The Kingdom Round the Corner: A Novel

The Story

The novel opens in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, presenting a London transformed yet unsettled—a city where the echoes of battle still haunt the streets and the social order is in flux. The war has ended, but peace brings no simple restoration. Instead, it reveals a world “turned upside down,” where old certainties have crumbled and new challenges arise for those who fought and those who stayed behind.

The story centers on several intertwined lives, chiefly that of Tabs (Lord Taborley), a recently demobilized soldier returning to civilian life. Tabs embodies the disorientation of veterans who find themselves alienated from the society they once knew. His encounters reveal the tensions between classes and the uneasy adjustments demanded by peace. Early on, Tabs reflects on the social upheaval: men who rose in rank during the war now face the humiliation of returning to their former, humbler roles, while their wives and families, who endured the home front, remain steadfast but often unacknowledged.

Tabs’s personal mission is complicated by his relationships with several key figures, especially Terry, a young woman whose affections and loyalties are pivotal. Terry is caught between the expectations of her family—particularly her father, Sir Tobias Beddow—and the uncertain affections of Tabs. Sir Tobias, a man of old-world values and a Shakespearean demeanor, represents the fading aristocracy, uneasy with the social changes wrought by the war and the new roles women and the lower classes are assuming.

The narrative follows Tabs’s efforts to win Terry’s hand, navigating the obstacles posed by her family’s reservations and the social complications of the postwar world. Meanwhile, Tabs is drawn into the complicated affairs of Adair Easterday, a friend and fellow veteran whose life is marked by loss and confusion. Adair’s marriage is strained, and his affections divided between his wife and Maisie Lockwood, a woman whose motives and character are ambiguous. Maisie herself is a figure of intrigue and danger, described as “bewildering and dangerous,” embodying the restless, unsettled spirit of the age.

As Tabs investigates Maisie’s intentions and tries to mediate the tangled relationships, he confronts the broader disillusionment of the era. The war’s promises of honor and nobility seem betrayed by the realities of peace: commercialism, class snobbery, and personal betrayals abound. Tabs’s reflections on the wounded soldiers he encounters in London—the “one-legged, one-armed, derelict crusaders”—underscore the physical and emotional scars that linger.

The story’s turning point comes as Tabs gains clarity about his own desires and the nature of love and loyalty in this altered world. He recognizes that what people truly seek is not youth or passion alone, but a “supreme boon of not growing old,” a yearning for meaning and connection beyond mere survival. This insight deepens his understanding of Terry, Maisie, and even Adair.

In the final chapters, the characters confront their losses and hopes. Terry, feeling left out and uncertain, is reassured by Tabs and others that her “kingdom” is still ahead—the Kingdom of Youth and possibility. Adair, burdened by his own failures and haunted by the memory of a dead friend, seeks redemption and a path forward. The novel closes on a note of cautious optimism, with Tabs imagining a “marching-song of the kingdom round the corner,” a future where the wounds of war might heal and new beginnings emerge.

Throughout, the novel moves between intimate domestic scenes and broader social commentary, capturing the complexity of a society struggling to redefine itself after unprecedented upheaval.

The People

• Tabs (Lord Taborley): A recently demobilized soldier, Tabs is energetic yet burdened by the dissonance between his wartime experiences and peacetime realities. He desires stability and love, particularly from Terry, but faces obstacles from social expectations and his own doubts. Over the course of the novel, Tabs grows in self-awareness, recognizing the deeper human need for connection beyond youthful passion.

• Terry: A young woman caught between tradition and change, Terry is affectionate and spirited but uncertain of her place in the new world. She desires love and belonging but struggles with family pressures and the fear of being “left out.” By the end, she gains reassurance that her “kingdom” lies ahead, symbolizing hope and renewal.

• Sir Tobias Beddow: Terry’s father, a man steeped in old-world values and aristocratic pride. He is wary of the social changes around him and skeptical of Tabs’s suitability for his daughter. His attitude reflects the tension between the fading class system and the emerging new order. Though resistant, he ultimately plays a role in the unfolding relationships.

• Adair Easterday: A friend of Tabs and a fellow veteran, Adair is a man marked by loss and confusion. His marriage is strained, and his affections divided between his wife and Maisie Lockwood. Adair’s character embodies the emotional turmoil of returning soldiers, struggling with identity, loyalty, and the ghosts of war.

