The Warm Hands of Ghosts
The Warm Hands of Ghosts ~ Katherine Arden
World War I combat nurse Laura Iven is sent home to Halifax, Nova Scotia after she is injured in Belgium. She lives with her parents, and takes a job caring for an elderly woman a few blocks away. After a horrible explosion in the harbor kills her parents, and she receives a package of her brother’s effects from Belgium with a cryptic note, she decides to go to Europe and find out what happened to her brother, who is ‘missing, presumed dead’.
Freddie Iven is trapped under a bunker in Belgium with a German Soldier, Hans Winter, during a fierce battle. They believe they will die, but somehow do not, and the experience bonds them into a very close friendship. Freddie vows to bring Hans through the no mans land of trench warfare to enemy lines.
Both Laura and Freddie separately meet a strange fiddle player, Faland, who runs a club in an old hotel where you can come to listen to music and forget your troubles. I felt like Faland was a nod to the man who met up with Tommy Johnson at the crossroads and bought his soul, or just a nod in that direction?
The Warm Havaa of Ghosts is a mixture of historical fiction, literary fiction, and magical realism. This is not generally my jam, but overall I liked this book. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators were both really good. Recommended.
12 Comments
StephLove
This one sounds more up my alley than the last one.
J
It was pretty good!
Nicole MacPherson
Magic realism tends to lose me, and I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction, so this is probably a pass (luckily, my TBR is overwhelming, I do NOT need to add to it)
J
Probably not the best fit for you, Nicole!
Suzanne
I enjoy a little dollop of magical realism now and again. Historical fiction is not so much my thing, but I am kind of intrigued by the brother’s disappearance. Hmmm.
J
The brother’s disappearance is interesting for sure!
Margaret
There are some members of my book club who are very anti-magic realism but I often like it–not in huge doses though.
J
I think this is a small enough dose that you might enjoy it!
Diane
I loved this book- magical realism isn’t usually my thing, but I think the author and the narrators did a really good job of making the world seem very real and strange at the same time.
J
Agreed!
Jenny
I’ve heard of this book and it sounds good. I don’t mind magical realism- I like how Diane says the author made the world sound “very real and strange at the same time.” I could get into that!
J
I hope if you read it that you enjoy it!