The Heroes’ Welcome audiobook

even better than My Dear I wanted to Tell You to which is a direct sequel; again the main draws are the author style and the main characters, especially Nadine and Riley, though there is a lot of Peter, Julia and Rose too; the blurb tells enough about the story-line so won't go into more detailwhile one can talk about themes, serious stuff etc, for me at least the main draws of the novel are its vitality, its affirmation of life and the way the pages flow so smooth and fast and by the end you want to read a few hundred pages more and stay with the main characters and their world for a long timehighly recommended

Stunning sequel to 'My Dear, I Wanted To Tell You', following Riley, Nadine, Peter, Julia and Rose after the First World War ends. Beautiful writing and superb story telling.

“The Heroes’ Welcome” by Louise Young was my third book to read courtesy of Good Reads. It is set in 1919, after the end of WW1. Two soldiers return home, one with horrific facial wounds, one with deep mental scars. The story follows their quest for closure from the horrors of war, and their attempts to move forward.The soldier with the facial wounds, Riley, marries his girlfriend, and after initial misunderstandings and non communication, finds contentment in married life. He finds it difficult to fine work because of his appearance, but manages to do freelance work created by himself and a friend. He has the support of his wife and her father, whose financial help he at first resents, but later appreciates. He takes on and fathers the children the mentally scars soldier, who can’t look after them.The mentally scarred soldier, Peter, is Rileys CO. He is haunted by the past and feels guilty about the death of men under his control. He withdraws into himself, rejecting family and friends, first using drink to cope and then immersing himself in the work of Homer, finding parallels with the Odyssey and his own life. It is not until ten years later that there is a glimmer of hope for him.It is a very powerful and moving book, reminding us that the survivors as well as those killed give cause for sorrow. The most shocking bit was when nightmare and reality become one, – it is unexpected and leaves you quite devastated.

We read 'My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You' for our book group in November, and with the Tower Poppies and other commemorations it couldn't have been more appropriate. At the end I really wanted to know what happened next for all of these tragic, flawed characters, and this sequel takes up the story in 1919, with a wedding and most of the main characters daring to hope for post-war happiness and a good future. There's nothing predictable about this second story, though, with further heartache for most. I don't want to give out any spoilers so very little abut the plot! I enjoyed this book more than the first, as it really explores deeply some of the many ways in which people were affected by the war: post-traumatic stress, physical injury, changes to society's attitudes, and even how the next generation are affected by the experiences of their parents. The characterisation is brilliant, and some quite advanced ideas are explored, such as the viewing of war through Homer's writing, yet it remains thoroughly readable throughout.

After having read “My Dear, I wanted to tell you” by the same author and enjoyed it, I was pleased that Louisa Young had written a sequel to this book.“The Heroes’ welcome” picks up the lives of Riley, Nadine, Julia, Peter and Rose where the first book left off. It is now March 1919 and the war has been over for 6 months. The men that survived the war have returned home but having experience such horrors life will never be the same. Nursing both physical and mental scars, each of the characters from “My Dear, I wanted to tell you” had suffered during the Great War. I enjoyed this book, but it was also heart breaking seeing men that had given so much for their country to struggle to find their place in society again.I would recommend that this book is only read after “My Dear, I wanted to tell you” as without reading this the book wouldn’t really mean anything.

