John West is a Physician living in Yorkshire, UK and first-time author. 

His novel ‘The Psychiatrist’ was inspired by his father’s emotional journey from teenage years until the final years of life as a cancer patient. John explores the effect of his father’s five years as a POW from 1940-45 that left lasting scars, not just on him but also all those who loved him. The novel goes on to explore his post-war career as a Psychiatrist, possibly paying back a debt of survivor guilt.

Much of the background had to be sourced afresh from original research, and involved pilgrimages to the battlefields around Dunkirk as well as the POW camps and mining sites of Silesia, now in modern day Poland. 

John has brought his father’s story to life with a relevance to anyone affected by a major life stress. A message of hope and reconciliation runs through the book.