Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Century (2024), 400 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML:NATIONAL BESTSELLER � During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist, from the author of The Bear and the Nightingale. �A wonderful clash of fire and ice�a book you won�t want to let go of.��Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie�s death in combat, along with his personal effects�but something doesn�t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something�or someone�else? November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear. As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura�s and Freddie�s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging�or better left behind entirely.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member bibliovermis
Historical fiction about battlefield nurses and soldiers in the trenches in WWI, illness and disaster at home and loss and deprivation abroad. A ghost story, a fantasy, a haunting exploration of families and grief. I really feel the limits of my own abilities of expression, trying to tell you how
Show More
excellent this book is, or to even provide a basic description that satisfies me. I can say "allegorically fantastical, visceral WWI historical fiction," and sure, that's factual—but it's so wildly insufficient. The book is superb. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
This was really good! I have been a huge fan of Katherine Arden’s work since I first read her work so I was excited to read this book. This book was very different than her previous work and I love the versatility of her writing. This book was the perfect blend of historical fiction and magic
This story is set during World War I and is told from two main points of view, Laura and her brother Freddie. Laura worked as a nurse during the war until she was discharged after being wounded. When she receives a package containing her brother’s personal items, she fears that he has lost his life fighting the war. Months earlier, Freddie finds himself in a terrible situation and things look grim. Things become even more interesting when both siblings encounter a mysterious stranger.
Michael Crouch and January LaVoy did a wonderful job with the narration of this book. I have had a lot of luck with both of these narrators in the past and I thought their voices complimented each other’s nicely. They were both able to bring their characters to life by bringing just the right amount of emotion to their reading. I am certain that their narration added to my overall enjoyment of this book.
I would recommend this book to others. I quickly became attached to this wonderful cast of characters and wanted to see things work out for each one of them. I look forward to reading more of this talented author’s work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Del Rey and Penguin Random House Audio.
Show More
which I found captivating.This story is set during World War I and is told from two main points of view, Laura and her brother Freddie. Laura worked as a nurse during the war until she was discharged after being wounded. When she receives a package containing her brother’s personal items, she fears that he has lost his life fighting the war. Months earlier, Freddie finds himself in a terrible situation and things look grim. Things become even more interesting when both siblings encounter a mysterious stranger.
Michael Crouch and January LaVoy did a wonderful job with the narration of this book. I have had a lot of luck with both of these narrators in the past and I thought their voices complimented each other’s nicely. They were both able to bring their characters to life by bringing just the right amount of emotion to their reading. I am certain that their narration added to my overall enjoyment of this book.
I would recommend this book to others. I quickly became attached to this wonderful cast of characters and wanted to see things work out for each one of them. I look forward to reading more of this talented author’s work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Del Rey and Penguin Random House Audio.
Show Less
LibraryThing member quondame
A young Canadian nurse, wounded out of WWI service and orphaned by the explosion in Halifax harbor, relieves her brother's effects. Because two tags are returned and he is reported missing, she knows that information is being withheld. Her brother is experiencing the entire hell of war and then
Show More
some, as we follow his viewpoint in tandem. The grim toll of war saturates this book, so it is the characters and their involvement that provide motive through the chapters of this Tam-Lin adjacent story. A new dark mythos for the dark age ushered in by mass warfare. Show Less
LibraryThing member passion4reading
Katherine Arden is a consummate storyteller who makes the writing appear so effortless, and yet my own words fail me when it comes to doing this novel justice. This is an extraordinary book, imbued with an enormous sense of compassion and humanity in spite of the horrors surrounding the characters,
Show More
both at home in Canada and abroad; even the fiddler – a person who is feared and to whom people are drawn in equal measure – is briefly shown with his vulnerability exposed, which I feel opens another dimension to the story. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kathl33n
Incredible historical fiction of WWI and Halifax which I had no idea had so many tragedies in its history. There is a supernatural thread that slowly and quietly wends its way into the characters' lives and minds and guides the plot as a background character. While it is a relatively short book, I
Show More
thought it slowed a bit through the middle and could have successfully been even a bit shorter with maybe less hospital work, although I see the author's desire to share the fascinating story of Mary Borden. This book offers engrossing atmosphere of the battles and trenches of WWI that was, at some points, quite difficult to read. A story filled with very powerful imagery and several strong storylines of love. Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy and provide my honest opinion. Show Less
LibraryThing member acargile
You don't hear as much about WWI. You imagine trenches, gas, and rain. The image of men huddled in the mud, cold, and wet as they hold on to gas masks sticks in my brain. As Americans, WWI has a distance that doesn't affect us; we only think in images and less in loss. We joined the war so late and
Laura Iven serves as a nurse. Injured, she returns home only to lose her mother and father in an explosion. She experiences repercussions:
She sees her mother's ghost on occasion that appears to be guiding her.
