Billed as a literary thriller in the jacket copy, this may be literary but I did not find it thrilling. Disappointing narrative with no discernible plot, set in a military hospital in the First World War.
Review: http://www.carlanayland.org/reviews/c...

Interesting storyline, but substance just seemed to be lacking.

Loving this story about a woman who loses her husband in the war. Her home becomes a hospital and she falls in love with a soldier who has his face constructed to resemble her late husband.

The character of McCleary the doctor was my favorite part of this book. The two love stories were less compelling to me, perhaps because both women were somewhat cold and difficult to like. Anyone interested in the inner life of a surgeon would appreciate this book but don't go by the description on the back cover which tries to push the love story angle. Unlike many reviewers of he book, I actually liked the ending. After so much melodrama, it was refreshingly subtle.

This novel was pretty unique. I was not sure where it was going. It really touches on the power of love, grief, and appearances. Definitely gives one a new perspective. It was slow in places, but overall I enjoyed the book.

A war widow mourns the loss of her husband while her estate is converted into a hospital for soldiers with facial injuries. She finds solace in a soldier with whom she becomes close. She faces the possibility of having the maxillofacial surgeon and an artist to re-make the wounded soldier's face into the likeness of her former husband.

Reading out loud with Darcy

The book is set in England during World War I. I have read other books set during the same time period, and all of them were more compelling. At times, subplots overwhelm the main story and the ending "just happens" in the epilogue so there is little sense of closure. Only two of the primary characters evoke empathy. Also, many sections read more as a research paper than as fiction. While exposition about the nature of facial wounds to soldiers is essential to the story, the long passages about treatment of those wounds is tedious at times.

Set in England during World War I at a country estate turned into an army hospital, this novel explores some potentially riveting issues including the terrors of warfare, loss of identity and true love. Although the book is well-written, I did not care for the author's narrative style. I was not drawn into the story and found none of the characters particularly appealing.

Ignore the tepid reviews; I found this worth every moment. Although not rich in plot twists and turns, the characters were complex. I really enjoyed this.

To read my review from Time Out New York, please click on this link:

[http://www.timeoutny.com/newyork/Deta...]

Just read about this facial reconstruction surgery during WWI in an old Smithsonian magazine (January, 2007). It's amazing what authors are inspired by. Wonderful to learn about pieces of history through entertaining literature.