Warlight

More about the book

From the internationally acclaimed author of The English Patient comes a mesmerizing novel set in the decade following World War II, centered on a small group of unexpected characters and two teenagers whose lives are profoundly impacted by their unwitting involvement. The narrative unfolds through the experiences of fourteen-year-old Nathaniel and his older sister, Rachel. In 1945, after the war, they remain in London while their parents relocate to Singapore, placed in the care of a mysterious figure known as The Moth. Initially suspecting him of criminality, they gradually grow more comfortable with him and his eccentric friends—individuals connected by a shared, enigmatic past during the war, who seem intent on protecting and educating the siblings in unconventional ways. However, doubts linger about their true identities. Complicating matters, their mother returns after months of absence, offering no explanations about their father's whereabouts. A dozen years later, Nathaniel embarks on a journey to uncover the truths he overlooked during that tumultuous time, weaving together facts, memories, and imagination in a compelling narrative from one of today’s great writers.