She suffers PTSD from serving in the war and dealing with the explosion.
She experiences pain due to her war injuries.
Despite these obvious issues that would keep one home, Laura feels that she must return to the war front when she receives a notice that her brother appears to be missing. Laura knows she must return to search for him herself. She finds Mary, a lady who runs hospitals and fund raises to pay for the supplies needed. Mary allows her and Pim to return with her. Pim has her own problems and must fight her own demons, as both her husband and son died in the war.
When the three women arrive back on the battle fronts in early January, they experience an attack immediately, killing their driver. They find respite in a bar type place where a mirror seems to enchant people. People have different reactions, but Laura refuses to believe in being swayed by what may or may not be in the mirror. Pim becomes fixated. Laura sees her brother Freddie, but he disappears quickly. Perhaps it was her imagination. They leave this strange, otherworldly place and make it to the hospital where they begin to work. The main doctor takes great care to actually treat the patients and finds Laura very competent and intriguing, so he wants to help her as much as he can even though he feels that she should return home and escape the war. You follow her search and experiences when reading her sections of the novel.
Freddie encompasses the other perspective. His story begins in the fall, telling what happened to him that made him be listed as missing. Being trapped with a German, Freddie finds himself connecting with this man through their experience of trying to survive in horrific circumstances. The German keeps Freddie alive through sheer will, creating a loyalty between them. Upon separation, Freddie becomes lost, and we follow his path as he seeks redemption/forgiveness/life.
I really, really enjoyed this dark novel. It's a journey through trauma, as they travel from despair to not despair, to a chance--maybe--at forgetting, and maybe to find peace in some form. The dark realities and horrors of WWI become real and make you realize that it isn't a war to be overlooked or seen as one image, but it affected people deeply. It was known as the Great War, something no one wanted to repeat, only to have WWII occur twenty-ish years later. War isn't pretty; it's dark and causes lasting trauma that ruins lives. I highly recommend reading this novel.
Show More
ended it quickly. This novel brings WWI close to you, making it real.Laura Iven serves as a nurse. Injured, she returns home only to lose her mother and father in an explosion. She experiences repercussions:
She sees her mother's ghost on occasion that appears to be guiding her.
She suffers PTSD from serving in the war and dealing with the explosion.
She experiences pain due to her war injuries.
Despite these obvious issues that would keep one home, Laura feels that she must return to the war front when she receives a notice that her brother appears to be missing. Laura knows she must return to search for him herself. She finds Mary, a lady who runs hospitals and fund raises to pay for the supplies needed. Mary allows her and Pim to return with her. Pim has her own problems and must fight her own demons, as both her husband and son died in the war.
When the three women arrive back on the battle fronts in early January, they experience an attack immediately, killing their driver. They find respite in a bar type place where a mirror seems to enchant people. People have different reactions, but Laura refuses to believe in being swayed by what may or may not be in the mirror. Pim becomes fixated. Laura sees her brother Freddie, but he disappears quickly. Perhaps it was her imagination. They leave this strange, otherworldly place and make it to the hospital where they begin to work. The main doctor takes great care to actually treat the patients and finds Laura very competent and intriguing, so he wants to help her as much as he can even though he feels that she should return home and escape the war. You follow her search and experiences when reading her sections of the novel.
