A. M. Brussel

In a war-torn French town on the Western Front during the First World War, Sara, at fourteen, is left alone to take care of her nine-year old sister when her mother dies of the flu. Forced to feign madness after abuse, she struggles to maintain her sanity and preserve the religous values of her sister while living above a cafe where women who were once prostitutes entertain soldiers for their livelihood. Thoroughly researched and rendered in stark powerful prose, A. M. Brussel gives an authentic depiction of the horrors of the First World War. It is a dark and disturbing voyage through history, but also a hopeful and inspiring tour of the human spirit. 120,000 words