Ben trovate amiche,oggi vi parlo di un romanzo di narrativa veramente molto toccante. Si tratta de " I giorni del ritorno" di Louisa Young, edito Garzanti. Inghilterra, 1919. Soldati che ritornano in patria dal fronte, in cui hanno combattuto e vinto il nemico, in cui hanno visto sangue e sofferenza, in cui hanno perso fratelli e hanno perso sé stessi. Riley torna dalla sua fidanzata Nadine, che è pronta a sposarlo e ad amarlo, nonostante il volto devastato da ferite che gli impediscono di parlare bene e di mangiare in maniera normale. Peter torna a casa dalla moglie Julia e dal figlioletto Tom che lo attendono, speranzosi di ricominciare la vita familiare da dove l'hanno lasciata.Riley e Nadine si sposano e decidono di cominciare a vivere la loro vita insieme da quel punto in avanti. Il passato, la guerra, il dolore e la perdita viene tutto prudentemente lasciato alle spalle, in vista di un futuro difficile ma possibile. Riley si sforza, ci prova nonostante le sue ferite, che non sono solo quelle fisiche ma anche quelle dell'anima, quelle di un uomo che ha visto troppo orrore per poter vivere ad occhi aperti e cuore leggero la fortuna di essere rimasto vivo. Peter si chiude nel suo studio a leggere Omero in compagnia dell'alcol e di un passato che non riesce a dimenticare. Un passato che non vuole dimenticare perchè si sente responsabile della perdita dei suoi uomini, si sente un fallito, si identifica con Ulisse e ne diventa ossessionato. Non regge la vista della moglie né di quel bambino che si guarda in giro con occhi sgranati rimanendo, suo malgrado, segnato dal comportamento del padre e dalle nevrosi della madre. Due soldati che hanno combattuto insieme e che insieme sono tornati a casa, due uomini che sono rimasti feriti nel corpo e nell'anima ma che reagiscono in maniera diversa alle loro ferite invisibili. Riley riesce ad emergere dal fantasma delle trincee grazie alla moglie Nadine e alla sua voglia di darle una vita degna. Riesce a superare il disagio della sua menomazione fisica e a fare l'amore con lei, dopo tanto tempo, perchè vede riflesso negli occhi della sua donna l'amore e l'ammirazione che lei prova per lui. Peter al contrario rimane sepolto sotto al corpo di un soldato in quella trincea che ha permesso al suo corpo di tornare, ma non al suo spirito. Peter vorrebbe essere morto insieme ai suoi uomini e non si rende conto che sta finendo per uccidere il suo matrimonio e la sua famiglia. Reazioni diverse allo stesso dolore che daranno vita ad una storia davvero emozionante e piena di pathos. Le donne di questo romanzo sono la vera forza motrice della vita in sé.Nadine, Julia e Rose ( cugina di Peter), sono il simbolo di tutte quelle donne che hanno atteso che i loro uomini tornassero dal fronte, rimboccandosi le maniche ( almeno nel caso di Nadine e Rose) e andando avanti nella speranza di poterli riabbracciare.Accolgono i loro uomini tornati per miracolo e cercano di salvare la loro anima lacerata, il loro cuore ferito, come meglio possono. Non è un romanzo per tutti, lo comprendo, ma è davvero meraviglioso e quindi lo consiglio. E' una storia difficile, la sofferenza è vivida e prende vita come un vero personaggio in carne ed ossa. Ma è la speranza la vera protagonista e si concretizza con la forza di Riley, la comprensione di Nadine e la perseveranza di Rose. Mancano i dialoghi, sono pochi e ridotti all'essenziale, ma non se ne sente la reale mancanza grazie ai pensieri espressi dai protagonisti. In fondo tutta la storia è incentrata sul percorso introspettivo dei personaggi, sulla loro evoluzione o involuzione in un periodo difficile per tutti. Può risultare lento in alcuni punti ma l'intensità emotiva è veramente palpabile. Potrebbe sembrare un romanzo atto a darci uno scorcio di quel periodo, ma in realtà l'argomento che tratta è sempre attuale perchè le guerre non sono mai finite. Gli uomini che tornano oggi dalle guerre, hanno gli stessi occhi vuoti degli uomini di allora. I problemi che riscontrano oggi, come l'inserimento nella società dopo gli infortuni, il malessere e i disturbi post traumatici, sono gli stessi di allora. Sono rimasta coinvolta nel dolore dei protagonisti pensando a quanto sia attuale anche oggi. I soldati possono tornare in patria da vincitori o da perdenti ma rimangono comunque degli eroi spezzati, distrutti e persi. Posso solo ringraziare la Garzanti per avermi dato la possibilità di leggere questa storia e consigliare a voi, una volta tanto, una lettura diversa da quelle a cui siete abituate e che preferite, ma che vi lascerà dentro emozioni forti e spunti di riflessione.Buona lettura

The second in a series (My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You and Devotion) that presents an epic tale of pain brought on by the Great War, and rebirth. From the first scene, the wedding of disfigured Riley to Nadine, a saintly figure who stands by a damaged man below her station, we are gripped by tortured emotions of characters who are grappling with war’s aftermath. Riley’s commanding officer, Peter, seemingly has everything to return to: Family wealth, a wife, a son, a business empire, but is tormented by memories of men who perished under his command. Ms. Young’s portrayal of the physical and emotional plunge of Riley and Peter is memorable, perhaps most poignantly as Riley deals with perceived on-looker reactions to his facial injuries (Riley drinks from a brass straw made from a shell casing) and considers how he should present himself to the shocked, but well-meaning, public. The seeds of Riley’s recovery are sown carefully, as he gropes to find his place in his marriage, family, and productive society. Ms. Young seems well-versed in the classics, with lines from Greek tragedies borrowed here, and a memorable metaphor from a Shakespeare sonnet nicked there. She does Homer proud with character arcs from exultation to steep descent and eventual equilibrium. Between easy authenticity established by period words and setting descriptions, and moving portraits of complex emotions, this depiction of war’s all-consuming aftermath will not soon be forgotten.Was this review helpful? I am an avid world war based fiction reader and author. You can read more of my takes at https://brodiecurtis.com/curtis-takes/.

