Book description
A shell-shocked officer returns from the chaos of World War I to the tranquility of his stately English home — leaving his memory of the preceding 15 years amid the muddy trenches at the front lines. Anxiously awaiting the soldier's return are the three women who love him best: the…
Why read it?
1 author picked The Return of the Soldier as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Chris, a shell-shocked soldier who suffers from amnesia, returns from the front expecting life to be as he remembered. But he’s lost fifteen years of his memory and doesn’t recognise his wife Kitty, is horrified by how his cousin Jenny has aged, and longs only for Margaret, the girl he loved all those years ago. Despairing for his sanity, Kitty and Jenny summon Margaret, sure he’ll come to his senses when he sees her, only to find that he still adores her, dowdy, careworn, and poor as she is. The war is only glancingly mentioned here but its loss and…
From Lesley's list on The best books on finding a new normal after World War I.
If you love The Return of the Soldier...
Noodle Trails
Did a heartbreak ever make you want to move to the other side of the planet?
Failed comedian and heartbroken idiot escapes to a jungle hut on an obscure island in Thailand. Warm sunshine, new friends, and fresh mangoes heal most wounds.
“Funny, wise and thought-provoking, outspoken, touching, surprising, and…
Want books like The Return of the Soldier?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 91 books like The Return of the Soldier.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
186
readers submitted
so far, will you?
