The Return of the Soldier

In Rebecca West's debut novel, The Return of the Soldier, narrated through the eyes of his cousin Jenny, we follow Captain Chris Baldry as he returns home from World War I suffering from amnesia. Oblivious to the passage of time, Chris remembers only his childhood and a former love, Margaret, while his devoted wife and cousin grapple with the implications of his condition. As they navigate his memories and the desire for him to recover, the women face the dilemma of whether to protect him in his safe, forgotten past or confront the traumatic reality of his return to war.