Colchester Gazette

New novel 'The Grandfather Paradox' set in Colchester

15TH JUNE 2025

ARTENTERTAINMENTLITERATURE

By Sophie England

A NEW novel set in Colchester is set to explore the author's grandfather's lost years through a blend of fact and fiction. "The Grandfather Paradox" by Charles Ambrose was published on May 28 and follows the life of the author's grandfather, Alexander "Jack" Ambrose.

The book is set both in Colchester and on the Canadian prairies, with the author attempting to reconstruct his grandfather's life during the 1920s.Alexander was wounded during the First World War and briefly served as a policeman in Ireland before leaving his wife and baby son in Colchester to start a new life farming in Canada. He returned to Colchester empty-handed four years later. The book examines why he left, what he attempted to do, and why he returned.

The author, Charles Ambrose, is the pen name of Chris Meigh-Andrews, a visual artist and writer. Dr Meigh-Andrews said: "When I met my grandfather he was seventy and I was fourteen, and the gulf between us prevented any kind of connection or understanding. "Later I found out that he had spent several years in Canada during the early 1920’s, but that was all anyone could tell me. I wanted to find out more about who he was, and what he had experienced and to write about it, but as I began to piece together the lost fragments of his story, unexpected coincidences, parallels and connections between us were revealed and woven into the fabric of the narrative."

Dr Meigh-Andrews has drawn from his skills as an academic, art historian, and curator to write the novel, which is his debut book.

"The Grandfather Paradox" is published by Troubador Publishing and is available to purchase for £12.99.