Sensible people always said it, didn’t they? The chances of being a victim of one of these things were infinitesimal — even when it had happened to those horses, even though that poor boy had lost his leg and would go home to his mother ruined, and the ruin would spread ripples.
She was still standing there with the children. They were quiet. Did she frighten them with her distress? Without even trying, without even saying, I’m frightened, I want to go home, I miss my husband. I miss him even when he’s there… Did they know, anyway?
(from Small Wars, page 155)
Small Wars is set on the island of Cyprus in 1956 and tells the story of Hal Treherne, a major in the British Army, and his wife, Clara. Hal is stationed on the island as EOKA terrorists begin to fight against British rule. The prologue shows Hal and Clara in the early stages of their relationship in 1946, and by the time the story really starts 10 years later, they have been married for several years and have two-year-old twins, Lottie and Meg.
Sadie Jones evenly splits the narrative between Hal and Clara. Hal comes from a military family and takes his job seriously. He hasn’t been involved in any real battles prior to Cyprus, and he gets a taste of war as the British Army tracks down terrorists. The things he sees on these missions changes him, and he becomes disillusioned with the military. Meanwhile, Clara has joined him in Cyprus, and she is juggling the girls and learning how to fit in with the officers’ wives at the same time she is scared about the terrorist attacks happening in close proximity to her family. Hal’s moral battle and Clara’s fear put much strain on their marriage and sets into motion a series of events that will leave lingering physical and mental scars.
Small Wars is a powerful book about the impact of war on the individual and on relationships, how a sense of honor and right and wrong can eat away at the soul, and how traumatizing experiences can cause people to turn away from those they love. The novel is sometimes quiet and sometimes exciting, and because I knew nothing about Cyprus and the war over unification with Greece when I picked it up, I found it hard to put down.
Jones writes with a tenderness for her characters and their marriage, without assigning blame. It’s the same when it comes to the skirmishes between the British and the Cypriot terrorists. Jones doesn’t choose sides but shows the good and the evil in both. Small Wars is about the small battles played out between nations, between soldiers, between spouses, and inside ourselves.
Thanks to TLC Book Tours for asking me to participate in the blog tour for Small Wars. Click here to check out the other tour dates.
Disclosure: I received a copy of Small Wars from HarperCollins for review purposes. I am an Amazon associate.
© 2011 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
You make it sound good, I really want to read this story now. My father was offered a military transfer in the 60’s for the family to move to Cyprus but he turned it down. I wanted to go but he doesn’t function well in a hot climate. I know a little of how things were there so it sounds right up my ally. Thanks for reviewing it.
(After a long bout of illness I am posting again.)
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Welcome back! I hope you are feeling better. Sounds like this book would be really interesting to you and that you have a better grasp of the historical events than I do.
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This is definitely going on my to-read list – it sounds fantastic!
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Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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Wow, what a great review. I love the line “Small Wars is about the small battles played out between nations, between soldiers, between spouses, and inside ourselves.” This makes the book more intriguing…I love when authors can illustrate the struggles of people on multiple levels.
Thanks for the great review. I’ll have to borrow your copy at some point.
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You’re welcome to it at any time. 🙂
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A powerful book indeed. I enjoyed reading your comments.
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Thanks! I hope you consider reading it.
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You’ve been reading a lot of books about war lately! I was curious about this one. Great review.
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It seems I’m always reading war-related fiction. I probably should read something light once every so often, though.
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This one does sound like a deep exploration of what goes on behind the scenes, even in the “small wars.”
Thanks for the review!
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My pleasure! The book really does offer much food for thought.
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The effects of war is such a great topic for a book. This one sounds really good to me.
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I hope you give this one a try!
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Loved your review! I will definitely add this to my list.
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Thanks, Beth!
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I’m intrigued! I’m definitely adding this one to my wish list, thanks for a great review.
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Thanks, Kris!
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Interesting sounding book, Anna, and very nice review by you, as always. 🙂
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Thanks, Suko!
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My friend has pointed out this one at the bookstore, but I have not been sure, the books she reads are so depressing…I do wonder
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This book certainly has its depressing moments, but I wouldn’t let that stop you from reading it.
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I remember when this one first came out…mixed reviews, but it always really appealed to me.
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I never heard of it until the TLC tour. I’ll have to search for some reviews to see what other readers thought about it.
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Sounds like an interesting book! Good teasers.
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Thanks, Sonia!
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This one sounds fantastic!! Your review was great!
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Thanks, Staci!
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This does sound interesting, I’ll keep an eye out for it. It sounds intense. Great review 😉
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Thanks, Naida! It is an intense book, but it was different from most of the war novels I’ve read in that it focuses on a marriage, which made it really interesting to me.
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Oh this sounds like it’ll be an engaging read. Really enjoyed your review Anna and I’m definitely adding this one to my list.
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Thanks, Iliana! I hope you get a chance to read it.
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Tenderness is a perfect way of describing how Jones handles the characters — even when I would be less tender — and I do love an author that can provoke those feelings in me. Lovely review.
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Thanks, Audra. I really liked how the author shows both sides without pointing fingers.
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Great teaser! I want to read more to find out what happens.
Reading Lark’s Teaser
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Hi Andrea! I hope you get a chance to read it.
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That was a great review! Historical fiction is not one of my favorite genres but this book does sound interesting!
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Thanks! I’ve learned in the past year or so that historical fiction is my favorite genre, but I read across genres.
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I have this on my TBR pile. Your review has reminded me I really must read it! It sounds really good all over again. 🙂
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I hope you get a chance to read it soon. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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I want to read this soon. In parts also because this is a war I am absolutely not familiar with. I was a bit wary at first because I didn’t like Jones’s Outcast so much.
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I haven’t read Outcast, and after reading about it in the back of Small Wars, I’m not sure it’s my cup of tea. But I did enjoy her writing, so maybe I’ll give it a try at some point.
I hope you read Small Wars, as I’d love to hear what you think about it and see if it’s a better experience for you than her first novel.
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The cover looks both light and heavy! the colors make it seem fluffy but the pain and anguish of the pose shows it must deal with some weighty issues.
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I love the cover, and I think it’s a good one for this book.
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Wow! This sounds fabulous! I love this: “…how traumatizing experiences can cause people to turn away from those they love.” That’s such a universal experience that I think almost anyone could relate to. It’s authors like Sadie Jones that make me love reading.
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That’s so true. I could relate to bits and pieces of this story even though I have never been in Hal and Clara’s shoes.
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Thanks for sharing…sounds very good. GREAT review.
I love TLC tours!!
Stopping by from Carole’s Your Favorite Historical Fiction Post. I am in that list as #4.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Blog
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Thanks, Elizabeth! It’s definitely a book I could see myself re-reading at some point.
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