Library The Warm Hands of Ghosts

Read online The Warm Hands of Ghosts.pdf PDF, EPUB, MOBI, TXT, DOC The Warm Hands of Ghosts 2/13 HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!"A hand brushed hers. Warm fingers, a little rough with glass. Ghosts have warm hands. She didnt open her eyes. She didnt dare. Looking would burst her fragile soap-bubble of belief. She didnt look even when that familiar hand wound its fingers with hers, and pulled her forward."WHAT AN ETHEREAL APOCALYPTIC PIECE OF WWI HISTORICAL FANTASY! Centering on the experiences of WWI, "The Warm Hands of Ghosts" focuses attention on the other-worldness of fighting in the Forbidden Zone, the trenches, the pillboxes, and hospitals. We meet an injured combat nurse named Laura Iven, in Halifax, who has been discharged but wants to return to Flanders, Belgium to find her missing brother, Freddie. Though she has received his war items in a box, Laura still believes he is alive. In addition, Laura has just lost her parents, along with her childhood home, to a mysterious explosion on the water. In the non-linear timeline, we also experience Freddies POV and his experience of being trapped in a pillbox with a German soldier named Winter. Laura returns to Belgium, with friends Pim and Mary, to resume their nursing duties in Flanders, but on the way to the hospital, their car explodes and they end up walking to a mysterious hotel. A man named Faland runs the hotel in the middle of a wasteland, playing his ethereal violin every night for soldiers. Several characters throughout the story experience Falands haunting music drawing them. Through pneumonia, gruesome injuries, hospital trauma, explosions, and battle stories, those serving in this war experience several mysterious encounters with helpful ghosts. The questions throughout the book haunt the reader. Who is Faland? Are the characters hallucinating? Are these ghosts angels? WOW. This book has a beautiful and haunting originality. Not only did I enjoy learning more about WWI, I was enlightened in knowing that many fighting in this war actually experienced encounters with people that seemed to come from unexplained places to save or help in darkest times. The mystery in this writing captivated me completely. Katherine Arden did extensive research in preparation for this book, highlighting the apocalyptic landscapes and experiences that left soldiers in severe trauma. She states, "The Great Wars cultural influence was filtered through fantasy." And because America entered this war so late, it does not get the attention it deserves. This book is one that appeals to me in every way, and it got better and better as I read. Thank you Netgalley, Katherine Arden, and Random House - Ballantine for the privilege of reading this eARC in exchange for my honest, original review. by Katherine Arden