Small Wars

Sadie Jones's second novel follows in the footsteps of her phenomenally successful debut, The Outsider, in exploring the darker side of 1950s society. This time, the spotlight is on the British Colony of Cyprus, where dedicated young Major Hal arrives with his wife Clara and their small twin daughters, filled with enthusiasm about the challenges of a new military post. Yet forced to confront the stark reality of ambushes, shoot outs and atrocities, Hal increasingly finds his own moral integrity compromised; meanwhile, Clara faces her own struggles on the home front, from the uncomfortable discovery of a neighbour's infidelity, to a growing awareness of the dangers that she and her children face in Cyprus's apparently beautiful and peaceful landscapes. As emotions begin to unravel, Clara and Hal's relationship is tested in a 'small war' of their own.

Jones’s elegant, understated prose cleverly reflects a society of stiff upper lips, white gloves and cocktails at the club, whilst simultaneously conveying powerful emotion at work beneath the surface. Haunting and often harrowing, Small Wars is both an affecting love story and a meditation on honour, morality and the psychological impact of war.