When I come home again – Caroline Scott
Today it is my turn to take part in the @RandomTours Blog Tour to celebrate publication of the new WW2 historical novel by Caroline Scott:
Description
They need him to remember. He wants to forget.
1918. In the last week of the First World War, a uniformed soldier is arrested in Durham Cathedral.
When questioned, it becomes clear he has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there.
The soldier is given the name Adam and transferred to a rehabilitation home where his doctor James, is determined to recover who this man once was. But Adam doesn’t want to remember. Unwilling to relive the trauma of war, Adam haslocked his memory away, seemingly for good.
When a newspaper publishes a feature about Adam, three women come forward, each claiming that he is someone she lost in the war. But does he believe any of these women? Or is there another family out there waiting for him to come home?
Based on true events, When I Come Home Again is a deeply moving and powerful story of a nation’s outpouring of grief, and the search for hope in the aftermath of war.
My Review
When I come home again is a heart-rending family drama
wrapped around a mystery of identity and focussing on the brutality and
futility of war and the repercussions it has on those left at home as well as
the ones who fought in the First World War.
Written by the acclaimed author of The Photographer of the Lost this is the ideal follow up read to this Authors outstanding debut which was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club choice. A great book for any reader who loves the era during and after World War One
Perfect for anyone who is interested in the history of the first World War and what makes people tick, this is the story of one soldier Adam,
suffering from memory loss whose doctor tries to uncover his past by finding
his family, despite Adam being unable to remember who they are.
When adverts are placed in local papers, surprisingly more
than one person comes forward all claiming he is their missing, son, husband,
brother. Who is telling the truth, who should Adam believe?
What follows is a mixture of Adams story and the stories of
the grieving and lonely people who are trying to claim him.
It is a real page turner with outpourings of grief and the horrors of war as well as a captivating mystery and some great characters. I loved that it begins in Durham Cathedral, a place I love to visit for its sense of history and calm and feeling of lasting protection.
About the Author
Caroline completed a PhD in History at the University of Durham. She developed a particular
interest in the impact of the First World War on the landscape of Belgium and France, and in
the experience of women during the conflict – fascinations that she was able to pursue while
she spent several years working as a researcher for a Belgian company. Caroline is originally
from Lancashire, but now lives in southwest France. The Photographer of the Lost was a BBC
Radio 2 Book Club pick.
