back. He would soon find out, Leonard would give him the list. He walked faster, past the Anglican church, past the Girls' Grammar School, forcing the pace over yet another of the streams which trickled through the town, heading south towards Longthwaite and open land, unbuttoning his collar, loosening the tie, taking off his jacket, faster up the hill, lovely day, it never changes, the town, hounding himself out of it and then – a vale of calm – nothing but fields, friendly lush fields with sheep and cattle grazing lazily as ever, rooted there. English fields free from war for more than three hundred years, stunning and soothing him with the power of their peace.
  He wiped the sweat from his brow and gave the town a brief, almost furtive backward glance before moving on.
  The fountain, memorial to one woman, there forever planted, part of what the town was. On the outskirts in the new cemetery the memorial to the First World War with the name 'Richardson' inscribed two times. What would there be for those who had not come back this time? Again he shook his head with that sharp movement which sought to shake off unwelcome thoughts as if they were raindrops. But it was not so easy. A nice tan? Lovely day? Yes, I'll take a fag off you, Sam, smoke it later, stick it behind the ear. No bunting. The German conflict had ended almost a year ago now. The war had gone cold.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide two more paragraphs.. End with the sentence ' Soon they drove everyone away.'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Sam had asked a few of them to help him take down the tents there and then and to Joe's dismay the castles of canvas pancaked to the ground in minutes and in no time at all they were packed and stacked in the shelter ready for collecting the next morning.
  Some of the children, like Joe, were still so charged up that they could not bear to leave and as the park resumed its old contour, like a shore restored when the tide goes out, the swings and roundabouts and banana slide made their appeal. The Water Street gang, not great enthusiasts for the park as a rule, decided to stay and dominate proceedings. They hogged the American swing and then when they saw a happy crowd queuing up the steps for the banana slide they abandoned the big plank of swing and hunted across to walk up the front of the slide itself, smear it to speed with the stump of a candle someone had and climb up the stilts to the cabin at the top, thus bypassing the patient crowd on the steps. Soon they drove everyone away.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide the last five paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Ellen's lips could get no tighter and the tears came to her eyes but she would not let them fall. Joe stood small beside her, bewildered, close to uncomprehending tears.
  Behind him, Alex said abruptly, 'You did me a favour once, Sam. Remember? I told you I'd never thanked you enough?'
  Alex pushed Sam to one side and threw his kitbag out of the window. He leaned out, opened the door and shoved the suitcase into his hand.
  He got up and collected his kitbag and began to walk towards them. Sent by Ellen, Joe ran, though not flat out, towards him and Sam squatted down and took the impact of the small boy.
  He put the kitbag under his arm and took Joe's hand in his and together they walked towards Ellen who stood, in tears now, rooted to the spot.