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The Photographer of the Lost

A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK

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About The Book

A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK

‘This excellent debut is a melancholic reminder of the rippling after-effects of war’ The Times
'A touching novel of love and loss' Sunday Times

For fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Where The Crawdads Sing comes a moving story, inspired by real events, about how hope and love will prevail against all odds.

1921
In the aftermath of war, everyone is searching for answers.

Edie’s husband Francis never came home and was declared ‘missing, believed killed’. But when she receives a mysterious photograph of him in the post, hope flares and she begins to search.

Harry photographs gravesites on the Western Front, hired by grieving families. Plagued by memories of his last conversation with Francis, he has never stopped searching for his brother.

After years apart, their search brings them together. As they uncover the truth they are haunted by the past and their own complex feelings – towards Francis, and towards each other.

Are some questions better left unanswered?

Perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Helen Dunmore, The Photographer of the Lost is a beautiful novel, inspired by real events in the wake of the First World War, about love and loss, grief and guilt, and the fleeting, fragile moments of life.

Praise for The Photographer of the Lost:

'Epic… A beautifully written must-read' heat

'A gripping, devastating novel about the lost and the ones they left behind' Sarra Manning, RED

‘Terrific first novel’ Daily Mail

‘Scott has done an amazing job of drawing on real stories to craft a powerful novel’ Good Housekeeping

‘A deeply poignant and immersive novel . . . told in beautiful, elevated prose. I was completely caught up in these characters’ stories’ Rachel Hore

'What a wonderful debut novel . . . With a mystery at its heart and a moving, but page turning hook, I couldn’t stop reading' Lorna Cook

'A sublimely rendered portrait of the search for answers amidst the chaos and devastation left behind in the aftermath of World War 1' Fiona Valpy

‘A poignant hymn to those who gave up their lives for their country and to those who were left behind’ Fanny Blake

'I was utterly captivated by this novel, which swept me away, broke my heart, then shone wonderful light through all the pieces' Isabelle Broom

‘Beautiful, unflinching: The Photographer of the Lost is going to be on an awful lot of Best Books of the Year lists, mine included… unforgettable’ Iona Grey

'Momentous, revelatory and astonishing historical fiction!' Historical Novel Society

About The Author

(c) Johnny Ring

Caroline completed a PhD in History at the University of Durham. She has a particular interest in the experience of women during the First World War, in the challenges faced by the returning soldier. Caroline is originally from Lancashire, but now lives in south-west France.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (October 31, 2019)
  • Length: 400 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781471183126

Raves and Reviews

'[An] impressive debut . . . a touching novel of love and loss'

– The Sunday Times

'There's only one word for this novel . . . and that's epic . . . A beautifully written must-read'

– heat

‘This excellent debut is a melancholic reminder of the rippling after-effects of war’

– The Times

‘A poignant hymn to those who gave up their lives for their country and to those who were left behind’

– Fanny Blake, bestselling author of A Summer Reunion

‘The pain of not knowing where a son, brother or husband lies, and the guilt and psychological dissonance that torment survivors, are movingly conveyed in this terrific first novel’

– Daily Mail

'I was utterly captivated by this novel, which swept me away, broke my heart, then shone wonderful light through all the pieces'

– Isabelle Broom, author of One Winter Morning

‘Beautiful, unflinching, elegiac: The Photographer of the Lost is going to be on an awful lot of Best Books of the Year lists, mine included . . . it’s unforgettable’

– Iona Grey, bestselling author of The Glittering Hour

‘A beautiful, tender novel which explores the aftermath of the Great War, and the shattered lives left behind. Written with gorgeous prose and a cast of memorable characters, this is a stunning debut which had me spellbound from the first page to the last’

– Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter

‘What a stunningly beautiful book this is. Caroline Scott evokes the trenches of WWI and the heartache of the postwar period as vividly as if she had lived it herself . . . this is a powerful, redemptive novel, one that teaches us not only about history, but about our capacity for love. I could not put it down’

– Abigail DeWitt, author of News of Our Loved Ones

'A gripping, devastating novel about the lost and the ones they left behind'

– Sarra Manning, RED

‘Scott has done an amazing job of drawing on real stories to craft a powerful novel’

– Good Housekeeping

'An amazing debut. It captivated me from start to finish and I can't recommend it highly enough'

– NB Magazine

‘A deeply poignant and immersive novel . . . told in beautiful, elevated prose. I was completely caught up in these characters’ stories.’

– Rachel Hore, author of The Love Child

What a wonderful debut novel. So accomplished. It grabs you from page one with such immediacy, such urgency. With a mystery at its heart and a moving, but page turning hook, I couldn’t stop reading.

– Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village

'Momentous, revelatory and astonishing historical fiction!'

– Historical Novel Society

'A profoundly moving story of love and loss. The Photographer of the Lost is a sublimely rendered portrait of the search for answers amidst the chaos and devastation left behind in the aftermath of World War 1'

– Fiona Valpy, author of The Dressmaker's Gift

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More books from this author: Caroline Scott