The War Artist

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The most important novel about the legacy of war since Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North When Brigadier James Phelan returns from Afghanistan with the body of a young soldier killed under his command, he is traumatised by the tragedy. An encounter with young Sydney tattoo artist Kira leaves him with a permanent tribute to the soldier, but it is a meeting that will change the course of his life. What he isn't expecting is a campaign of retribution from the soldiers who blame him for the ambush and threaten his career. With his marriage also on the brink, his life spirals out of control. Years later, Phelan is surprised when Kira re-enters his life seeking refuge from her own troubles and with a young son in tow. She finds a way to help him make peace with his past, but she is still on the run from her own. The War Artist is a timely and compelling novel about the legacy of war, the power of art and the possibility of redemption.

Reviews

'Here at last is a novel that tackles the legacy of the Afghanistan War and the crippling psychological damage of PTSD.'-- Rodney Hall

Author Bio

Simon Cleary is the author of two previous novels, including The Comfort of Figs (2008), which was published after the manuscript was shortlisted for the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards. His second novel, Closer to Stone, (UQP, 2012) was inspired by his experiences in North Africa at the commencement of the Algerian civil war in the 1990s. It went on to win the Queensland Literary Awards People's Choice Award in 2012.