The Lie

This is a riveting read about pre-Great War youth in Cornwall, the loss of innocence in the awful conditions of the Western front, and the tragic consequences of a young veteran trying to possess land that he can farm as his own. It is wholly enthralling in its weaving of past and present and in its depiction of class in early twentieth-century England. The writing is stunningly good.

Daniel is a survivor of the First World War who mourns the death of his best friend Frederic and is haunted by disturbing visions of him and flashes of battle. Returning to Cornwall, Daniel’s mother has died so he moves in with Mary, an old woman. He also reconnects with Felicia, Frederic’s sister who is still living in the large family house Daniel visited as a child. The atmosphere of the book is vivid, oppressive, and conveys the horrors of war in a human, sympathetic context. Passages from the book remain vivid in my mind several years after reading it… show more.