The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.

Published by Del Rey
on February 13, 2024

Review:

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Katherine Arden’s latest novel, “The Warm Hands of Ghosts.” I was intrigued by the premise and found myself transported to a hauntingly beautiful world wrapped up in the chaos of WWI, where the lines between reality and the supernatural often blur.

Set between 1917 and 1918; the story follows Laura Iven, a brave and dedicated field nurse who served in England during WWI. Laura was wounded and discharged, moving back to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she lives with a group of older women who love to perform seances to help people deal with their grief over losing family members in the war.

Laura is no stranger to grief. Recently, there was a massive explosion in Halifax that left her parents dead, and soon after, Laura was devastated by the news of her brother Freddie’s death in combat. Despite receiving his personal effects, Laura is plagued by a gnawing sense that something isn’t right. She feels that Freddie isn’t really dead – maybe it has something to do with a message she received during a recent seance stating that he was alive. Laura doesn’t normally believe in the supernatural, but she has to trust her gut. Determined to uncover the truth, she returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she encounters whispers of haunted trenches and a mysterious, violin-playing hotelier named Faland, who is rumored to be gifted with a strange power.

We also get chapters from Freddie, Laura’s brother, who is trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men manage to escape while forming an unlikely alliance. They eventually seek refuge with a mysterious man who offers them a reprieve from the horrors of war – but at what cost?

As Laura reenters dangerous territory while searching for Freddie and as Freddie sinks deeper into the world of Faland, the war rages on, and ghosts of the past resurface. Through it all, Laura and Freddie must confront their deepest traumas and make a choice that will determine the fate of their world.

At its core, “The Warm Hands of Ghosts” is a story about the power of resilience, redemption, and the enduring bonds of love, friendship, and family bonds. Arden’s writing is nothing short of mesmerizing. She weaves historical facts with elements of the supernatural to create a gripping and poignant narrative. Her detailed descriptions transport readers to the mud-soaked trenches of Flanders, Belgium, where the horrors of war are juxtaposed with moments of unexpected beauty, hope, and tenderness.

The characters in the novel are complex and compelling, each grappling with their own inner demons as they navigate the chaos of war. Laura is a heroine to root for, her unwavering determination and compassion shining through even in the darkest of times. Freddie and Hans are equally compelling, their unlikely friendship serving as a beacon of hope amidst the carnage of war. And then we have Faland – the mysterious stranger who comes across as a sort of angel of death. It was never clear who he was, but that added to the book’s beauty and mystery.

Overall, I found this to be a hauntingly beautiful novel, unlike anything I’ve read in a while. If you mix Kristin Hannah’s “The Women” and Alice Winn’s “In Memoriam” and sprinkle in a little of the supernatural, this is what you end up with. The writing is gorgeous, and the story is immersive. I loved the characters and the journey Arden took me on. The exquisite prose and captivating storytelling make this a must-read for fans of historical fiction and supernatural tales alike. Haunting, poignant, and utterly unforgettable, this is a book that will touch the hearts of all who venture into its pages.