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Absolution
When the Militia entered the peaceful village of Nyanyar Ngun, South Sudan in 1992 - amidst the backdrop of a bitter civil war - it wasn’t in peace.
Soldiers of the SFL committed untold atrocities in that small farming village and from a line of terrified children, boys were chosen to become recruits of the Militia, whilst girls were taken for selling within a market of odious buyers. Those who weren’t selected were either left to perish or murdered where they stood.
In a field of high maize next to the village, sixteen-year old Jada lay hidden and afraid, witnessing the merciless slaughter of his parents and the capture of his sister Kiden; powerless to stop it, too frightened to try.
But now - tortured by grief, consumed with shame and driven by guilt - Jada must embark on a long & arduous journey to rescue his sister from a sinister world and earn his absolution … or die trying!
Soldiers of the SFL committed untold atrocities in that small farming village and from a line of terrified children, boys were chosen to become recruits of the Militia, whilst girls were taken for selling within a market of odious buyers. Those who weren’t selected were either left to perish or murdered where they stood.
In a field of high maize next to the village, sixteen-year old Jada lay hidden and afraid, witnessing the merciless slaughter of his parents and the capture of his sister Kiden; powerless to stop it, too frightened to try.
But now - tortured by grief, consumed with shame and driven by guilt - Jada must embark on a long & arduous journey to rescue his sister from a sinister world and earn his absolution … or die trying!
345 pages, Paperback
Published October 24, 2017
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 1, 2017
This is a story of human determination, resolve, character, relentless endeavour, faith and family, but to counter that there is also greed, manipulation, exploitation, murder, misery, depravity and evil. The prologue gives some indication of what to expect as the author tells of the suffering during the civil war in Southern Sudan and the atrocities committed against it’s people.
This is a story that does not hold back as far as details go. The author has delved into the world of human trafficking and has built a fast paced thriller around it, with at times uncomfortable reading. He does not go into too much graphic detail, but enough to build the picture required, but has also remained sympathetic to the subject, and has not glorified it. The characters have been wonderfully developed, you will soon realise the ones you will loathe just as quickly as those you will love, but then there are also the odd surprises. I am not going to delve into this too much more as I do not want to give away any spoilers. Just to say that it was a book that made me think about, hours after reading it.
It has multi layered plot, that contains brutal regimes and acts that are heartless and horrific, but into that is woven a story of hope and family loyalty. This is a book that will appeal to readers of general fiction and contemporary fiction. It is quite honest, hard hitting and powerful. Well written in a style that makes for compelling reading.
This is a story that does not hold back as far as details go. The author has delved into the world of human trafficking and has built a fast paced thriller around it, with at times uncomfortable reading. He does not go into too much graphic detail, but enough to build the picture required, but has also remained sympathetic to the subject, and has not glorified it. The characters have been wonderfully developed, you will soon realise the ones you will loathe just as quickly as those you will love, but then there are also the odd surprises. I am not going to delve into this too much more as I do not want to give away any spoilers. Just to say that it was a book that made me think about, hours after reading it.
It has multi layered plot, that contains brutal regimes and acts that are heartless and horrific, but into that is woven a story of hope and family loyalty. This is a book that will appeal to readers of general fiction and contemporary fiction. It is quite honest, hard hitting and powerful. Well written in a style that makes for compelling reading.
October 26, 2017
Absolution is one of those books that jaw-droppingly surprised me so much and really pushed me out my usuals reading comfort zone. Having been sent a paperback copy from the author of this brand new release I admittedly didn’t know if this was my usual read, but jeez I’m so glad I did.
This book started in South Sudan and the monstrosities that took place there with militias. The terror that unfolded was jaw dropping. But as the story progressed, different elements became entangled, as did other integral characters, who hold some interesting surprises along the way, leading us to WWII and the SS elite army.
The way the author retold the story from so many different aspects, stumbling over brand new facts in every other chapter was like piecing the jigsaw together gradually and I found myself enjoying this book immensely and gripped by it even more so.
