First published 2019
Walker cannot return home to Nova Scotia after the war. The young Canadian veteran carries the weight of Normandy and the European campaign, his mind fractured by what he witnessed and endured. Post-traumatic stress disorder makes the thought of facing his family unbearable. Instead, he chooses exile and movement, searching American cities for something he cannot name. The poetry follows Walker as he wanders through New York's streets, then west to Los Angeles, finally reaching San Francisco. Each city offers the promise of anonymity and change, yet Walker remains haunted by his service. He seeks freedom from his memories and repair for his damaged psyche. The verse chronicles his journey through these urban landscapes as he grapples with trauma and displacement. Walker's search becomes a quest for healing in a country that is not his own, among strangers who cannot understand what he has endured.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: displacement, gritty, quest-for-healing
Setting: Canada, Los Angeles, New York, Nova Scotia, San Francisco
Period: Post-World War II
236 pages · Paperback · PAN MACMILLAN U.K
Content warnings: mental-illness, war