Item: The Warm Hands of Ghosts
Rating: 3.50
Author: quirkycat

by Katherine Arden

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist, from the author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

“A wonderful clash of fire and ice—a book you won’t want to let go of.”—Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander

“Spectacular—a tour de force, wonderful and deep and haunting.”—Naomi Novik, author of A Deadly Education

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.

Book Summary:

Laura Iven worked hard as a field nurse during the war, saving as many soldiers as possible. That was until she was wounded and sent home. Not that coming home proved to be any safer.

Now Laura is facing the death of her parents and the reported death of her brother. But something’s wrong. There’s no evidence for his death - merely his disappearance. If Laura could find her way into the field again, she could find him.

My Review:

I’ve been hearing SO much hype about The Warm Hands of Ghosts. It’s all over the place, including a few book boxes. So, I was pretty hyped about it. While it was a good read, I don’t think it quite met my expectations.

However, one should probably take my review with a grain of salt, as I’m not always a fan of historical fiction or fantasy. I loved parts of this story, such as the overall writing (how they revealed Laura’s past was a chef’s kiss) and the atmospheric vibes from the pages.

Despite loving the overall writing style and atmosphere, I didn’t fall in love with this book, which is odd because I liked the characters just fine. Maybe it was my fear of getting attached (ghosts + wartime usually equals heartbreak, right?).

Highlights:
Historical Fiction
Magical Realism
Ghosts & Horror

Trigger Warnings:
War Time Violence & Death
Missing People
Familial Death

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The Warm Hands of Ghosts

by Katherine Arden

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Sep 8, 2024

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