Freddie encompasses the other perspective. His story begins in the fall, telling what happened to him that made him be listed as missing. Being trapped with a German, Freddie finds himself connecting with this man through their experience of trying to survive in horrific circumstances. The German keeps Freddie alive through sheer will, creating a loyalty between them. Upon separation, Freddie becomes lost, and we follow his path as he seeks redemption/forgiveness/life.
I really, really enjoyed this dark novel. It's a journey through trauma, as they travel from despair to not despair, to a chance--maybe--at forgetting, and maybe to find peace in some form. The dark realities and horrors of WWI become real and make you realize that it isn't a war to be overlooked or seen as one image, but it affected people deeply. It was known as the Great War, something no one wanted to repeat, only to have WWII occur twenty-ish years later. War isn't pretty; it's dark and causes lasting trauma that ruins lives. I highly recommend reading this novel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member melaniehope
I want to read every book this author writes. She's that good. This story centers around the horrors of World War 1. Laura is a Canadian nurse who is discharged from the front as she faithfully served as a nurse before she was injured. But after a tragic accident in her hometown, Laura once again
The author again weaves in a bit of myth and folklore. There have always been stories about ghosts, premonitions and odd occurrences on the battlefield whether due to lack of sleep, hunger and the presence of death and destruction. This was a captivating story of soldiers, the women who mourn them, the evils of war and the hope of love. I received an eBook from the publisher via Netgalley.com in exchange for a review
Show More
sets off to the Belgium frontlines. This time she is accompanied by Mary Burton, who can help secure her job in a hospital an Pim Shaw, whose son was killed in the war. Laura knows her brother was also killed; however, she begins to question what exactly has happened to him and why is body was never found.The author again weaves in a bit of myth and folklore. There have always been stories about ghosts, premonitions and odd occurrences on the battlefield whether due to lack of sleep, hunger and the presence of death and destruction. This was a captivating story of soldiers, the women who mourn them, the evils of war and the hope of love. I received an eBook from the publisher via Netgalley.com in exchange for a review
Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of the for review through netgalley.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book a lot. This was very different from Arden's previous books (all of which I have loved) . This is a historical fiction set in WWI timeframe with some magical realism
The bulk of the story involves Laura trying to track down Freddie after receiving his effects with no body or explanation. Freddie's portions of the story involve a bit more magical realism. At first he is trying to survive a very dire situation on the war front and then he finds himself involved with the mysterious fiddler.
This was beautifully written and completely engrossing. I loved Laura's character and really enjoyed the people she meets on her travels to find Freddie. Freddie was also well done. There is a lot of seeing what happens to people in war and some of war in the actual trenches. However, woven into all of this is a mysterious story about a fiddler man on the front who makes the soldiers yearn for the escapism he provides, some soldiers yearn so much they go mad.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this, it was incredibly well written and engaging. It was nice to read a book set in the WWI time-frame, I feel like I have read a ton of books about WWII but there aren't as many about WWI. The characters were amazing and I loved the mysterious fiddler. There is a lot of violence and trauma in this book. You are reading from both a solider's and nurse's perspective and neither were very kind professions during wartime. I loved the ending to this as well, it was so hopeful. Arden is an amazing author and so far I have loved every book she's written. I will definitely keep my eye out for future books.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book a lot. This was very different from Arden's previous books (all of which I have loved) . This is a historical fiction set in WWI timeframe with some magical realism
Show More
in the form of supposed ghosts and a mysterious fiddler. The story jumps between two POVs; that of Laura in 1918 (a dishonorably discharged nurse) and her brother, Freddie, back a few months before the timeframe Laura is in (he is a soldier on the war front).The bulk of the story involves Laura trying to track down Freddie after receiving his effects with no body or explanation. Freddie's portions of the story involve a bit more magical realism. At first he is trying to survive a very dire situation on the war front and then he finds himself involved with the mysterious fiddler.
