Walking Wounded — Marshall Cook

When William Babcock McGinnity flies to Madison, Wisconsin to be with his dying mother, he learns the identity of his birth father and the truth about the man who raised him as his son. The story begins on Christmas Eve, 1943, when a young seaman, on leave from the Navy, surprises his sweetheart in Madison, Wisconsin with a visit and an engagement ring. Their brief and passionate reunion results in a pregnancy, which costs the woman her job at a local radio station. After learning that her fiancé has been killed in action, the young woman delivers her baby prematurely. She has previously met a young copy editor for the afternoon newspaper when the two happen to witness an impromptu marriage ceremony at the local barbershop, and this man, 4-F because of a crippling childhood illness, steps up to befriend her now. Their unlikely relationship evolves as they become involved a murder trial, a literary secret, and a scandal in the local semi-pro baseball league.