The Warm Hands of Ghosts is an unforgettable story centring on themes of war, love and loss. Throughout the novel, Katherine Arden brings about alternating timelines between two separated siblings, a wounded nurse and a traumatised soldier.

Set in January 1918, Laura Iven, a nurse wounded during the First World War and recently discharged, returns home to Halifax, Canada. She receives word of her brother, Freddie, who has been deemed ‘missing in action, presumed dead’. Concerned about what has happened to him, Laura’s determination brings about her return to France, set on a mission to find out what has happened to her brother.

The narrative also takes us back in November 1917, with Canadian soldier Freddie Iven, who finds himself trapped in a pillbox with an enemy soldier, a German named Hans Winter. An unlikely alliance forms between the two and they learn to put aside their differences to work at surviving together. Meanwhile, something else is lurking: a strange violinist who offers an escape for haunted soldiers. This promised escape, however, comes at a cost – the risk of losing oneself, of being consumed with loss and madness.

As the story unfolds, a hauntingly beautiful take on the consequences of war is revealed. Intertwined with paranormal aspects, Arden creates a powerful story you won’t soon forget, one filled with hope and love. You begin to grasp a devastating – yet also changing – world through the characters’ eyes. Arden’s prose is stunning, which highlights the novel’s exploration of war and trauma, clearly showcasing her thorough research on the historical settings.

This is a beautifully crafted historical fiction novel. If you love complex characters, a blend of magic and history, and don’t mind darker elements in a story, then I highly recommend you give this one a try.