Books

LEAVING FATHERLAND

Oskar Bachmann always imagined that giving his first lecture would be the defining moment of his life.

It was, but not in the way he expected…

Growing up a misfit in Nazi Germany, a victim of his father’s beatings, Oskar’s love of books is a constant comfort in a world turned upside-down by violence.

As a student, as a pilot in the brutal Luftwaffe during the Second World War, in an unhappy marriage to an English bride, he finds himself returning over and over to the circumstances of his childhood. What was the source and cause of his father’s abuse? Could there have been more to it than he had once believed?

Little did Oskar know that his first lecture at the University of Tübingen would ultimately lead to the end of a lifetime of searching… and finally reveal the figure who had been controlling his life from a distance.

 PRAISE FOR LEAVING FATHERLAND

Graydon’s haunting, thought-provoking narrative makes for an immersive, memorable and cinematic read
— Award-winning filmmaker, Andi Reiss
A family drama which plays out across continents during and after World War Two. A novel with real honesty and depth, a great debut
— Iain MacGregor, historian, publishing director at Head of Zeus, and author of Checkpoint Charlie

PRAISE FOR MATT GRAYDON’S WRITING

These were all comments made on Matt’s Saigo No Tatakai short story

Sometimes a piece of writing stands out from the rest. What a moving piece this was, easily deserving of first place. Nothing came close.
— Carol-Ann Rogers, Watford 
The descriptions of place actually took me there and the use of two POVs worked very well. Very thought-provoking.
— Nicola Ratnett, Llangammarch
I enjoyed the two points of view; the tension was palpable and pacing excellent.
— Diana Heatly, Southampton
Saigo No Tatakai strongly evokes the futility and horror of war.
— Pat Ashford, Wolverhampton