The Warm Hands of Ghosts
The sweeping new Sunday Times bestselling novel from the author of The Bear and The Nightingale
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4.0 • 8 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
Discover the Sunday Times bestselling supernatural historical fantasy from the author of The Bear and the Nightingale, a spellbinding, sweeping novel set in the trenches of WW1.
WATERSTONES SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY BOOK OF THE MONTH
‘Darkly beautiful and deeply humane.' Ava Reid, bestselling author of A Study in Drowning
‘One of the best historical fantasies I've ever read’ Emma Törzs, bestselling author of Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe
'Wonderful storytelling. Inventive, haunting and deeply moving.' Sarah Winman, bestselling author of Still Life
Amid the falling shells of Flanders Field, magic and mystery fills the air…
January 1918: Laura Iven, a Canadian nurse, returns home from the war, only to receive devastating news - her brother Freddie is dead. But something doesn’t quite make sense.
Determined to uncover the truth, Laura heads back to Belgium, volunteering at a private hospital. There, she encounters the eerie whispers of ghosts moving among those still living and a strange inn-keeper whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could this have happened to Freddie - but if so, where is he?
November 1917: Freddie Iven wakes after an explosion to find himself trapped with a wounded German soldier. Against all the odds, they form a bond and claw their way to an escape.
But in the chaos of No Man's Land, neither know where to turn to avoid persecution. Amidst the atrocity, they encounter a fiddler with the power to make their hellscape vanish - but at what price?
With the power to both warm and break your heart, The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a breathtaking and spellbinding tale of love, survival, and the supernatural.
Praise for The Warm Hands of Ghosts
'Well-researched and beautifully written, this is a compelling, memorable novel.’ The Guardian
'A spectacular tour de force ... I love this book so much and want everyone to read it!' Naomi Novik, bestselling author of A Deadly Education
'A wonderful clash of fire and ice ... A book you won't want to let go of.' Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the Outlander series
'An exquisite, brilliant gem of a story.’ Conn Iggulden, bestselling author of Nero
'Arden is at the very height of her powers with this rich, heart-breaking and life-affirming supernatural journey through the darkest hours of WWI. I've never read anything like it.' Laura Steven, author of Our Infinite Fates
'Visionary, imaginative and brilliantly written.' Anthony Horowitz, bestselling author of The Power of Five
‘Mixing historical fiction with the paranormal, this haunting, atmospheric tale of separated siblings is a real gem of a book.’ Heat Magazine
‘A gripping tale of loss, mystery, ghosts and queer romance.’ BBC Culture Online
Sunday Times bestseller, March 2024
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Arden (The Bear and the Nightingale) blends a meticulously researched WWI epic, an eloquent family saga, and a touch of the supernatural in this breathtaking historical fantasy. Nurse Laura Iven returns home to Halifax, Nova Scotia, after being wounded on the Western Front and honorably discharged from the medical corps. When she learns in early 1918 that her soldier brother Freddie—her last living family member—is missing and presumed dead, she's overwhelmed with questions, so she volunteers to return to Belgium, where she'll work at a private hospital and seek answers in her limited spare time. The narrative shifts between Laura's perspective and Freddie's own, a year prior, as he falls in with a mysterious and potentially mystical new friend, adding captivating depth and tension to an already intriguing premise. Arden's carefully constructed plot makes each unexpected twist feel as inevitable as it is shocking. Through resonant prose, she literalizes the apocalyptic qualities of WWI while dwelling in moral complexity and delivering vibrant, fully fleshed-out characters. The interwoven supernatural elements lend the historical details greater weight. The result is a powerful page-turner.