As a lover of dark books, I’ve got to say that this has got to be one incredible story, and the fact that so much of it is accurately portrayed makes it all the more horrifying. The insight into some of the darkest moments of history and this author got into the mind of some seriously heinous people.
We meet so many people along the journey of this book which normally I would struggle to keep up with but the author worked it in such a way that I never felt lost or didn’t grasp them fully. Jada who struggled for his life, after loosing all of his family and friends, other than his sister, struggles to find her. Laying his life on the line for her. He really is the main aspect in this story and how he puts aside everything he’s known and believed in, means nothing to him anymore, other than his final wish to find her...
Excerpt:
He didn’t care about the teachings of the church or the guiding words of an invisible God anymore nor did he care about the laws of the land. He only cared about the journey ahead and the belief that somehow, he would eventually be reunited with his sister.
I think I could rave about this book all night if I was allowed to. I just ask that you give it a chance and prepare to go on a spellbinding journey thanks to an author I am now fascinated with. My mind if officially blown and has certainly opened my eyes to this new avenue of reading.
An exceptional story that really has got to be one of my top reads of the year to date. If I could recommend you a book, it would be this. It’s not for the faint hearted and the author has warnings about the darker aspects, but for me, what makes me all the more passionate about it, is the horror that lies in the historical horror of it all. It just left me speechless.
Final excerpt:
People who seek Absolution with nothing but rage in their hearts and fury in their minds Jada, are doomed from the start. This tunnel vision you have, this crazy notion that you can single-handedly overcome extreme danger and not get killed , is the very thing that will get you killed in the first place...
This book started in South Sudan and the monstrosities that took place there with militias. The terror that unfolded was jaw dropping. But as the story progressed, different elements became entangled, as did other integral characters, who hold some interesting surprises along the way, leading us to WWII and the SS elite army.
The way the author retold the story from so many different aspects, stumbling over brand new facts in every other chapter was like piecing the jigsaw together gradually and I found myself enjoying this book immensely and gripped by it even more so.
As a lover of dark books, I’ve got to say that this has got to be one incredible story, and the fact that so much of it is accurately portrayed makes it all the more horrifying. The insight into some of the darkest moments of history and this author got into the mind of some seriously heinous people.
We meet so many people along the journey of this book which normally I would struggle to keep up with but the author worked it in such a way that I never felt lost or didn’t grasp them fully. Jada who struggled for his life, after loosing all of his family and friends, other than his sister, struggles to find her. Laying his life on the line for her. He really is the main aspect in this story and how he puts aside everything he’s known and believed in, means nothing to him anymore, other than his final wish to find her...
Excerpt:
He didn’t care about the teachings of the church or the guiding words of an invisible God anymore nor did he care about the laws of the land. He only cared about the journey ahead and the belief that somehow, he would eventually be reunited with his sister.
I think I could rave about this book all night if I was allowed to. I just ask that you give it a chance and prepare to go on a spellbinding journey thanks to an author I am now fascinated with. My mind if officially blown and has certainly opened my eyes to this new avenue of reading.
An exceptional story that really has got to be one of my top reads of the year to date. If I could recommend you a book, it would be this. It’s not for the faint hearted and the author has warnings about the darker aspects, but for me, what makes me all the more passionate about it, is the horror that lies in the historical horror of it all. It just left me speechless.
Final excerpt:
People who seek Absolution with nothing but rage in their hearts and fury in their minds Jada, are doomed from the start. This tunnel vision you have, this crazy notion that you can single-handedly overcome extreme danger and not get killed , is the very thing that will get you killed in the first place...
