A God in Ruins

by Kate Atkinson

First published 2015

Teddy Todd, a former RAF pilot, is an old man navigating the perils of a rapidly changing postwar world. Haunted by memories of the war, he struggles to connect with his family and find meaning in civilian life. As he reflects on his past as a would-be poet and heroic flyer, Teddy must confront the realities of the future he never anticipated, where his greatest battle is simply learning to live.

Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, adult-fiction, family-drama

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator

Setting: Great Britain

Period: 20th century

656 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company

Content warnings: war

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