Books like The breaking wave by Nevil Shute

Alan Duncan, newly called to the bar in England, travels to his affluent parents’ Australian sheep station after a severe wartime injury that cost him both feet. While settling in, he discovers the unexpected suicide of the family housekeeper, Jessie Proctor, and learns she is, in fact, Janet Prentice—a former Royal Navy Wren and former girlfriend of his late brother Bill. In his search for the housekeeper’s personal papers, Alan finds a suitcase containing letters, diaries and a passport that reveal Janet’s past and the connections that continue to haunt him. The story intertwines themes of war, loss, and the secrets that linger long after the battle. With its focus on a World War II veteran’s return to civilian life, the novel explores the personal and social impacts of war, the quiet tragedies of Australian rural life, and the complex ties between men and women shaped by the conflict.

First publish date: 1955