Tim Pears has made the battle zone of family life in provincial England his own fertile fictional terrain…The novel succeeds in illuminating a pivotal moment in world history, while casting a steady light back on England…Rather like Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient, this is an intimate tale of a few individuals poised at a moment when one epoch gives way to another.

[T]he characters are beautifully and economically drawn, and he is excellent on the sights and especially the smells of the landscape – the beauty even of a war-torn land.

Brilliantly nail-biting. Tim Pears tackles the horrors and ambiguity of war with his usual deft observance, in this depiction of a largely forgotten World War II slideshow in Eastern Europe.

Superb … a thought provoking, lyrical and deeply humane book

Pears’s prose, with its sensuousness and subtlety, is a fine vehicle for the intelligent, unsentimental tale he tells.

[A] compelling, heartbreaking book

The author’s depiction of this psychological turmoil is delicate and respectful … a fine novel with wide appeal

I have never failed to be impressed by the quality of his writing and the inventiveness of his story lines…The book unfolds with some remarkably well-written set-pieces. Relationships are clarified, enemy (and allied) plots are uncovered and the inevitable conflict eventually occurs with a great disruption to souls and bodies.

For his economical yet beautiful prose I fully enjoyed this book. This is an intelligent and quietly absorbing story with a graceful writing style.

Compelling

‘Baker . . . creates a compellingly real experience out of Beckett’s work in the French underground . . . Her writing is assured and often intense . . . enthralling.’

A raw novel about the war in Afghanistan . . . the book smells completely authentic

A must-read debut

This is without doubt the best and most readable account of a modern combat soldier's life that I have read. The unique relationship between officer and soldier is brilliantly explored, as is the impact of war on loved ones left behind. Then there's the raw fear, the shock of the real thing, the loss of comrades and the sense of absolute mutual commitment that carries the day. I cannot commend it too much. A modern classic

Darkly funny yet moving debut.

A “serious” novel that is genuinely and frequently funny.

This debut novel from Jesse Armstrong…is every bit as funny and cringe-inducing as the sitcoms he made his name writing.

one of the year’s funniest books.

brilliantly funny… the dialogue and the characters are fantastic.

It’s hard for me to believe that this amazing, touching book is a debut novel. Absolutely recommend and already on the run for a spot in my top 10.

It is a powerful read; you can almost see the endless mud of the trenches, and sense the fear of those young men.

Anna Hope wove her spell and managed to conjure up an intriguing tale, quite rich with emotion that held me entranced until the last page. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Wake is a brilliant debut novel, deeply moving, well-plotted and engrossing.

This is such a brilliant book; one that is both beautifully written and emotionally involving, with a fascinating plot and wonderful characters who pluck at your heartstrings on every page.

I have no doubt that Wake is going to be included in my Top Ten books of 2014, I know that it's only January, but this is a book that has had a huge effect on me.

The only regret I have is that I didn’t read this book sooner. WAKE is luxury. Pure luxury.

She manages to capture every single detail, every emotion and every sound.

Wake is that rare and beautiful thing: a first novel that sings with such power and grace that it lifts itself effortlessly from the pack. Powerful, passionate, compassionate, it marks the rising of a new star in the literary firmament. Anna Hope is here to stay.

Intricately researched and beautifully written, with the kind of restrained yet emotional prose one expects from a seasoned author. Its characters, too, have a depth and quiet tragedy one rarely finds in debut fiction. In this centenary year commemorating the outbreak of war, there've been many novels about the conflict:Wake is without doubt one of the best.

A masterclass in historical fiction

Impressive ... A heart-breaking tale of grief and guilt