Return of the Soldier

Description

Also known for other successful novels such as Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia, Rebecca West uses the same level of realism and insight in her 1916 novel, Return of the Soldier. This book explores the many facets of how the Great War influenced regular people in the London area, and how three women were impacted by the dramatic injury of a soldier whom they all knew in one way or another.

When Chris went to war, his wife Jenny and sister Kitty attempted to keep everything just like it was on the estate, while looking down on individuals who were perceived as being of a less significant class value, such as Mrs. William Grey, who one day brought them news about Chris having lost his memory while fighting in the war. How did she know about his injury before his own wife and family found out?

Droll and quite intriguing from a psychological perspective, the story focuses on the results of Chris’ amnesia, and its impact on three important women in his life: one that he is genuinely in love with, his sister, and his current wife. The latter two are characters ingeniously depicted by West to reflect the snobbery that some upper class families were often known for.

The author manages to masterfully guide readers through the stages of Jenny and Kitty’s reactions to Chris’ return and his debilitating condition. But we find they are far more shocked and outraged when they learn that, in his amnesia, he only has recollections of the woman he loved fifteen years earlier.

Delightfully entertaining and presenting a series of believable, likeable characters that will not allow for a single dull moment throughout the novel, Return of the Soldier has it all: dramatic developments, intriguing love interests and an outcome that may surprise even readers who follow the plot most closely.
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