'To everything there is a season' Historical Factual Tale

'To Everything There Is a Season' is an award-winning, deeply moving work of creative nonfiction by Helen Parker-Drabble, blending historical realism with tender emotional insight. Set in early 20th-century Sheffield, it recounts the final months of Lizzie Drabble’s life through the eyes of her devoted husband, Henry. As Lizzie faces a terminal illness with grace and faith, she entrusts her family to the rhythm of life and renewal—urging them to find solace in the cycles of nature and the small acts of everyday living.

Told with exquisite restraint and historical authenticity, the story captures the intimate details of Edwardian family life, from the ritual of the family photograph to the scent of lavender soap in the sickroom and the hopeful planting of a kitchen garden after loss. Through Henry’s grief and gradual reawakening, the piece traces the universal journey from despair to acceptance, culminating in a quiet return to companionship and purpose.

Meticulously researched and emotionally resonant, To Everything There Is a Season offers a timeless reflection on love, mortality, and the healing power of the natural world. Rooted in family history, it exemplifies Parker-Drabble’s unique approach—merging genealogy, psychology, and historical storytelling to explore how the past continues to shape our hearts and identities.

Award

It’s a Henshaw Press Winner

One of the thirty Henshaw Short Story Competitions included in their third anthology.

'To everything there is a season' by Helen Parker-Drabble

Henry Drabble 1964-1935, clay miner of Bradfield, Sheffield.

Henry Drabble & children Chloris, Martha and John. But where is his wife Elizabeth, née Ronksley?