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Small Wars

3.33 of 5 stars 3.33 · rating details · 567 ratings · 109 reviews

Sadie Jones, the award-winning and internationally bestselling author of The Outcast, returns with an ambitious, richly imagined novel that confirms her place in the literary firmament.

A passionate and beautifully written tale of personal loss in the midst of war in late 1950s Cyprus, Small Wars raises important questions that are just as relevant today.

What happens when...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published September 1st 2009 by Knopf Canada (first published 2009)

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Mar 19, 2013 Dolors rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

A story about wars indeed, but in no way small.

Hal is a British soldier promoted to Major posted in Cyprus to fight EOKA, a paramilitary association against the British rule of Cyprus. It's 1956 and Hal has never seen action, so he takes this post eagerly wanting to put in practise everything he's learnt in the base.

His wife Clara and their two baby daughters join him in Cyprus after two months and while she struggles to "fit in" and make a home out of this foreign place, Hal and his men start...more A story about wars indeed, but in no way small.

Hal is a British soldier promoted to Major posted in Cyprus to fight EOKA, a paramilitary association against the British rule of Cyprus. It's 1956 and Hal has never seen action, so he takes this post eagerly wanting to put in practise everything he's learnt in the base.

His wife Clara and their two baby daughters join him in Cyprus after two months and while she struggles to "fit in" and make a home out of this foreign place, Hal and his men start their duty searching for suspects and interrogating them trying to prevent more terrorist attacks.

As weeks go by, Hal starts to realise that what seemed to be an under control situation is in fact a constant strain between what's morally right and wrong and when he finally dares to speak about it to his superiors he is disappointed in the unfairness of the system and the detached coldness he finds in some of his men.

An escalating tension is starting to build up in him, a tension which will affect his relationship with Clara and his daughters, a small war within himself and another one with his family, and a foreboding feeling engulfs the reader as the story advances.

This is not a novel to take lightly and Sadie Jones makes an excellent job out of it. Like in her previous novel, The Outcast (which is one of my favourites ever), she manages to create real characters with human conflicts and faults and to portray convincing relationships between them without the need of excessive dialogue. In this book, the images described and the silences tell you all you need to know. No flourishing, no superfluous conversations, just raw feelings and impotence and guilt. And an important message, there are no winners in wars, and no good or bad men, only humans trying to cope with life the best they can and dealing with the consequences of their own actions. Sad, but true.

You'll find yourself swallowing compulsively while reading on and wondering how a story like this can have a happy ending.
But like life, this book is full of surprises, and not all of them sour.
If you're undecided, just pick it up and start reading, you will forget about the rest.(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Bonnie Brody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Major Hal Treherne first saw Clara, his friend's sister, when he was 19 and she was 17. The year was 1946. He felt overwhelmed by her and within a few years they were married. Hal came from a family where emotions were not talked about and intimacy was as close to him as a foreign language. He was not prepared for the language of closeness and love that marriage requires. During the first ten years of their marriage Clara and Hal were happy, looking forward to seeing each other, passionate and e...more Major Hal Treherne first saw Clara, his friend's sister, when he was 19 and she was 17. The year was 1946. He felt overwhelmed by her and within a few years they were married. Hal came from a family where emotions were not talked about and intimacy was as close to him as a foreign language. He was not prepared for the language of closeness and love that marriage requires. During the first ten years of their marriage Clara and Hal were happy, looking forward to seeing each other, passionate and engaged. Things on the military front were quiet for Hal and this bored him as he was trained for combat. He got his chance to use his combat skills when they were transferred to Cyprus in 1956.

Cyprus was a British colony and the British were desperately trying to maintain their last stronghold in the middle east. The colony was fraught with terrorism and warfare as part of their small population was fighting a revolution against Britain and wanting to become part of Greece. Though this was a small war in comparison to major world events, Major Hal Treherne was in his element. He was trained as a warrior and he saw things in shades of black and white. Clara was a good army wife who wanted to prove to Hal that she could cope. As Clara said, "It makes all the difference in the world to have a wife who doesn't make things harder, don't you think?" A large part of Hal's job was scouting the villages and the mountains looking for insurgents and terrorists. He was responsible for the searches and for the conduct of his men.