• Maisie Lockwood: A complex and enigmatic woman, Maisie is described as “bewildering and dangerous.” She is involved with Adair but claims not to want him permanently. Maisie’s motivations are ambiguous, and she represents the restless, unsettled spirit of postwar society, where traditional roles and loyalties are questioned.

• Lady Dawn: Though less central, Lady Dawn is mentioned as a figure of steadfastness and moral clarity, exempt from the mercenary tendencies attributed to other women. She symbolizes an ideal of loyalty and constancy amid the chaos.

In Its Own Voice

Tabs reflects on the altered social landscape after the war:

"Look at all the men for whom the war was a social leg-up. They were plumbers and bank-clerks and dentists in 1914; by the end of 1918 they were Majors and Colonels and Brigadiers... But now that the war's ended, these men... have become worse snobs than ourselves."

This passage captures the irony of social mobility gained through war, only to be undermined by peacetime snobbery.

Maisie speaks candidly about temptation and aging:

"Because to tell a woman that would be to tempt her to be dangerous." "But I love to be tempted, temptation is the yeast of life." "A woman knows that she's old when temptation ends."

These lines reveal Maisie’s complex relationship with desire and the passage of time, highlighting a theme of vitality and vulnerability.

Tabs contemplates the wounded veterans in London:

"They were thousands of miles from their one and only woman; but their drawn faces grinned cheerfully and their jaws were squared in the old, invincible, obstinate determination never to admit they were down-hearted."

This observation honors the resilience of soldiers despite their physical and emotional scars.

What It's Really About

At its core, the novel explores the profound dislocation wrought by the First World War on individuals and society. It examines how the promises of honor, heroism, and social progress made during the conflict clash with the harsher realities of peace. The war is not merely a backdrop but a transformative event that reshapes identities, relationships, and social structures.

One key theme is the tension between old and new social orders. The war temporarily dissolved class barriers, elevating men from humble origins to positions of power and prestige. Yet, with peace, these gains prove fragile. The novel critiques the postwar snobbery and the return to rigid social distinctions, exposing the hypocrisy and frustration of those caught between worlds.

The book also delves deeply into the complexities of love and loyalty in a fractured world. Characters like Tabs, Terry, Adair, and Maisie embody different facets of this struggle. Love is portrayed not as a simple, idealized force but as something fraught with uncertainty, betrayal, and the need for forgiveness. Maisie’s ambivalence and Terry’s feelings of exclusion underscore the precariousness of human connection in times of upheaval.

Another significant theme is the psychological and physical aftermath of war on veterans. The wounded soldiers in London symbolize the enduring scars of conflict, both visible and invisible. Tabs’s reflections on their courage and his own disorientation highlight the difficulty of reintegration and the persistence of trauma.

The novel also meditates on the passage of time and the human desire to resist aging and loss. Maisie’s words about temptation and youth, and Tabs’s realization that what people truly seek is “not growing old,” point to a universal longing for vitality and meaning beyond mere survival.

Finally, the title’s metaphor—the “kingdom round the corner”—suggests hope and the possibility of renewal. Despite disillusionment and hardship, the characters cling to the idea that a better future awaits, even if it remains just out of sight. This motif ties together the personal and social dimensions of the story, framing the postwar world as a place of both endings and beginnings.

Why Read It Today

This novel offers a richly textured portrait of post-World War I England, capturing the social and emotional complexities of a society struggling to redefine itself. Readers interested in historical fiction that probes the psychological aftermath of war and the shifting class dynamics of early 20th-century England will find much to engage with here.

The writing is warm and precise, avoiding sentimentality while conveying the nuanced inner lives of its characters. The dialogue and reflections reveal the tensions between tradition and change, youth and age, loyalty and betrayal, making the story resonate beyond its historical moment.

However, the novel’s period setting and style may present challenges. The language and social attitudes reflect the early 1920s, including class-consciousness and gender roles that may feel dated or uncomfortable to modern readers. The pacing is deliberate, with a focus on character and social observation rather than fast-moving plot, which requires patience and attention.

What stays with the reader is the novel’s honest exploration of human resilience and vulnerability in the face of profound loss and change. The characters’ struggles with love, identity, and belonging feel authentic and deeply human. The metaphor of the “kingdom round the corner” lingers as a poignant symbol of hope amid uncertainty.

For those drawn to stories of veterans’ reintegration, the social upheaval of postwar England, and the intimate dramas that unfold in the shadow of history, this novel offers a thoughtful and affecting experience. It invites reflection on how societies and individuals rebuild after trauma, and how the past shapes the possibilities of the future.