by Simon Mawer
First published 1989
David Hewison directs an archaeological dig in central Italy, searching through ancient soil for Etruscan treasures. When his team discovers a bronze chimera, the mythical creature triggers memories Hewison has spent decades burying. He is part Italian, part English, a man caught between worlds just like the hybrid monster they've unearthed. During World War II, Hewison parachuted into occupied Italy as an SOE agent, carrying out dangerous missions behind enemy lines. Now, surrounded by his excavation team in the present day, the archaeologist finds his wartime past bleeding into his current life. Old family conflicts within the Hewison clan begin to surface alongside the ancient artifacts. The tragedies that marked his time in wartime Italy refuse to stay buried. As the dig progresses, past and present collide in ways that threaten to destroy the careful life Hewison has built for himself. The chimera becomes a mirror, reflecting the fractured nature of a man who has never fully escaped the shadows of war.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, adventure, archaeology, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Italy, Central Italy
Period: World War II, Present Day
1 pages · Hardcover · Hamish Hamilton
Content warnings: violence, war