When The War Came Home - Lesley Parr

 

World War I is over but the after-effects are still evident and when Natty moves to a new village, she meets two young men who are still adjusting to post-war life. Huw is finding it difficult to forget what he has seen and heard, whilst Johnny has been left with no memory of his past.  As she settles in to her new life and tries to unravel a mystery, Natty learns how to fight for what she believes in. 

Set in a small Welsh village where everyone knows everybody else, When The War Came Home is full of a host of wonderful characters. Nerys is feisty, head-strong and determined to get what she wants but often rushes in with words before thinking.  She always means well but needs to take a moment.

Natty is understandably upset at having to leave her home and that her mum has lost her job whilst trying to support one of her colleagues.  She doesn't want to be living with family she's never met so is resentful, especially of her mum.  She's quieter than Nerys but it's this and her ability to listen and not judge which serves her well with Huw and Johnny who are both suffering in different ways - she cares about them both.

I read When The War Came Home just before Remembrance Sunday (apologies for the delay in the review: COIVD hit and took its time to leave) and it was a timely reminder that war being over doesn't mean that soldiers are no longer suffering.  DTSD and grief are experienced by so many soldiers and this book looks at the issues sensitively, whilst also weaving poverty into the plot (something many families experienced after both world wars). 

As with The Valley of Lost Secrets, When The War Came Home is a beautifully and sensitively written book that will draw you in from the very first page. With family, friendship and resilience at the forefront of this post-war novel, I guarantee that this will be an other hit for Lesley.

Due for release on the 6th January, When The War Comes Home is the post-Christmas hug you need.