"An authentic masterpiece." -- The North American Review
Returning to his stately English home from the chaos of World War I, a
shell-shocked officer finds that he has left much of his memory in the
front's muddy trenches. The three women who love him best anxiously
await his arrival: the thoughtful and intuitive cousin who narrates the
story, the lovely wife he cannot recognize, and the woman with whom he
shared a summer romance 15 years ago.
Rebecca West's novel depicts neither battles nor battlefields. This
remarkable tale takes a searching look at the far-reaching effects of
the first modern war on a sheltered society. The Return of the Soldier
effectively and memorably captures the spirit of England in the throes
of unwelcome change. It is a penetrating view of the nation's shifting
class structures and offers a sensitive portrayal of individuals torn
between nostalgia for their irretrievable past and acceptance of their
conflicted present.