Il romanzo inizia con un matrimonio. E' il mese di marzo del 1919. A Londra la guerra è finita. Gli uomini e le donne, civili o ex militari, cercano di riappropriarsi delle proprie vite.E' proprio per questo che Riley, capitano dell'esercito in congedo e Nadine, ex infermiera al fronte, decidono di cogliere l'attimo e sposarsi senza neanche comunicarlo alle proprie famiglie.Nonostante la guerra sia finita, Riley ne porta i segni evidenti sul suo corpo...Che dire di questo romanzo? Ti entra piano piano nella pelle. Ti cattura fin dalle prime pagine e non ti lascia più. Impari a conoscere i personaggi, a comprenderli. Sviluppi una certa empatia con ognuno di loro. Difficile non sentirsi coinvolti dalle loro vicende. E' commovente, è drammatico, a tratti disarmante, è potente, te lo porti dietro per un po', anche dopo averlo finito di leggere. Ho particolarmente amato il personaggio di Riley. Come si fa a non amare quel personaggio? La sua forza, la sua determinazione, il suo coraggio, è un portatore sano di speranza. Nonostante la guerra lo avesse oltraggiato nel corpo e ferito nello spirito, ha lottato strenuamente per riappropriarsi del suo futuro perché, nonostante tutto, "la vita continua". Riley però, non è l'unico personaggio forte di questa storia e ognuno di loro ha molto da dire. Insomma, consiglio vivamente la lettura di questo romanzo.

An excellent sequel to an excellent first novel. The year is 1919, and Riley and Nadine, now married, begin an awkward honeymoon. Riley’s disfigurement and social mores prevent either from addressing the issue of sex. Meanwhile, Peter continues his downward spiral into alcohol fuelled PTSD aided by Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey while Julia and Tom are left on the sidelines. Rose aims to move on from the hospital where she has worked as a VAD with Dr Gillies. The author’s descriptions of Peter‘s agony is so gritty that you feel all his anguish as well as the frustration and anger of his friends and family. Riley’s struggle to find meaningful work away from the well-meaning assistance of his in-laws and Sir Alfred, I believe realistically depicts the struggles of the actual men who returned from the Front. Beautifully and grippingly written.

** spoiler alert ** Heartbreakingly beautiful. A view to a realistic insight into the effects of war on those who survived it - not only those who were in Flanders. Another parallel to Faulks' writing in the sequel much like the first one. The cast of characters have matured and changed to make them who they are:Riley saw that he can fight through the stigmas and make a life for himself as a former servicemanNadine began to rebuild her life and follow one of her dreamsPeter noted his demons and walked among them before being dragged from his sorrowsAnd Julia. Julia realised that not a single survivor of the war can continue alone - something that was to become a recognised statement among people the world overThankyou Lousia Young for giving us such sorrowful, yet hopeful, beauty

The horrors of the First World War will never be forgotten: the countless thousands of young men on both sides of the conflict who died on the fields of Flanders, the young women at home who would never see their loved ones again, or would forever be deprived of finding a lover.Louisa Young brought tears to my eyes in My Dear, I Wanted To Tell You, but in The Heroes' Welcome she made me sob aloud until finally allowing my spirit to soar. Sometimes surviving can be a bigger tragedy for all concerned.The writing is brutal in its honesty but gentle and warm in its empathy for the damaged characters she has created with such aplomb.They may have won the war but winning the peace is far more difficult.

Debated between 3 or 4 stars, but ultimately landed on 4. I continue to enjoy this series, it just got really heavy in the middle to end of this one. Not that I don't like heavy, it was just... heavy. I like seeing how these characters are "surviving peace" as was the slogan and seeing how they're evolving. I just didn't expect Louisa Young to take it THERE (won't put any spoilers in here). Heavy, but beautiful and probably very realistic for how this generation got on with it after such a world tragedy.

I will admit straight out that the only reason I listened to this book was because my Boyfriend Dan Stevens narrated it.What I wasn't expecting, except the creamy caramel of his voice, was that it would be a good book. Not just a good book, but a really good book.Louise Young knows how to write, and some of her sentences actually made me stop cold, rewind, and listen again.This is a lovely tale of Post WWI in England. You don't need to have read the first book (as I didn't even know this was the second book until I put it in my Goodreads account).Just a lovely, lovely story.

You must read My Dear I Wanted to Tell You, first. (which I also loved). Book #2 tells more about the return of the WWI soldier, his physical, emotional and mental wounds and how these wounds also affected his family and friends. It's a story of friendships and parental control. I truly enjoyed reading both books!

Beautifully written book about the aftermath of WWII in England. It is a follow up after My Dear I Wanted to Tell You and continues to follow Nadine, Riley, Peter, and Julia. It is a sad, but at the same time, hopeful book. The audio version was excellent with Dan Stevens as the reader. Highly recommended!!