Hal begins to see that there is not a clear black and white situation in Cyprus. Young boys who may or may not be guilty are picked up for questioning and are tortured - beaten, water boarded, made to stand in humiliating positions for hours. He is witness to events of horror involving burning flesh and people being blown up. He sees innocent horses step on mines and lose their legs. These sights, sounds, smells, and memories stay with Hal and he is no longer the same person. He can't sleep, the obtrusive thoughts are with him all the time, and he has no way of communicating his feelings to Clara. They pull further apart, victims of a small war in their own home.

Hal has a classic case of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder though there was no name for it at that time. He begins to isolate himself, spending long hours in his office away from Clara. When they are together, he is either distant or angry, acting impulsively or not responding to her needs at all. He can't understand her fears and there is no way he can find to talk to her about what she is feeling or what he has experienced.

At one point in the book, Hal is told about some heinous actions committed by his men. In his dealings with it, he realizes that the military is more interested in saving their good name than in bringing the criminals to justice. He feels betrayed and disillusioned, angry at the institution that he has idealized since childhood. In a sense, he's lost another war. Instead of valor and pride, he now feels shame and isolation. It no longer feels good to be part of this army that has betrayed its mission and broken Hal's trust. The army, in its stead, looks upon Hal with anger and loathing for having brought to their attention something they would rather not have dealt with.

There are several small wars going on in this novel: the British war against Cyprus, the war at home between Hal and Clara, and Hal's personal war with the military once his ideals are shattered. Sadie Jones writes a compelling and fascinating novel of a period in history that is not well-known. She fleshes out her characters with minimal description, relying primarily on dialogue. She does an excellent job with this. The reader 'knows' Hal and Clara and feels empathy and concern for them. We are also able to feel revulsion and disgust towards the criminals and the crimes they commit. This is a novel about war and the toll it takes at home and in the field. Though Ms. Jones refers to these wars as 'small', she tackles big issues of ethics, integrity, shame, betrayal and morality. She shows the reader the field of gray between the black and the white. This is a compelling and intelligent book, one that will keep the reader engrossed from beginning to end. (4.5)
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Sep 27, 2011 Ian Mapp rated it 3 of 5 stars

What to do with an author such as Sadie Jones. I found outcast a pleasant enough read.... enough to make me pick up small wars.

Again - all pleasant enough but is it worthy to continue dedicating precious time to slightly better than average works? There is nothing to dislike - but nothing to really recommend it.

And my list of "authors" is growing the point that I will never be able to take on new one or keep up with the ones that I have.

As with outcast, we combine a sense of time, place, politi...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had never read a book set in Cyprus, and I decided to start this novel because it had good reviews and I wanted to learn something about how Cyprus became independent. My father in law did his military service at this time in Cyprus; a friend's husband comes originally from Cyprus. So it was a bit of a personal interest, I suppose.
Small Wars tells the story of what the violent situation in the island does to the marriage of Hal and Clara. Hal is a major but has never been involved directly in...more I had never read a book set in Cyprus, and I decided to start this novel because it had good reviews and I wanted to learn something about how Cyprus became independent. My father in law did his military service at this time in Cyprus; a friend's husband comes originally from Cyprus. So it was a bit of a personal interest, I suppose.
Small Wars tells the story of what the violent situation in the island does to the marriage of Hal and Clara. Hal is a major but has never been involved directly in combat before. Clara follows him from Germany with her twin little girls.
Hal comes from a military family. His name reminded me of the national hero portrayed by Shakespeare in Henry V. However, when it comes down to it, Hal finds it difficult to accept the more sordid, despicable things that some members of the army are doing to their prisoners. I find it difficult to believe that before that point in his life Hal would have been unaware of the possibility of such things occurring within the British Army, but it seems to be so. His superiors suggest covertly that such a time comes to all officers, and Hal seems to function for a while, simply sending Clara to Nicosia, away from it all. However, it seems that Hal is unwilling to go along with it all after all. For me, what he does comes as a complete surprise and it made the final part of the book very interesting from a moral point of view.
It also seems strange to me that Hal wouldn't confide in Clara. He appears to be very unwilling to express his feelings. Is this the famous "stiff upper lip", a product of his stint in a military school? Is this typical behaviour of the British upper classes at the time? He is very much in love, and is often described as "shy" of his wife, even after so many years.
I liked the two little girls. I found them very realistic. They did what children do: moan when they couldn't go to the beach, get difficult when being put into a car, clamber on their mother's lap (and this spurs Hal's decision at the airport)...
The ending was very sweet and touching, but there were difficult issues in this book about sex in marriage, too, that were more disturbing to deal with. Finally there is forgiveness, there is a reaching out for Hal and Clara, and I found this satisfactory as a reader.(less)

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Jan 23, 2010 Gail Cooke rated it 5 of 5 stars

London based author Sadie Jones won us with her critically acclaimed debut novel THE OUTCAST. She was praised for "her lush writing and tantalizing sense of setting and detail." So true, and all of this is at the fore once more with SMALL WARS, a deeply affecting story of love and loyalty.

