A brilliant but deeply flawed man struggles to earn absolution Hilary Burde was a rising star in academia until a tragic accident plunged him and his mentor and rival, Gunnar Jopling, into two decades of depression and guilt. Hilary, unable to overcome his pain, abandoned his promising career for an unfulfilling job as a civil servant. But at age forty-one, Hilary crosses paths again with Gunnar-initiating a series of events that will change their lives forever. Set against a richly drawn backdrop of post-war London, A Word Child is a gripping story of passion and the redemptive power of love.