God's Sparrows

This epic novel, published in 1937, focuses on the wartime experience of an Ontario family, both at home and on the Western Front. Unsurprisingly it includes elements of romance and tragedy. The central character, Daniel Thatcher, is in competition with his ambitious brother, who enlists ahead of him, and his free-thinking father, who publicly opposes the war. The key event in Daniel’s active service comes toward the end of the war rather than at the iconic battles of Canadian history (Ypres, Passchendaele) — at the end of the novel, he leads his men in attack:
“They went up, over, and disappeared to eyes below the parapet level... Behind the flickering, rocking line of shell bursts 70 yards in front of them the line of men advanced, then knelt to wait for the barrage to jump forward, then broke up as men darted into trenches and shell holes to clear out the Germans at bayonet point, then sped on again to the line of the barrage.”

The author, Philip Child (born 19 January 1898), grew up in Hamilton, Ontario. He was studying at the University of Toronto when in April 1917 he enlisted for war service. He arrived at the Western Front in January 1918 and served as a private in the 262 Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery. After the war he studied at Cambridge and Harvard. Following a time spent working as a journalist, he pursued an academic career and in 1942 was appointed professor of English in the University of Toronto. His first book, an historic novel, was published in 1933. He received prestigious national awards for two of his other novels. A collection of poetry, published in 1951, was also well received.

Having experienced much of the war, the central character Dan and his cousin Quentin discuss the Last Judgment. Philosopher Quentin views it in military terms:
“It'll be like the army, all smothered in red tape. Your theological credentials will have to be precisely in order; then they'll send you from one under-strapper to the next, as they do when you go to find out something in the War Office, all little men dealing with you by rule of thumb.”
He does not fear being killed:
“I'm not afraid of death... Only thing I'm afraid of — and hate — is this damned unreality we live in here and now: not knowing what we are or what we are here for; desiring, and not knowing why we have to; wanting life, more and more life, and getting death...”