We first meet Hal Treherne as a cadet at a Sandhurst passing-out parade in 1946. As Princess Elizabeth moves down the line during inspection Hal "knew that she was the embodiment of his country, that he was d...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Mary-ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having enjoyed Sadie Jones's first novel, The Outcast, I was keen to read Small Wars; set within the context of military conflict in Cyprus, Small Wars strips away the social codes and formulated lies that coat the army, family and marriage: what lies beneath is disappointing.

Jones's hero is Hal Treherne, the pride and joy of a military family. He graduates from Sandhurst in the anticlimactic darkness of 1946; a decade later he finally sees "action" during the Mediterranean emergency. His wife...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Evie Maiolo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An easy read, with a bit of interesting history - however, overall I found this book quite average. Although this is a historical fiction set in Cyprus, there was little or no description of the setting. I also found it was the circumstances described, not the actual characters, that moved me most.

Despite the huge emotional turmoil I imagine the main characters have to deal with, this is merely alluded to, while their actions and behaviors are quite stoic. For me, this made the characters seem...more

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May 24, 2010 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

THIS STORY COVERED A BIT OF HISTORY I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT - THE OCCUPATION OF OF CYPRUS BY THE BRITTISH IN THE 1950S. THERE IS A WAY FOR INDEPENDANCE BEING FOUGHT BY THE ISLANDERS. THE STORY IS ABOUT A BRITTISH CAPTAIN AND HIS WIFE - THEY HAVE BEEN RELOCATED TO THE ISLAND ALONG WITH MANY OTHER FAMILIES. THE CAPTAIN, HAL, HAS THE LOVE OF HIS WIFE AND THE RESPECT OF HIS TROOPS. THE WIFE, CLARA, LIVES IN CONSTANT FEAR FOR HERSELF, TWIN DAUGHTERS AND HER HUSBAND. HAL LEARNS OF A RAPE AND MURDER BY HI...more

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Sep 25, 2010 Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, europe, war

Englishwoman Clara marries soldier Hal, knowing what will be expected of her as a military wife. She follows him to his posting in Cyprus, along with her two small daughters.

Many years ago, a friend of ours spent a year in Cyprus and had an amazing experience. What she told us is the extent of my knowledge about the country, before reading this book.

In the 1950s, Cypriots were rebelling against British rule. Clara gets caught in the middle of this civil crisis, as Hal witnesses some life-changin...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was captivating, I could hardly put it down.
Set mostly in Cyprus in 1956, it tells the story of Hal and Clara. Hal is a young soldier, moving up quickly through the ranks, now a major. Clara and their toddler twins Meg and Lottie have joined him about a month after his transfer to Cyprus.
The action (small wars) that Hal sees here in Cyprus affect him and their relationship. As Hal finds things different than he imagined, he distances himself from Clara. Clara has also found it difficu...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Dora Okeyo rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have never been to war, but I have heard of what happens in battle and how as a soldier one has to follow orders, leave no man behind, and serve their country- but I have never had a glimpse of the lives of their wives and children.
I have not watched Army Wives too- and I don't think I will.

I admired: Clara's strength- she stood by Hal even when he did not understand what was happening to him.
I wish: Their child would have survived.
Award: 3 stars
Reason: the author gives us a glimpse of what it...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Sally906 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Small wars are military conflicts that are confined to one small country, or area, of the world. By no means are they any less dangerous than large major wars. SMALL WARS is set on the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean against the background of one such small war in the 1950s. The EOKA terrorists are fighting for independence from Britain and union with Greece. But as Cyprus is considered by Britain to be a vital outpost of the Empire the uprising had to be stopped.

Major Hal Treherne is post...more Small wars are military conflicts that are confined to one small country, or area, of the world. By no means are they any less dangerous than large major wars. SMALL WARS is set on the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean against the background of one such small war in the 1950s. The EOKA terrorists are fighting for independence from Britain and union with Greece. But as Cyprus is considered by Britain to be a vital outpost of the Empire the uprising had to be stopped.