October 26, 2017
From the atrocities during the Sudan’s second Civil War, a man whose family has been slaughtered save for his sister is on a desperate quest to find her
ABSOLUTION is a cleverly plotted thriller in which we are witness to the atrocities of civil war in the Sudan in the nineties – and go even further back in time to the horrors of WWII which somehow prove to be the ideal foundation for a man’s pure evilness. The various storylines culminate in modern day London, but in what way, we do not know until the very last pages…
| Introduction |
Jada Artoli witnesses the slaughter of almost everyone in his Kuku village in South Sudan. From his hiding place, he saw how his father and mother were brutally murdered and his sister taken away by a cruel militia under General Ode Tombura. Feeling desperate for not having done anything to stop the vicious murderers, Jada knows only of one way to gain absolution: to rescue his sister. That one horrible event caused the sixteen-year-old boy to become an adult in a matter of hours, leaving behind the innocence of his youth forever. His life is not worth living except for finding his sister and bringing her to safety. Absolution. Will Jada ever receive it? Will he find his sister – is she still alive?
| Storyline |
After the militia is gone, leaving the village a smoking ruin, Jada is in total shock. As much as he is terrified, he is also angry with himself for having done nothing, having watched in hiding even as his little sister was taken away by those cruel men. Jada is determined to make amends, to receive absolution and the only way absolution will be granted is when he can bring his sister into safety. He walks and walks until he arrives at another devastated village. The horrors he encounters will lead him to his prison cell. Is it fate that he meets Inspector Deng? Inspector Deng had been forced to accept a position, far away from his family, when his wife and children were tragically killed in an accident. The outbreak of the second Sudanese Civil War caused Deng to have to work with the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) militia in command and he knows, to survive he must “keep his head down … jumping when told to jump.’ He feels torn as the atrocities the SPLA accuses others of are, in fact, committed by themselves. Again, fate intervenes when Deng crosses paths with Jada…
Years later, a man is attacked in London. An old man by the name of Alfred Harris whose ‘native German tongue’ hints at a German past – a dark and sordid past. Another World War, the second and Alfred, or Ernst, his given name, rises to fame within Hitler’s elite army. Unspeakable acts that never must be forgotten – innocent lives that never should have been lost. Now, in 1993 London, Alfred seems a frail old man, attacked by a vicious black youth. His rescuer is a man yet unknown but soon to be the hero of the papers: Martin Bryson. Later, he wished he would not have intervened. But he did and now, he is caught in the middle of sinister games, people who tell him opposite sides of a poignant life story filled with tragedy, horrific events and dark criminals who find ways to profit amidst wars, who are utterly devoid of empathy and have lost their moral compass a long time ago. Who to believe and who to help? What to uncover and who to hold responsible? Is it even possible to undo such cruelty or make any kind of amends to those who have suffered? How to find absolution?
| My Thoughts |
The intriguing title of this thriller, Absolution, seems to refer to a theological concept but Sudan’s violent history, the topic of civil war and boy soldiers, and the cruelty inflicted on so many innocent victims show us that this is about the despicable acts of mankind – religion is only used as a miserable excuse to enable torture and murder. Young boys drilled to become boy soldiers, killers with no will of their own, no sense of right and wrong. How can a society condone this – stand by and do nothing? How can we find these boys guilty when their youth is brutally taken from them when they had no choice whatsoever in what they become in life? Jada is an exceptional character, he feels he has disappointed his father. His guilt determines his actions and his life and the only way to find absolution is to save his sister.
After the shocking events in the Prologue, the story developed from a novel within a historical setting to a fast-paced thriller where no one is who he seems and the truth is always lurking somewhere in the shadows. That makes Absolution a multi-layered powerful thriller exploring the harrowing consequences of the atrocities of war and despicable actions, of innocent people finding themselves in situations beyond their control, of keeping your moral integrity whilst in history’s darkest hour. If we keep silent when crimes against humanity are committed, are we not all in need of absolution? If we refuse to interfere when innocent lives are at stake, what does that say about us? This intriguing and compelling novel makes you ponder these issues long after you have closed the book.
Read the review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/absolu...
