A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB RECOMMENDED READINSPIRED BY ONE OF THE LAST GREAT UNTOLD STORIES OF WW11916. Young artist Sam Burke is spared death by firing squad on the battlefields of France and brought to a remote castle by the Irish Sea. At the 'Tin Nose Shop' he is tasked with creating intricate masks to hide the mutilated faces of his fellow soldiers from the Front. While he tries to come to terms with the death of his best friend and the promise he failed to keep, Sam and the disfigured soldiers struggle to return to their former lives and their loved ones.A stirring and emotional tale based on the real-life story of the Tin Nose Shop.'Beautifully written and sensitively observed' Hazel Gaynor'Beautifully written and thought-provoking' Ruth Hogan'Will both break your heart and give it wings as it explores the healing powers of friendship, love, hope and purpose' Robin Wells'One of the best historical novels I have read in a long time... I have never read anything quite like it' Mark Sullivan'Here is a beautifully written novel, sensitive, exploring not so much the brutality of war but the humanity which stems from it' The Yorkshire Times'There are many novels based on the events of World War I; this one has to be among the most compassionate and moving' Historical Novel Society
