On Bended Knees
On Bended Knees by Martin Goodman, published by Barbican Press on March 5, 2024, is a historical fiction novel set in the aftermath of World War II. This edition, comprising 233 pages, presents the story of young Tomas, who navigates the complexities of a Europe still healing from the scars of war. As he grapples with his identity, shaped by his German heritage and the memories of English war veterans, Tomas’s journey unfolds against the backdrop of Coventry’s ruins and the shifting landscape of 1970s Berlin.
Readers will find a poignant exploration of the impact of war on personal and collective identities. The narrative follows Tomas as he learns from the adults around him, haunted by their pasts, and encounters family secrets in Dresden. This coming-of-age tale delves into themes of memory, guilt, and the legacies of conflict, inviting reflection on how the experiences of previous generations shape our understanding of the world.
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“Goodman writes with flare and panache, and the narrative fizzes along. Goodman’s novel soars.”– The Times
The Second World War is over, but young Tomas learns that Europe’s wounds have not yet healed.
Discover the 30th anniversary edition of a Whitbread shortlisted novel – available in the U.S. for the first time.
“You come to see [Tomas] is conserving himself deliberately against the old suffering, the tired old guilt of the adults… Simplicity is a great virtue, in novels as elsewhere. After all, it can only be produced from sincerity.” – Penelope Fitzgerald
It’s 1966. Young Tomas is taught by English war veterans, the adults around him haunted by memories of war. He walks the ruins of Coventry with his Gran, the city still rebuilding from the blitz. But his mother is German, and Tomas is torn between two worldviews.
As he nears adulthood Tomas heads to 1970s Berlin. He’s taken in by his enigmatic uncle, a blind, disgraced Nazi soldier. Arm in arm, they explore a drastically changing Berlin. Out in Dresden, a city decimated by Allied firebombs, Tomas finds more family with their hidden stories. This soaring, poignant novel invites readers to explore what we inherit from the wars of our elders, and how we might move on.
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