ABSOLUTION is a cleverly plotted thriller in which we are witness to the atrocities of civil war in the Sudan in the nineties – and go even further back in time to the horrors of WWII which somehow prove to be the ideal foundation for a man’s pure evilness. The various storylines culminate in modern day London, but in what way, we do not know until the very last pages…
| Introduction |
Jada Artoli witnesses the slaughter of almost everyone in his Kuku village in South Sudan. From his hiding place, he saw how his father and mother were brutally murdered and his sister taken away by a cruel militia under General Ode Tombura. Feeling desperate for not having done anything to stop the vicious murderers, Jada knows only of one way to gain absolution: to rescue his sister. That one horrible event caused the sixteen-year-old boy to become an adult in a matter of hours, leaving behind the innocence of his youth forever. His life is not worth living except for finding his sister and bringing her to safety. Absolution. Will Jada ever receive it? Will he find his sister – is she still alive?
| Storyline |
After the militia is gone, leaving the village a smoking ruin, Jada is in total shock. As much as he is terrified, he is also angry with himself for having done nothing, having watched in hiding even as his little sister was taken away by those cruel men. Jada is determined to make amends, to receive absolution and the only way absolution will be granted is when he can bring his sister into safety. He walks and walks until he arrives at another devastated village. The horrors he encounters will lead him to his prison cell. Is it fate that he meets Inspector Deng? Inspector Deng had been forced to accept a position, far away from his family, when his wife and children were tragically killed in an accident. The outbreak of the second Sudanese Civil War caused Deng to have to work with the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) militia in command and he knows, to survive he must “keep his head down … jumping when told to jump.’ He feels torn as the atrocities the SPLA accuses others of are, in fact, committed by themselves. Again, fate intervenes when Deng crosses paths with Jada…
Years later, a man is attacked in London. An old man by the name of Alfred Harris whose ‘native German tongue’ hints at a German past – a dark and sordid past. Another World War, the second and Alfred, or Ernst, his given name, rises to fame within Hitler’s elite army. Unspeakable acts that never must be forgotten – innocent lives that never should have been lost. Now, in 1993 London, Alfred seems a frail old man, attacked by a vicious black youth. His rescuer is a man yet unknown but soon to be the hero of the papers: Martin Bryson. Later, he wished he would not have intervened. But he did and now, he is caught in the middle of sinister games, people who tell him opposite sides of a poignant life story filled with tragedy, horrific events and dark criminals who find ways to profit amidst wars, who are utterly devoid of empathy and have lost their moral compass a long time ago. Who to believe and who to help? What to uncover and who to hold responsible? Is it even possible to undo such cruelty or make any kind of amends to those who have suffered? How to find absolution?
| My Thoughts |
The intriguing title of this thriller, Absolution, seems to refer to a theological concept but Sudan’s violent history, the topic of civil war and boy soldiers, and the cruelty inflicted on so many innocent victims show us that this is about the despicable acts of mankind – religion is only used as a miserable excuse to enable torture and murder. Young boys drilled to become boy soldiers, killers with no will of their own, no sense of right and wrong. How can a society condone this – stand by and do nothing? How can we find these boys guilty when their youth is brutally taken from them when they had no choice whatsoever in what they become in life? Jada is an exceptional character, he feels he has disappointed his father. His guilt determines his actions and his life and the only way to find absolution is to save his sister.
After the shocking events in the Prologue, the story developed from a novel within a historical setting to a fast-paced thriller where no one is who he seems and the truth is always lurking somewhere in the shadows. That makes Absolution a multi-layered powerful thriller exploring the harrowing consequences of the atrocities of war and despicable actions, of innocent people finding themselves in situations beyond their control, of keeping your moral integrity whilst in history’s darkest hour. If we keep silent when crimes against humanity are committed, are we not all in need of absolution? If we refuse to interfere when innocent lives are at stake, what does that say about us? This intriguing and compelling novel makes you ponder these issues long after you have closed the book.
Read the review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/absolu...
