The Shepherd (novella)

Christmas Eve, 1957: An RAF pilot just wants to get home to spend the holiday with his family, but his jet develops electrical trouble over a fog-bound North Sea. His only hope to survive the night, let alone get home, is that somebody notices him on radar and sends up a guide aircraft to bring him in - a "shepherd."

Frederick Forsyth's novella was originally a Christmas gift to his wife in 1974, which was published by Hutchinson in 1975. Then it was read on-air on the CBC Radio program As It Happens in 1979, and the story became a Christmas tradition.

The Other Wiki has a spoiler-laden synopsis of the story's plot.


 * Twist Ending: It wouldn't be a Frederick Forsyth story without one. In this case, it concerns the shepherd's identity.
 * Write What You Know: Frederick Forsyth was an RAF Flying Officer before becoming a writer.

Spoiler tropes:
 * The reveal comes as the story's Wham! Line.