Major Hal Treherne is posted to Cyprus and dutifully his wife Clara follows with their twin 16-month old daughters. Hal has risen to the rank of major in a ten year career that has not seen front line action, however he has total commitment to his country and believes in the ‘rightness’ of their cause - that of protecting Cyprus from the Cypriots. Clara loves her husband, but finds life as a military wife to be lonely and unfulfilling. As the weeks pass Hal is forced to confront his high ideals and question some of the military activities in the face of atrocities that he is drawn into, or made aware of. Internal conflict between what he believes is right and proper and loyalty to the military causes Hal to change. Clara resents the time Hal spends with his job, not just going to the office, but away on patrol for days. Adding this to Hal’s increasing failure to communicate, he is unable to put into words what is happening, Clara starts to believe he cares more for his job than her, a situation that leads to misunderstanding and resentment and a marriage and career on the rocks. When a horrific incident done by the British is hushed up Hal finally loses all faith in the military and questions why it seems alright for the British to torture, but not the enemy. At the same time Clara starts to lose faith in Hal. Can life for the two ever be the same again?

SMALL WARS is an easy to read and fast-paced story that makes the reader face up to some very confronting situations while sharing the emotional confusion that Hal goes through. Author, Sadie Jones, has managed to recreate a period of history when people knew their place in society, wives ‘obeyed’ their husbands and lay back and thought of England, any vestige of an emotional display was frowned upon and a drink at the club was the acceptable form of comfort. Having lived as a child during this time in one such British colonial enclave I found myself really relating to a lot of the social life as it was portrayed.

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Feb 25, 2010 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

An excellent second novel by this gifted storyteller. Her first book, "The Outcast", had me identifying with the main charachters loneliness and feelings of not belonging. This book hooked me with the tensions between Turks and Greeks living on Cyprus (having just experienced this tension first hand last fall). The story follows the lives of a young married couple and their time on Cyprus; he as a Major in the British military and she as a civilian with 2 young daughters come to live on the base...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Zoë (In The Next Room) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, historical-fiction

Small Wars by Sadie Jones tells the story of Hal Treherne, a Major in the British Army who is transferred to Cyprus to defend the colony in 1956 and takes along his wife Clara as well as their twin young daughters. However despite spending their nights in the same bed, Clara and Hal begin to inhabit two different worlds. As Hal experiences the battlefield after years of peaceful work, he finds himself struggling as he attempts to do the right thing. Meanwhile, Clara is not used to the anxiety th...more Small Wars by Sadie Jones tells the story of Hal Treherne, a Major in the British Army who is transferred to Cyprus to defend the colony in 1956 and takes along his wife Clara as well as their twin young daughters. However despite spending their nights in the same bed, Clara and Hal begin to inhabit two different worlds. As Hal experiences the battlefield after years of peaceful work, he finds himself struggling as he attempts to do the right thing. Meanwhile, Clara is not used to the anxiety that comes with Hal risking his life but finds herself even less prepared for the changes present when her husband does return home. Small Wars is a story which is both political and personal, culminating in a betrayal that Hal and Clara could never have imagined.

My initial interest in Small Wars was definitely due to the unusual setting. After falling absolutely in love with The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli, which also involves a love story of foreigners in a new country during a morally messy time, I could only hope that Small Wars would offer the same passionate images. However, the power of Small Wars is not obvious from the first page, it builds slowly throughout the novel, rising subtly until the characters have formed a place in the reader's heart almost without you realizing it.

The novel offers a quiet strength, and particularly at first I did not find myself attached to either Hal or Clara, and although by the end I was definitely invested in their fates I never felt like they really broach the distance between reader and character. I often craved an emotional connection with the characters that seemed to be missing. Perhaps this is due to the distance between the characters themselves, as for Hal and Clara most of their journey happens internally and I often couldn't help wishing they would just speak to each other. At times I found the fact that they continued to sweep all issues under the rug and let the distance grow incredibly frustrating; as well as occasionally unbelievable.