November 2, 2017
A Dark Gripping Pageturner.....A look into the heart of evil..
When Tombura a self proclaimed General and his thugs enter a quiet village at Nyanyar Ngun...they do not come quietly.. They plunder, rob ,terrorise and murder almost all that cross their path..In this darkest hour a young boy Jada is hiding in a field of Maize ..shaking ..watching and alone..Tombura evil to the core rounds up ten young girls...to be sold off to the highest bidder....When the militia leave Jada sets off on a journey to find his sister Kiden...this journey will be one that turns an innocent child who has never left the confines of his village into a man...Along the way Jada meets a good man one who tries his best to help him...Jada also witnesses evil at close quarters... All Jada wants is to rescue his little sister.....His road is full of uncertainty... This story flickers like a candle from the past to the present...Going to the past is harrowing yet necessary to find out just how evil mankind can be....The sins of the past will merge with the soul of a man who has no soul...Flash forward two years ..and in London a young man has stopped an old man from being attacked...Martin ...young naive... saves the day...But this day is about to change Martins life forever in ways he could not even comprehend...Will Jada find his sister...Jada's story will make you rage at mans humanity...A dark compelling read....Gripping...
When Tombura a self proclaimed General and his thugs enter a quiet village at Nyanyar Ngun...they do not come quietly.. They plunder, rob ,terrorise and murder almost all that cross their path..In this darkest hour a young boy Jada is hiding in a field of Maize ..shaking ..watching and alone..Tombura evil to the core rounds up ten young girls...to be sold off to the highest bidder....When the militia leave Jada sets off on a journey to find his sister Kiden...this journey will be one that turns an innocent child who has never left the confines of his village into a man...Along the way Jada meets a good man one who tries his best to help him...Jada also witnesses evil at close quarters... All Jada wants is to rescue his little sister.....His road is full of uncertainty... This story flickers like a candle from the past to the present...Going to the past is harrowing yet necessary to find out just how evil mankind can be....The sins of the past will merge with the soul of a man who has no soul...Flash forward two years ..and in London a young man has stopped an old man from being attacked...Martin ...young naive... saves the day...But this day is about to change Martins life forever in ways he could not even comprehend...Will Jada find his sister...Jada's story will make you rage at mans humanity...A dark compelling read....Gripping...
October 16, 2017
I will be posting my full review of this, amazing, heart -stopping thriller, book as part of a blog tour.
October 28, 2017
Reading Absolution by P.A.Davies wasn’t what I envisioned, I had a sense that it would all centred around the militia and war but to my surprise this wasn’t the case, yes war is ever present in the book when it flips back and forth but not overly done. If I’m realistic I honestly thought this isn’t for me but I’m glad to say P.A.Davies proved me wrong.
Absolution is a very thought provoking book, turning the pages of the prologue I was catapulted straight into the depiction of the Sudan, a war ravaged region which engaged me from the start. The landscape, the people, the cruel and unjust imposition was felt and seen with every word read, the descriptions generated a sense of knowing the characters producing an uncomplicated, absorbing read, this is just the beginning.
After the prologue which depicted the harrowing atrocities of the Sudan and WWII, we are propelled from historical atrocities swiftly into present day, where the characters have hidden agendas and the truth never seems to surface, the perfect basis for a thriller with a multitude of directions.
I’m not going to delve any further into Absolution, its a book which you need to read, its too easy to give too much away, so I shall leave that to the reader to discover. Absolution is a fast paced thriller which will have you wondering about humanity and how can we allow such atrocities to occur, have we no heart, are we just as immoral, can we vindicate crimes against humanity. A thought provoking book which will have you dissecting it long after the book has closed.
Thank you to P.A.Davies for an advanced readers copy of Absolution, many thanks to Caroline Vincent for the invite onto the Blog Tour, its been a pleasure to take part and read Absolution in exchange for an honest review.
