Coming home
By: Roy Stolworthy
Publisher: Claymore
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Barnsley [England]
Language: eng
ISBN-13: 9781781599761; 9781781590713
Subjects: World War, 1914-1918; Fiction; FICTION; General
Description: War stories. A brutally honest portrayal of the realities of warfare, this novel relays the story of Thomas Elkins a young soldier caught up in the carnage of the First World War. A tale of conflict, both global and personal, and of redemption, this is a novel which has the potential to rank alongside the best of retrospective First World War literature. Following a morally subversive act, Elkins enters in to the fray of the Great War with his sense of identity shattered. Believing that, in fully submitting to the reality of the War he is atoning for his sins, he faces all the attendant horrors with a steel will and poignant resignation. His personal conflict sees itself mirrored in wider events and soon the two are inextricably linked. Raising issues of mortality, morality, guilt and faith, this novel enacts the kind of existential crises experienced on the battlefield, with the constant threat of imminent and fatal danger a companion. Written with deft skill and sensitivity for the subject matter at hand, this is a stylish piece of work that places the reader right at the heart of the action. Featuring nuanced characters and vivid action scenes, it works to evoke a real sense of the times as they unfolded.