This was beautifully written and completely engrossing. I loved Laura's character and really enjoyed the people she meets on her travels to find Freddie. Freddie was also well done. There is a lot of seeing what happens to people in war and some of war in the actual trenches. However, woven into all of this is a mysterious story about a fiddler man on the front who makes the soldiers yearn for the escapism he provides, some soldiers yearn so much they go mad.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this, it was incredibly well written and engaging. It was nice to read a book set in the WWI time-frame, I feel like I have read a ton of books about WWII but there aren't as many about WWI. The characters were amazing and I loved the mysterious fiddler. There is a lot of violence and trauma in this book. You are reading from both a solider's and nurse's perspective and neither were very kind professions during wartime. I loved the ending to this as well, it was so hopeful. Arden is an amazing author and so far I have loved every book she's written. I will definitely keep my eye out for future books.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TempleCat
The Warm Hands of Ghosts, by Katherine Arden, is not just a ghost story. True, it is replete with evil, unearthly (and earthly) malice, blood, creepy old buildings, darkness and death wrapped in mystery. Ghosts are a recurring motif, as are deadly flowers, noxious gas, nasty weather and explosions.
The plot, set in a most cataclysmic period in human history, the First World War, braids together the narratives of two main characters - Laura Ivens, a Croix de Guerre awardee for her extreme bravery while in service as a nurse in the war, now home in Halifax after being wounded, and her brother Freddie, an artist, now soldiering on the front lines in Belgium. As happened during the American Civil War, there is a surge of interest in the supernatural; soldiers openly discuss their encounters with ghosts of their fallen comrades; in North America and Europe séances and psychic mediums are highly sought after. Whether these experiences are PTSD hallucinations, are actually real, are merely entertainments, or are the chicanery of swindlers is unclear, but in actual fact, in 1897 there were over 8 million spiritualism followers in the U. S. and Europe.
Arden uses this ambiguous reality of ghosts to build mystery throughout the story, both in the readers' minds and in pragmatic, non-believer Laura's. Another, more organic mystery develops when Freddie stops responding to Laura's letters and a box of his belongings is delivered to Laura, but with no accompanying telegram about his demise. When an accidentally overheard séance involves a spirit who avers that Freddie is alive, Laura decides that she must return to the war and find him.
Thus begins a well-researched and carefully plotted tale of the supernatural. Arden very deftly juggles two different timelines, one for Laura and one for Freddie, building suspense as to when or if they will ever meet, while also painting layer after layer of the horrors of war and its effects on humans, to the point where sanity and madness are indistinguishable and evil is so omnipresent that it may come to be perceived as pleasant and desirable.
Unfortunately, the story doesn't emerge unscathed from the enormous undertaking Arden set for herself. When the plot gets moving and the confrontation with evil begins, the reader does experience pity for the very real plight of the characters, but because the over-long story lines are split between two different characters and their experiences at two different times, identification with either one, necessary to develop the fear essential to a ghost story, is limited. The reader's focus becomes the plot and the mystery between reality and hallucination, not the development and change within the character. This, in turn, diminishes the catharsis the dramatic tension of a ghost story demands from the reader. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a story well worth reading, but with some grit on the part of the reader to persevere. The importance of the themes makes it worthwhile.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Show More
Symbols of the soul and death abound. All of the requisites for a good old-fashioned ghost story are there, but Arden uses them primarily for their background spookiness while setting her main focus on a malevolent, unrestrained evil that feeds off of human desires.The plot, set in a most cataclysmic period in human history, the First World War, braids together the narratives of two main characters - Laura Ivens, a Croix de Guerre awardee for her extreme bravery while in service as a nurse in the war, now home in Halifax after being wounded, and her brother Freddie, an artist, now soldiering on the front lines in Belgium. As happened during the American Civil War, there is a surge of interest in the supernatural; soldiers openly discuss their encounters with ghosts of their fallen comrades; in North America and Europe séances and psychic mediums are highly sought after. Whether these experiences are PTSD hallucinations, are actually real, are merely entertainments, or are the chicanery of swindlers is unclear, but in actual fact, in 1897 there were over 8 million spiritualism followers in the U. S. and Europe.
Arden uses this ambiguous reality of ghosts to build mystery throughout the story, both in the readers' minds and in pragmatic, non-believer Laura's. Another, more organic mystery develops when Freddie stops responding to Laura's letters and a box of his belongings is delivered to Laura, but with no accompanying telegram about his demise. When an accidentally overheard séance involves a spirit who avers that Freddie is alive, Laura decides that she must return to the war and find him.
