A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK ‘This excellent debut is a melancholic reminder of the rippling after-effects of war’ The Times ‘A touching novel of love and loss’ Sunday TimesFor fans of Where The Crawdads Sing and Hamnet comes a moving story, inspired by real events, about how hope and love will prevail against all odds. 1921 In the aftermath of war, everyone is searching for answers. Edie’s … prevail against all odds.
1921
In the aftermath of war, everyone is searching for answers.
Edie’s husband Francis never came home and was declared ‘missing, believed killed’. But when she receives a mysterious photograph of him in the post, hope flares and she begins to search.
Harry photographs gravesites on the Western Front, hired by grieving families. Plagued by memories of his last conversation with Francis, he has never stopped searching for his brother.
After years apart, their search brings them together. As they uncover the truth they are haunted by the past and their own complex feelings – towards Francis, and towards each other.
Are some questions better left unanswered?
Perfect for fans of Maggie O’Farrell and Helen Dunmore, The Photographer of the Lost is a beautiful novel, inspired by real events in the wake of the First World War, about love and loss, grief and guilt, and the fleeting, fragile moments of life.
Praise for The Photographer of the Lost:
‘Epic… A beautifully written must-read’ heat
‘A gripping, devastating novel about the lost and the ones they left behind’ Sarra Manning, RED
‘Terrific first novel’ Daily Mail
‘Scott has done an amazing job of drawing on real stories to craft a powerful novel’ Good Housekeeping
‘A deeply poignant and immersive novel . . . told in beautiful, elevated prose. I was completely caught up in these characters’ stories’ Rachel Hore
‘What a wonderful debut novel . . . With a mystery at its heart and a moving, but page turning hook, I couldn’t stop reading’ Lorna Cook
‘A sublimely rendered portrait of the search for answers amidst the chaos and devastation left behind in the aftermath of World War 1’ Fiona Valpy
‘A poignant hymn to those who gave up their lives for their country and to those who were left behind’ Fanny Blake
‘I was utterly captivated by this novel, which swept me away, broke my heart, then shone wonderful light through all the pieces’ Isabelle Broom
‘Beautiful, unflinching: The Photographer of the Lost is going to be on an awful lot of Best Books of the Year lists, mine included… unforgettable’ Iona Grey
‘Momentous, revelatory and astonishing historical fiction!’ Historical Novel Society
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I received this copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
This is honestly one of the most beautiful and poignant books I’ve ever read The depictions of life in the trenches for the British soldiers and the bleak ruination of entire towns and villages r,educed to rubble was profound .
The descriptive writing made this book so difficult to put down , I was hooked from the first few pages.
The storyline revolves around a photograph of a missing soldier presumed killed t,hat is sent to Edie with a smudged postmark . Is her husband alive? She contacts her brother in law in the hopes he can help her try to trace Francis. The depictions of the amount of women searching for their missing loved ones was heart breaking. You could totally empathise with their inability to move on with their lives, they can’t grieve because they have no idea what has transpired during the conflict. They may be widows but there is that vague hope that their loved ones will be returned to them .
Harry has undertaken a job travelling to the European battlefields of the Somme, photographing the last resting place of fallen comrades so that their families can grieve knowing what the foreign soil looks like for themselves. He has watched his younger brother killed in battle and his brother Francis was shot in front of his eyes, is it possible for him to have survived? If so , why has he not come forward in the intervening years? The storyline revolves around this mystery and you find yourself riveted as the plot unfolds.
It’s a very thought provoking narrative ,dealing with survivers guilt and grief for the lost , the sheer numbers of the unknown dead soldiers in their unmarked graves. Its a very emotional read and the characters stay with you even after you’ve read the last page.
The storyline of this book makes for an interesting read. I have read plenty about the conflict itself but what it was like after the war for the survivors and the relatives of the survivors and the deceased or lost was certainly an eye-opener.
This is an emotional read and I certainly felt for the characters and the events which cause their whole lives to implode. It certainly brought home what it must have been like to endure the events and the aftermath of WW1.
The story is told in multiple points of view and also different timelines, going between 1916 and 1917 to 1921. This enables the reader to see things from all angles and perspectives of the characters. The characters are very introspective at times, which I do understand with the way the time and events was affecting them, but it was just a little bit too much to keep the story flowing well.
The writing for me was a little over-complicated with too much inconsequential detail at times. This had me wanting to get on with the actual story and even skip a few paragraphs to just move forward.
However, having said that, this is a really interesting idea; it has an intriguing storyline and the characters are well developed. It is definitely worth reading.