Home Fires

A stunning, delicate portrait of a family bookended by war, Home Fires explores the legacy of loss, the strictures of class and the long road to redemption. Max Weston, twenty-one, leaves for his first army posting in central Africa. What happens to him changes the lives of his family forever. At home, his parents struggle to cope. The overwhelming love Caroline has always felt for her only child is now matched by the intensity of Max's absence. The silence is broken by the arrival of Caroline's mother-in-law, Elsa, who at the age of ninety-eight can no longer look after herself. After years of living in fear of putting a foot wrong in front of this elegant, cuttingly courteous lady, finally, Caroline has the upper hand. Elizabeth Day, the Sunday Times bestselling author, has once again proven her literary prowess with Home Fires. The narrative, a top-notch fiction, delves into the intricacies of familial bonds, the pain of absence, and the subtle power dynamics within a family. For fans of David Nicholls (You Are Here), Dolly Alderton (Good Material), Maggie O'Farrell (Hamnet), Gabrielle Zevin (Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow), and Gillian Mcallister (Famous Last Words).