Held A novel
Held by Anne Michaels is a novel published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on January 30, 2024, featuring 240 pages in English. The story unfolds against the backdrop of 1917 and 1920, following John, who lies injured on a battlefield, grappling with memories and the impact of war. As he returns to North Yorkshire, he attempts to rebuild his life alongside Helena, an artist, while confronting the haunting echoes of his past that emerge through his photography.
Readers will find a narrative that spans four generations, exploring themes of love, loyalty, and the interconnectedness of family life. The book delves into the complexities of memory and the lingering effects of trauma, as John’s experiences resonate through time, revealing the profound connections that shape lives. With its focus on desire, comprehension, and the passage of time, this edition of Held invites readers to reflect on the enduring nature of human relationships and the transformative power of art.
Official synopsis Publisher
WINNER OF THE GILLER PRIZE • SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • A NEW YORK TIMES BEST HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE YEAR • A breathtaking and ineffable new novel from the author of the international bestsellers Fugitive Pieces and The Winter Vault—a novel of love and loyalty across generations, at once sweeping and intimate
1917. On a battlefield near the River Escaut, John lies in the aftermath of a blast, unable to move or feel his legs. Struggling to focus his thoughts, he is lost to memory as the snow falls—a chance encounter in a pub by a railway, a hot bath with his lover on a winter night.
1920. John has returned from war to North Yorkshire, near a different river. He is alive but still not whole. Reunited with Helena, an artist, he reopens his photography business and tries to keep on living. But the past erupts insistently into the present, as ghosts begin to surface in his pictures: ghosts with messages he cannot understand.
So begins a narrative that spans four generations of connections and consequences that ignite and reignite as the century unfolds. In radiant moments of desire, comprehension, longing, and transcendence, the sparks fly upward, working their transformations decades later.
Held is affecting and intensely beautiful, full of mystery, wisdom, and compassion, a novel by a writer at the height of her powers.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Held A novel” about?
Who is the author of “Held A novel”?
When was “Held A novel” published?
What is the ISBN for “Held A novel”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