Thus begins a well-researched and carefully plotted tale of the supernatural. Arden very deftly juggles two different timelines, one for Laura and one for Freddie, building suspense as to when or if they will ever meet, while also painting layer after layer of the horrors of war and its effects on humans, to the point where sanity and madness are indistinguishable and evil is so omnipresent that it may come to be perceived as pleasant and desirable.
Unfortunately, the story doesn't emerge unscathed from the enormous undertaking Arden set for herself. When the plot gets moving and the confrontation with evil begins, the reader does experience pity for the very real plight of the characters, but because the over-long story lines are split between two different characters and their experiences at two different times, identification with either one, necessary to develop the fear essential to a ghost story, is limited. The reader's focus becomes the plot and the mystery between reality and hallucination, not the development and change within the character. This, in turn, diminishes the catharsis the dramatic tension of a ghost story demands from the reader. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a story well worth reading, but with some grit on the part of the reader to persevere. The importance of the themes makes it worthwhile.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tamidale
Katherine Arden had me hooked right away with this story of World War I nurse Laura Iven and her brother. Growing up in Halifax, their mother was very religious and made sure they knew the end would come at some point. Like most kids, they didn’t pay much attention to her until the Great War came
Laura trained to become a nurse and when the war began, she was a field nurse in an area that was bombed. Suffering severe injuries, she was discharged and sent back home to Halifax. Laura’s brother Freddie had enlisted and was fighting in Flanders. During this time a tragic accident happened in Halifax, killing their parents, thus leaving Laura with no home and family in Halifax.
Laura is taken in by some elderly women and is working at a local hospital when she receives a package containing some of Freddie’s possessions. It is believed he is dead, but things just didn’t make sense. It just so happens the women Laura lives with like to hold seances and one night as they are having a seance for a woman, they get a message about Freddie being alive.
With no family left, Laura becomes determined to find out the truth, so she goes back to the trenches as a volunteer in Belgium, hoping to find Freddie or at least discover what happened to him. Her journey had me riveted, from the dangers of war to the evil spirits that lurked about.
Katherine Arden wove a tale of suspense, a bit of thriller and a bit of romance as she relates the horrors of the Great War and those who served.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this book to readers and to give my honest review.
Show More
to their doorstep.Laura trained to become a nurse and when the war began, she was a field nurse in an area that was bombed. Suffering severe injuries, she was discharged and sent back home to Halifax. Laura’s brother Freddie had enlisted and was fighting in Flanders. During this time a tragic accident happened in Halifax, killing their parents, thus leaving Laura with no home and family in Halifax.
Laura is taken in by some elderly women and is working at a local hospital when she receives a package containing some of Freddie’s possessions. It is believed he is dead, but things just didn’t make sense. It just so happens the women Laura lives with like to hold seances and one night as they are having a seance for a woman, they get a message about Freddie being alive.
With no family left, Laura becomes determined to find out the truth, so she goes back to the trenches as a volunteer in Belgium, hoping to find Freddie or at least discover what happened to him. Her journey had me riveted, from the dangers of war to the evil spirits that lurked about.
Katherine Arden wove a tale of suspense, a bit of thriller and a bit of romance as she relates the horrors of the Great War and those who served.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this book to readers and to give my honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member spiritedstardust
DNF @88pages
I LOVED the winternight trilogy.
This bored me to tears. The FMC is really lacklustre personality wise and the pacing is off. Not much has happened and I didn’t want to continue pushing through as I didn’t care.
I LOVED the winternight trilogy.
This bored me to tears. The FMC is really lacklustre personality wise and the pacing is off. Not much has happened and I didn’t want to continue pushing through as I didn’t care.
Awards
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — Hall of Fame — February 2024)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
400 p.; 9.45 inches
ISBN
1529920035 / 9781529920031
Local notes
Due Mar 7, 2024
World War One, and as shells fall in Flanders, a Canadian nurse searches for her brother believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise.
Waterstones exclusive with sprayed page edges and decorative endpapers.
World War One, and as shells fall in Flanders, a Canadian nurse searches for her brother believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise.
Waterstones exclusive with sprayed page edges and decorative endpapers.