Absolution is a very thought provoking book, turning the pages of the prologue I was catapulted straight into the depiction of the Sudan, a war ravaged region which engaged me from the start. The landscape, the people, the cruel and unjust imposition was felt and seen with every word read, the descriptions generated a sense of knowing the characters producing an uncomplicated, absorbing read, this is just the beginning.
After the prologue which depicted the harrowing atrocities of the Sudan and WWII, we are propelled from historical atrocities swiftly into present day, where the characters have hidden agendas and the truth never seems to surface, the perfect basis for a thriller with a multitude of directions.
I’m not going to delve any further into Absolution, its a book which you need to read, its too easy to give too much away, so I shall leave that to the reader to discover. Absolution is a fast paced thriller which will have you wondering about humanity and how can we allow such atrocities to occur, have we no heart, are we just as immoral, can we vindicate crimes against humanity. A thought provoking book which will have you dissecting it long after the book has closed.
Thank you to P.A.Davies for an advanced readers copy of Absolution, many thanks to Caroline Vincent for the invite onto the Blog Tour, its been a pleasure to take part and read Absolution in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2017
P.A. Davies writes in a descriptive way that easily puts the reader right there with the characters, the opening was harrowing but sets the scene for the story that follows. Making it hard not to be curious as to what would happen next. The short chapters are clear and help focus the story so if you aren't a fan of lengthy chapters this would be perfect for you. It's a dark and brutal story at times and also heartbreaking too due to some of the events that the characters go through. The background on certain characters was so interesting and really helped to make the characters more rounded whether it made them more likeable is another thing entirely. There are some pretty evil characters that left me feeling tense and hoping they got what they deserved.
It was very easy to be pulled into this story and once I started reading I had trouble putting it down, I could have easily read in one go. Absolution definitely kept me on my toes mainly because I was never quite sure which way the story would take me next. I guess I went into the story thinking it would go in one direction but the story ended up surprising me and I really enjoyed the twists and turns that followed. I really am trying to be vague about the plot as it really is well worth reading and discovering all the details for yourself.
Dark, gritty and brutal at times but a brilliant story that will keep you entertained right to the very end.
With thanks to Caroline Vincent for the invite to join the tour and my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion
It was very easy to be pulled into this story and once I started reading I had trouble putting it down, I could have easily read in one go. Absolution definitely kept me on my toes mainly because I was never quite sure which way the story would take me next. I guess I went into the story thinking it would go in one direction but the story ended up surprising me and I really enjoyed the twists and turns that followed. I really am trying to be vague about the plot as it really is well worth reading and discovering all the details for yourself.
Dark, gritty and brutal at times but a brilliant story that will keep you entertained right to the very end.
With thanks to Caroline Vincent for the invite to join the tour and my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion
November 26, 2017
When I first started reading Absolution I was immediately gripped by the impression of the Sudan and of the descriptions of both the landscape and the wars raging across the region. It made for very compelling reading and the whole way in which the oppression of the native people by firstly the white who can in to re-educate and instill good Christian values in the ‘savages’, and then ultimately, but their owm people, those consumed by the need for power and who had no respect for human life was completely in keeping with the idea of war and the initial tone of the book.
The story of poor Jada who watched as his whole village was either massacred or taken as slaves or new members of the militia really pulled at the heartstrings and you could feel the young boys pain and his sense of helplessness and shame as he stood and allowed it to happen. However what follows is so much more than a tale of a boy coming to terms with his loss. Jada makes a vow, to recover his sister, come what may.
It is therefore a bit of a surprise when the prologue ends and the narrative turns to introduce a seemingly random man, Alfred Harris, and also Martin Bryson, described in the book as ‘unassuming’. There presence and introduction seems almost too random, almost like a narrator introducing key players, or an intriduction in some kind of weird mating ritual. But it kind of works with the text, and the seemingly random are not random for long, their paths destined to cross and their stories destined to be told.