Hal feels shy of Clara even after knowing her for nearly a decade, and his refusal to discuss what he is feeling has predictably awful consequences. I realize that, in agreement with the time period, Hal was probably trying to protect Clara but it seems to have the opposite effect and I wondered at times if in such a situation both parties would really have said nothing to each other? Jones wants the reader to believe that these two individuals really love each other, but love must be based on some degree of trust, which Clara and Hal seem to lack in each other. I especially wanted more from Clara as a character, as she seemed to suspect something was wrong with Hal but seemed content to keep her resentment a secret to herself. With so much of the story happening inside Clara and Hal's heads, Small Wars unfortunately became slow and difficult to connect with at times.

Despite the faults I found with the characters of Small Wars, I did enjoy Jones' writing. Although the entire novel is written in the third person, Jones switches flawlessly from Hal to Clara's narrative and expertly builds to the story's violent climax. Her prose is meticulous and clean, and despite telling a war story full of moral ambiguity Jones does not resort to melodrama or graphic imagery, instead settling on a few powerful incidents. The result is that the reader does not become numb from the violence, and the few times it does occur the images- for example, when Hal is forced to shoot a horse after its front legs have been blown off- are extremely memorable. Ultimately, Small Wars provides well-written insight into not only 1950s Cyprus but the impact of war in general told through characters which unfortunately are difficult to emotionally connect with. (less)

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Aug 27, 2010 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book follows a young Major in the British Army (and his wife) stationed in Cyprus during the British Occupation in the fifties. I found his story compelling--but a little artificial--and hers irritating. Were people really so circumspect about their thoughts and feelings in the fifties? Could such a story really have ended the way it did? At the same time, I thought the writing was excellent and I felt like the picture of the British sense of honor and privilege at the tail end of the Empir...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Caroline by: Jill

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a story about an honourable and upright soldier called Hal, a major whose recent years have been spent training at Sandhurst followed by a peaceful posting in Germany. We meet him in Cyprus in 1956. Cyprus is far from peaceful. Rather it is rife with dirty warfare. The Greek Cypriot organisation EOKA is determined to overthrow British control of the island – via shootings, roadside bombs and mines. Snipers pick off British soldiers, a police station is bombed, horses being given their mo...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

i chose this novel A) because I enjoyed her first novel 'The Outcast' and secondly because I liked the sound of the subject matter - the British problems in Cyprus in the 50's - not something I know much about....

Having visited Cyprus a few years ago also gave an extra perspective to the novel and I think it beautifully portrayed the restrained, uptight moralities of the 1950's Brits - certainly the middle classes or those in the Army in positions of rank.

Shocking and gritty in places, the autho...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Margaret Lawrenson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. Mainly set in occupied Cyprus in the late 1950’s, its subject is a young couple: Hal, a bright young officer who hasn’t been taught to have any kind of real emotional life, and Clara, his young and dutiful wife.

The book divides itself between looking at Hal, appalled and yet brutalised by the conflict he is a part of, and Clara, bored, frightened and powerless. As Hal's military involvement increases, the couple become increasingly unable to communicate. Cyprus itself is beau...more

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Aug 02, 2010 Kc rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although I would recommend this book, I found it difficult to like or care about the characters. Jones is a good writer and has a real knack with descriptions. She can set a scene magnificently. But I found the story a bit predictable and her message - war is bad, soldiers are pawns, morality is up for grabs - a bit too obvious is places. It was clear she had the American war in Iraq on her mind during much of the book even though the story takes place during the British Empire days. And why oh...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I found this story captivating. I don't normally enjoy war stories but the description piqued my interest.

This is the story of Hal, a young soldier in the British army serving his country in Cyprus in the late 50's. He takes his wife Clara and 2 young daughters with him. Hal is an exemplary solder with a promising career.

When Hal hears of some atrocities committed by some of his men in a small village, that are overlooked & swept under the carpet by his superiors, it changes him. He is unab...more

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May 22, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved Sadie Jones' first novel 'The Outcast' and this novel is possibly even better. Set, once again, in the 1950s, although mostly this time in Cyprus, it charts the effect that war (albeit a small one, hence the title) has on the relationship of Major Hal Treherne and his wife, Clara. Jones' style is the real appeal - in both her books, she uses matter of fact description of the minutiae of scenes and life to express what is left unsaid between her characteristically socially and emotionally...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

From my book review blog Rundpinne...."Small Wars takes an in-depth look at what war from a militaristic outlook and that of a civilian and the deep complexities that arise during a time of stress, tension, and trauma that is a direct result of a war. Jones writes an emotionally beautiful novel filled with complex issues, emotions, and of things unspoken, which beg the readers to look within and ask themselves what they would do in either position."....My full review may be read here.

