A Gale Stronger Than Longing by Val H Stieglitz

A Gale Stronger Than Longing by Val H Stieglitz

Called back unexpectedly to Milford Haven, Wales, the place of his first steps across that bridge from youth to adulthood, a man embarks upon a journey of reconciliation with deep, lingering memories as he plays golf with an old companion and reunites with those who took the same first steps with him.

An email inviting him to a reunion beckons a man back to Milford Haven, Wales, the place where he first began to leave boyhood behind, A gateway to the majestic and renowned Pembrokeshire coast, his experiences in Milford Haven have taken on a magical, golden aura which has lingered for decades. Returning to Milford Haven brings him face-to-face with his demanding nostalgia for the people and places of his formative years. As he plays a round of golf with his oldest golfing companion, on the course where they spent countless hours as boys, the man relives his profound connection to the people who made up his life in Milford Haven, his joy in learning to play golf there, and the undying glow of his first romance - and their role in his life today.

Part fictional narrative and part true-to-life memoir, A Gale Stronger Than Longing will appeal to fans of coming-of-age stories that center thoughtfully on the uniquely impressionable adolescent years. Readers who relate to the tenacity of profound youthful memories will feel a genuine connection to the main character, as he navigates his heartbreak upon leaving a place that had so come to feel like his home, nurturing the memories, then returning to learn whether he had done right by keeping them so immediate and alive. Wound together around the motifs of golf, the narrative will also appeal to fans of the game. A Gale Stronger Than Longing brings together golf, romance, and the bittersweet nature of nostalgia in a way that feels uplifting and hopeful.