The story takes us back to both men’s youth, one in the heart of World War II and the other a relatively normal childhood in which his overriding memory is that of his grandmother and her beloved chair. Again, how either story fits in with that of Jada is a mystery but one that is soon solved in quite a depressing but all to familiar way. Interspersed within their stories we learn more of Jada’s journey, told in part through flashback, as is Alfred’s, as it serves to further the story set in the present.
There is nothing overly gory about anything in the book, although the subjects covered, rape, human trafficking, murder and torture for entertainment, are clearly represented and far from agreeable. However, they are talked about more in the after effects and in the context of the brutality of war which, while not softening their impact, certainly makes them more bearable. Once I got into the book I found it flowed really well and I worked my way through it in just one evening.
I still wonder a little quite why Martin got drawn into the mess, and how far just a random member of the public really would have gotten involved. Situations served to almost make him get involved, despite being apparently designed to convince him otherwise. It was only this niggle, perhaps feeling he was a little superfluous to what was otherwise a very compelling story. I would perhaps have preferred to hear less of his grandmother’s chair and learned more of Amelia. While we wouldn’t have wanted to hear her whole story, hearing more of how she moved from child victim to aduly killer might have helped, especially as she was to learn nothing of Alfred’s real business dealings.
All in all this was a really good read. I quickly became invested in the characters, particularly Jada who show true nerve and resolve to try and find his sister against all odds. His story is sadly reflected in the fates of so many young boys caught up in the ugliness of war and I really wanted him to find Kiden and keep her safe. I was also intrigued to follow Alfred’s story, if only to see him get his comeuppance. It is just a shame so many innocent people had to suffer along the way.
The story of poor Jada who watched as his whole village was either massacred or taken as slaves or new members of the militia really pulled at the heartstrings and you could feel the young boys pain and his sense of helplessness and shame as he stood and allowed it to happen. However what follows is so much more than a tale of a boy coming to terms with his loss. Jada makes a vow, to recover his sister, come what may.
It is therefore a bit of a surprise when the prologue ends and the narrative turns to introduce a seemingly random man, Alfred Harris, and also Martin Bryson, described in the book as ‘unassuming’. There presence and introduction seems almost too random, almost like a narrator introducing key players, or an intriduction in some kind of weird mating ritual. But it kind of works with the text, and the seemingly random are not random for long, their paths destined to cross and their stories destined to be told.
The story takes us back to both men’s youth, one in the heart of World War II and the other a relatively normal childhood in which his overriding memory is that of his grandmother and her beloved chair. Again, how either story fits in with that of Jada is a mystery but one that is soon solved in quite a depressing but all to familiar way. Interspersed within their stories we learn more of Jada’s journey, told in part through flashback, as is Alfred’s, as it serves to further the story set in the present.
There is nothing overly gory about anything in the book, although the subjects covered, rape, human trafficking, murder and torture for entertainment, are clearly represented and far from agreeable. However, they are talked about more in the after effects and in the context of the brutality of war which, while not softening their impact, certainly makes them more bearable. Once I got into the book I found it flowed really well and I worked my way through it in just one evening.
I still wonder a little quite why Martin got drawn into the mess, and how far just a random member of the public really would have gotten involved. Situations served to almost make him get involved, despite being apparently designed to convince him otherwise. It was only this niggle, perhaps feeling he was a little superfluous to what was otherwise a very compelling story. I would perhaps have preferred to hear less of his grandmother’s chair and learned more of Amelia. While we wouldn’t have wanted to hear her whole story, hearing more of how she moved from child victim to aduly killer might have helped, especially as she was to learn nothing of Alfred’s real business dealings.
All in all this was a really good read. I quickly became invested in the characters, particularly Jada who show true nerve and resolve to try and find his sister against all odds. His story is sadly reflected in the fates of so many young boys caught up in the ugliness of war and I really wanted him to find Kiden and keep her safe. I was also intrigued to follow Alfred’s story, if only to see him get his comeuppance. It is just a shame so many innocent people had to suffer along the way.
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