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Jul 08, 2010 Terry Perrel rated it 4 of 5 stars

A bit slow to get going but well worth the read. Set during the 1956 Cypriot rising against the British, this book focuses on a young military couple stationed in Greece and examines the veiled nastiness of war, wretched dilemmas that compromise an officer's integrity, and the misunderstandings that come from the unsaid. Fine writing, well drawn characters, unpredictable but justifiable plot, a satisfying ending
Give Sadie Jones a read. I'm now engrossed in her first novel, The Outcast, which was...more

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May 13, 2010 Jackie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I struggled through the middle of this book but found the story and the history learned compelling. During the British occupation of Cyprus in the 1950's a career soldier, Hal is sent to the coutry to lead his troops. His wife Clara and daughters join him in this country that is full of strife. Leading his men in difficult and bloody skirmishes his confidence soon begins to fade. He is traumatized by the brutality he witnesses and turns into a fearful distant man. This novel explores the effects...more

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Sep 18, 2009 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just finished this one and really enjoyed it. It has that same languorous and stifling atmosphere of The Outcast which is wholly in keeping with the setting and subject. The main characters and their relationship are well drawn. To say "nothing much happens" is kind of unfair of me - there are shocking incidents associated with the Cyprus conflict, and conflicts in the relationship - but that's the overall impression the book leaves. If you're looking for a rattling good and gripping read, this...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Audra (Unabridged Chick) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cultural-confusion, historicals, mood-bittersweet, mood-evocative, era-post-wwii, post-colonial-fiction, sense-of-place, place-uk

I have to confess that the novel had me hooked even before I started: as a child, my military family was stationed in the Mediterranean for some years, our first overseas posting. It was wonderful and a little traumatic -- some of our best and worst memories. The locational setting of Small Wars, the military family at the story's center, and the era (late '50s) immediately appealed to me and I was so excited to read this novel.

My expectations were met and surpassed.

I really had two reactions wi...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Amanda G. Stevens rated it 4 of 5 stars

This historical novel unfolds in Cyprus in 1956, where British major Hal Treherne is stationed to quell the uprising for "enosis" (union with Greece). His wife Clara joins him with their toddling daughters. Tension builds between the Cypriot resistance and the British force, as well as between husband and wife--he, increasingly disturbed by his work and distant; she, increasingly frustrated by his distance and lonely.

Ms. Jones writes dialogue with a keen sense of Hemingway's "iceburg;" character...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Ian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-kindle, around-world-80-books

This is a tale of a military marriage set against the continuing decline of the British Empire and the British refusal to accept that their days in the sun are over.

Major Hal Trehene graduated from Sandhurst just after the end of the Second World War and 10 years later, he is posted to Cyprus, where his wife and two small daughters eventually join him. It is their first posting to a "war" zone. As Hal becomes embroiled in trying to stifle Greek Cypriot desires to rid themselves of the yoke of i...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Joe Stamber rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, kindle

I obtained "Small Wars" some time after reading "The Outcast" which I thoroughly enjoyed. While the books are quite different, there are several similarities. Both books have characters struggling to come to terms with their lives, albeit in completely different situations. Small Wars is set mainly on Cyprus during the fifties when the Brits, the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots were at loggerheads over who should control the island. It adds an extra level of interest for me when a novel...more

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Mar 28, 2010 Elaine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

While Jones certainly knows how to write, this book was a little too heavy handed with its "let's write about Iraq/Afghanistan and call it Cyprus" drumbeat. The parallels were too forced -- so that the specificity of the time and place, which should have been the book's strongest point, fades away. Clara was not fully realized either -- a victim of her husband and others -- but her own motivations too murky and opaque. I'd read Jones again for her clean, crisp prose, but she should let Cyprus be...more

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About Sadie Jones

was born in London, England, the daughter of a poet and an actress. Her father, Evan Jones, was born in Portland, Jamaica in 1927. He grew up on a banana farm, eventually moving to the United States, and from there to England in the 1950s. His most widely acclaimed work is "The Song of the Banana Man". Sadie's mother, Joanna Jones, was featured as an extra in various television series, including...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6476775-small-wars?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320473652l/6476775.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6476775-small-wars?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Small Wars by Sadie Jones[/url]

Small Wars

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