The Story of Our Lives - Do Dragons Really Fly?: A Sweeping World War 2 Historical Fiction Family Saga - Softcover

Turnbull-Banham, Irene

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1918465010 ISBN 13: 9781918465013

Publisher: Grand Publishers, 2026

Synopsis

In war, survival is everything – but the heart has a war of its own.
The Story of Our Lives - Do Dragons Really Fly? is a sweeping, emotionally rich family saga inspired by true events, tracing one woman’s extraordinary journey through love, loss, courage and survival across continents and generations.

Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Second World War, the story begins in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, before carrying the reader deep into the Far East – from colonial Hong Kong to the Philippines, Australia, and eventually home again. When Hong Kong falls to the Japanese Imperial Army, Constance- Philomena Briton, a young mother, is forced to make an impossible choice: remain and risk everything, or flee into the unknown with her children.

Under cover of darkness, guided by instinct, resilience and an unshakeable maternal love, Constance escapes through fear-soaked nights, dangerous seas and foreign lands. Along the way, she encounters extraordinary acts of kindness, profound cultural connections, and a mysterious Chinese Sea Lord whose presence will echo through generations.

At the heart of this novel lies a powerful metaphor drawn from Chinese belief: the dragon within. Not a creature of destruction, but a symbol of inner strength, wisdom and courage – the force that rises when life demands the impossible. As Constance faces war, separation, displacement and uncertainty, her inner dragon awakens, carrying her forward when hope seems fragile.

Spanning more than a century, The Story of Our Lives – Do Dragons Really Fly? is a richly textured tale of:

• Female resilience and quiet heroism
• Family bonds that endure across time and distance
• Cultural intersections between East and West
• The unseen threads that bind generations together

Told through vivid settings, intimate personal moments, and historical detail, this novel blends historical fiction with deeply human storytelling. Artefacts of memory – telegrams, postcards, letters of condolence, and stories handed down through family gatherings – weave the past into the present, reminding us how one woman’s courage can shape countless lives.

Heart-stirring, immersive and ultimately uplifting, Do Dragons Really Fly? is a tribute to mothers, survivors, and the enduring strength carried quietly within us all.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Historical and wartime family sagas
• Strong female protagonists
• East-meets-West storytelling
• Emotionally resonant, character-driven fiction
• Stories inspired by real lives and events

When everything is taken away, what remains is courage.
And when courage rises, dragons do fly.

About this title

About the Author

Irene Turnbull-Banham is a novelist whose writing is inspired by a lifetime of international experience, family history and a fascination with the enduring connections between people, cultures and generations.Following a successful career as a senior manager with HSBC, she spent many years at the Bank's headquarters in Hong Kong, working across the Far East and Pacific Rim. Her role required the preparation of strategic reports and business papers on behalf of senior regional management, developing the research, analytical and writing skills that now underpin her work as an author.An ex-military wife, Irene also lived for many years throughout the Far East, gaining a deep appreciation of Chinese culture, history and philosophy. These experiences, together with her late husband's extensive research into his family's extraordinary wartime experiences-including the fall of Hong Kong, the Lisbon Maru, and life as a prisoner of war-inspired her to preserve these remarkable stories through historical fiction.Her debut novel, The Story of Our Lives - Do Dragons Really Fly?, was published in 2026 after more than a decade of research and writing. Its sequel, Lilly Moon Flower, continues that journey, exploring themes of courage, belonging, reconciliation and the lasting bonds that unite families across generations and cultures.Irene lives in North Wales, where she continues to write novels inspired by true events, believing that history is most powerful when told through the lives of ordinary people whose courage changed the future.

Edition details

• Publisher: Grand Publishers
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1918465010
• ISBN 13: 9781918465013
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208