This book offers a hauntingly beautiful portrayal of the lasting effects of war on those who fought in it. With vividly drawn characters and a keen understanding of the shifting nature of English society in the aftermath of the First World War, Rebecca West's novel offers a poignant and deeply moving look at the wounds that war inflicts, both visible and invisible. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and literary fiction alike.

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• Women's Press Club Award for Journalism (1948)

"An authentic masterpiece." — The North American Review Returning to his stately English home from the chaos of World War I, a shell-shocked officer finds that he has left much of his memory in the front's muddy trenches. The three women who love him best anxiously await his arrival: the thoughtful and intuitive cousin who narrates the story, the lovely wife he cannot recognize, and the woman with whom he shared a summer romance 15 years ago. Rebecca West's novel depicts neither battles nor battlefields. This remarkable tale takes a searching look at the far-reaching effects of the first modern war on a sheltered society. The Return of the Soldier effectively and memorably captures the spirit of England in the throes of unwelcome change. It is a penetrating view of the nation's shifting class structures and offers a sensitive portrayal of individuals torn between nostalgia for their irretrievable past and acceptance of their conflicted present.

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