Pat Barker returns to World War I in this lovely and heartbreaking novel about war and art. The action starts just prior to the Great War at the Slade, a prestigous art school in London. Neville loves Elinor, but Elinor doesn't want marriage or any of the trappings of a traditional life. She is a modern woman, who values art over most other things. Paul is their friend, and in love with Elinor, as well. While Paul is not as good a painter as the other two, he does have good looks and an honest soul to his credit. When the war breaks out, the men "must do something." While 
 they can't enlist in the army, they are taken into the Belgian Red Cross, where they work near the front lines, tending to the wounded. At this point, the novel takes a turn to the sublime...Barker's descriptions of the war, of the wounded, of the feelings of helplessness (at home & on the front) are perfect. There is a scene in which the town of Ypres is bombarded by shells, and I felt as if I were there, taking refuge under a flimsy wooden table. Barker is not only a masterful storyteller, but her writing is commanding and visceral. I highly recommend this novel, not only for readers fascinated with World War I, but for anyone who wants to read a taut love story hemmed in by a world gone mad. 
 Joe