When I Come Home Again

‘A page-turning literary gem’ THE TIMES, BEST BOOKS OF 2020

From the highly acclaimed author of The Photographer of the Lost, a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick, comes a beautiful and compelling story based on true events, perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Helen Dunmore.

One Great War soldier with no memory.
Three women who claim him as their own.

1918. A soldier is arrested in Durham Cathedral in the last week of the First World War, but he has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there.

He is given the name Adam and transferred to a rehabilitation institution in the Lake District where Doctor James Haworth is determined to uncover his identity. But, unwilling to relive the trauma of war, Adam has locked his memory away, seemingly for good.
 
Then a newspaper publishes a feature about Adam, and three women come forward, each claiming that he is someone she lost in the war. But without memory, how do you know who to believe?

Based on true events, When I Come Home Again is a beautiful and compelling story about love, loss and longing in the aftermath of war, perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Helen Dunmore.

Praise for When I Come Home Again: 

‘A superb and quietly devastating novel about grief, hope and the horrific aftershocks of war’ The Times, Book of the Month

'Scott unravels her haunting tale in unpretentious but persuasive prose' Sunday Times 

‘When I Come Home Again is a heartbreaking read which reveals the far-reaching tragedies of war. My heart ached for the three women and for Adam… I highly recommend it – and I very much look forward to Caroline Scott’s next novel’ Anita Frank, author of The Lost Ones

‘Atmospheric descriptions of the Lake District contrast with the horrors of war in this poignant and breathtaking exploration of loss, love and precious memories’ My Weekly, Pick of the Month

‘A powerful story that’s achingly moving and most beautifully written. Readers of Maggie O’Farrell and Helen Dunmore are likely to enjoy’ Rachel Hore, author of The Love Child

‘This beautiful book packs a huge emotional punch’ Fabulous

‘Captivating, heartbreaking and uplifting. This beautiful and moving book drew me in from the first line and held me enthralled until the very end' Fiona Valpy, author of The Dressmaker's Gift

 ‘Caroline Scott’s quietly devastating second novel insightfully explores the impact of the Great War on returning soldiers and the families that waited… Scott skillfully unspools their heartbreaking stories while uncovering the source of Adam's fear’ Daily Mail

‘A compulsive, heart-wrenching read, beautifully and painfully evoking the toxic mix of grief and guilt suffered by survivors and the bereaved following WWI’ Liz Trenow, author of Under a Wartime Sky

‘In this powerful psychological novel, Scott explores the mental health of everyone involved in the soldier’s life. A carefully, nuanced, complex story’ Woman & Home

‘I absolutely loved it. It was page turning, mysterious, engrossing and compelling. I thought so many times I had it all figured out and I was wrong every time. I couldn’t get to the end fast enough and finished it at 1 am feeling bereft' Lorna Cook, author of The Forbidden Promise 

‘A carefully nuanced, complex story’ Woman’s Weekly

‘A haunting novel with loss at its heart - the loss of self, loved ones and the lives that should have been. Caroline Scott evokes the damage and desolation of the Great War with aching authenticity, and her writing is exquisite' Iona Grey, author of The Glittering Hour

'A poignant story about love and loss’ Best

'Wonderful and evocative . . . it is so much more subtle and complex than being just the journey to discover who Adam really is. It is not only about memory and identity, it's about the repercussions and tragedy of war, reaching out across vast swathes of society' Suzanne Goldring, author of Burning Island

‘Based on true events, this is a powerful story’ Bella

‘A beautifully written novel – immersive, poignant, intricately woven’ Judith Kinghorn, author of The Echo of Twilight

‘An evocative read’ heat

‘Outstanding… The story left me breathless. Powerful, heartrending, and oh so tender. A whirlwind of emotions that will not allow us to forget’ Kate Furnivall, author of The Guardian of Lies

‘Scott’s tense and compelling mystery – with so many broken lives at its centre – ­is a timely reminder that the repercussions of war are lasting, painful and tragic’ Lancashire Post

‘Scott litters her tale with clues and red herrings in the best mystery-writer way so we are kept guessing as to where the truth really lies’ The BookBag