First published 2015
The First World War transformed ordinary lives into extraordinary testimonies of survival and loss. A mother mails flower seeds to her son fighting at the Front, believing someone might witness their eventual bloom. A nurse carefully restores a wounded soldier to health, knowing military authorities will execute him for desertion once he recovers. A lieutenant records the grim task of searching through decomposed remains that feel like soft cheese. Sebastian Faulks and Dr Hope Wolf gather these intimate accounts from diaries, letters, and personal memories. The collection pairs testimonies from unknown individuals with excerpts from celebrated war writers including Siegfried Sassoon and T.E. Lawrence. These voices reveal how the Great War reshaped human experience through moments both devastating and tender.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, war
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, intimate
Setting: Front
Period: First World War
Kindle Edition · Vintage Digital
Content warnings: death, war