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Small Wars: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 589 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Fresh off her triumphantly assured debut novel The Outcast, award-winning author Sadie Jones has again delivered a quiet masterpiece in Small Wars. Set on the colonial, war-torn island of Cyprus in 1956, Jones tells the story of a young solider, Hal Treherne, and the effects of this "small war" on him, his wife, Clara, and their family. Reminiscent of classic tales of love and war such as The English Patient and Atonement, Jones's gripping novel also calls to mind the master works of Virginia Woolf and their portrayal of the quiet desperation of a marriage in crisis. Small Wars is at once a deeply emotional, meticulously researched work of historical fiction and a profound meditation on war-time atrocities committed both on and off the battlefield.
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"I enjoyed this book. I think she evoked both the place and time and the realities of army life really well. Hal was a decent man and even when he could no longer collude with the atrocities he knew about, still he would not betray his first love, the army. The story of Hal and Clara's love is real and believable."
— Gill (4 out of 5 stars)
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This moving novel...[demonstrates] how violence, loneliness and mistrust can dismantle a loving relationship.
— Dallas Morning News
Small Wars Listener Reviews
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" The story of a marriage under strain following an Army posting to Cyprus. "
— Venuskitten, 2/10/2014 -
" Nowhere near as good as her debut, I found this to be a novel without a real story. Jones' prose though is stunning and evocative and those who love descriptive fiction will lap it up. "
— Donna, 1/20/2014 -
" Jones has an excellent sense of the impact of trauma on children, adults, and relationships, shown both in Small Wars and The Outcast. Excellent read! "
— Mary, 1/15/2014 -
" The beginning was a little slow but as we get more into the novel, you can't help but want to keep reading about Hal, Clara, and their lives together and apart. Small Wars is a story that shares with us what sometimes happens as a result of the cruelties of war and how it can change people. Overall I thought this novel was OK, not one I'd re-read again but at the same time one I found a bit interesting as I'd not read anything about the changes people go through after being affected by war. "
— Farrah, 1/2/2014 -
" Well-written. Easy to read. A tad melodramatic and some graphic war images... "
— MaryAlice, 12/23/2013 -
" This book is a jewel--interesting characters, riveting story. You can feel the tension to the last minute. "
— Dixie, 12/22/2013 -
" Just didn't care about the main characters. Gets better towards the end but generally a disappointment after the excellent The Outcast. "
— Leah, 12/12/2013 -
" This was a really sad book about Major Hal Treherne who is posted to Cypress in the 1950s with his wife Clara and how the excesses of war inevitably wreck havoc on countries, relationships and human morale. "
— Shari, 12/5/2013 -
" I have rated this a 2, I did enjoy it but The Outcast was better and I rated that a 3. "
— Sarah, 8/1/2013 -
" This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Absorbing, moving, with well-drawn characters and a fascinating setting. Highly recommended. It's not a fast-paced book, but it completely pulled me in. "
— Kate, 7/11/2013 -
" This is an unbelievably well written but bleak book set in Cyprus in the 1950s when British soldiers were stationed there. It's a story of a small war and all the terrorism and atrocities that go with that as well as the story of a military marriage. It feels very contemporary. "
— Anna, 5/3/2013 -
" This is one of the best stories I have ever read about the effects of war on the average guy and his family. I also know nothing about the Greek/Turk conflict on the island of Cypress in the 50s. Wonderful morality tale. Every bit as good, if not better, than The Outcasts. "
— Margot, 2/17/2013 -
" This book opened my eyes to the historic small battles as the British colony experimented with liberation through Greek retaliation. In the end, it almost ruined an army marriage and messed psychologically with their sensibility. All in all...an interesting read. "
— Katie, 9/4/2012 -
" Disappointing follow up to her previous book. Didn't finish it actually. "
— Librarychick4405, 4/5/2012 -
" Set in Cyprus in th 50s and follows Hal, a soldier, and his wife Clara. Interesting enough book, looking at what happens during war and the moral choices people make. I enjoyed the book but found Hal, the main character extrememly frustrating and inept. Aside from that it was an engrossing read. "
— Fran, 1/2/2012 -
" Gave up on it - so boring. Why would I want to read about army live in Cyprus and stalking farmhouses etc. Dull as dishwater "
— Katie, 8/28/2011 -
" This book sounds like it would be interesting it's not. You think their would be some romance, but is the complete opposite. I didn't get very far in the book because I felt it was pointless. This was a complete bore. I'm glad I didn't even read half of it. "
— Darcy, 3/31/2011 -
" Jones has an excellent sense of the impact of trauma on children, adults, and relationships, shown both in Small Wars and The Outcast. Excellent read! "
— Mary, 3/15/2011 -
" Mundane and boring, this story of a British army major and his wife who are stationed on the island of Cyprus during a revolution, never really goes anywhere or resolves anything. I skimmed most of this dull book and wouldn't recommend it. "
— Mari, 2/25/2011 -
" The setting was accurate to history. I was expecting more of a historical novel and read what felt more like the opposite of a period romance - the main characters fell from romance into dark recesses of torn lives. "
— Greg, 1/4/2011 -
" This is one of the best stories I have ever read about the effects of war on the average guy and his family. I also know nothing about the Greek/Turk conflict on the island of Cypress in the 50s. Wonderful morality tale. Every bit as good, if not better, than The Outcasts. "
— Margot, 12/28/2010 -
" Really enjoyed this more than Sadie Jones last novel The Outcast due to the detailed research relating to the Cypriot conflict in the 1950s. "
— Manda, 12/9/2010 -
" Disappointing follow up to her previous book. Didn't finish it actually. "
— Librarychick4405, 10/18/2010 -
" Loved this. A little disappointed by the ending, but I'm not sure what I expected anyway. "
— Christine, 8/26/2010 -
" This book sounds like it would be interesting it's not. You think their would be some romance, but is the complete opposite. I didn't get very far in the book because I felt it was pointless. This was a complete bore. I'm glad I didn't even read half of it. "
— Darcy, 8/23/2010
About Sadie Jones
Sadie Jones’ first novel, The Outcast, was published to wide critical acclaim and won the Costa First Novel Award in Great Britain. It was also a finalist for the prestigious Orange Prize, as well as a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for First Fiction. The novels that followed were also well received. She lives in London.
About Stephen Hoye
Stephen Hoye has worked as a professional actor in London and Los Angeles for more than thirty years. Trained at Boston University and the Guildhall in London, he has acted in television series and six feature films and has appeared in London’s West End. His audiobook narration has won him fifteen AudioFile Earphones Awards.