Two people arrive at a monastery seeking a monk who may provide clarity on the tragic end of a young man who died in World War 1. But Father Herbert Moore is dead, and buried with him, it seems, are the answers these strangers seek.
What isn’t entirely buried is the record that, as a captain in the British army, Herbert sat on a field court-martial that condemned Private Joseph Flanagan to death for desertion during the nightmare of mud, blood and fear that was the battlefield of Flanders in 1917. Father Anselm - who for years had regarded Herbert as his mentor and guide - delves into the older man’s secret.
Occasionally a book lodges in memory with more than just a storyline. This novel sings with words of haunting beauty that echo through the horror of war and expose the flaws in even good men’s souls. If you read only one book this year make it this one.
A WHISPERED NAME by William Brodrick (R190, Little, Brown)
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Kevin Jacobs