A spark is lit on Bonfire Night in Northern England in 1965, but for John and Jean-Louise the fireworks continue to explode for decades to come. An awkward Yorkshire farm boy with few prospects and a sophisticated town girl from Manchester, John and Jean-Louise blossom, grow - both together and apart - and find ways to compromise in this coming-of-age story that goes beyond the wedding where the curtain often drops. She Wore a Yellow Dress by John R. Cammidge [February 16, 2021, Gatekeeper Press] is at once nostalgic and contemporary in the themes it explores so deftly. An autobiographical streak runs throughout that lends authenticity and depth of detail.

Since a love story doesn’t end when the couple gets together, we get to experience with the characters the ups and downs of newlyweds growing and changing during an era of social revolution. The couple faces national upheavals like changes in government, growing industrial unrest, strikes over Equal Pay, drastic inflation and Britain joining the common market. These issues affect not just John in his professional role at Ford of Britain, but every aspect of their lives. Each chapter ends with a charming illustration and description of a bird species of Britain that reflects the theme of birdwatching throughout the book, and cleverly mirrors the characters’ development at that stage of the story.

Their personal struggles sometime mirror and sometimes contrast the national unrest. Jean-Louise, now a teacher, feels she’s given up a lot for John, and her expectations of dedicated attention, spontaneous affection and unquestioning loyalty are not always met in the way she had hoped. This leads to acts of stupidity, jealousy and disagreement, but also affection, tolerance and compromise – just like real life. Readers of She Wore a Yellow Dress will relate to and cheer for the dynamic couple throughout.