The Listener

This is a great read-- a finely observed novel that speaks to the horror of war. Within the microcosm of a mental institution (a fitting milieu in which to investigate the inexplicable nature of armed conflict) Nayman takes us on journey that considers drug addiction, the power imbalance involved in the psychiatric dialogue, and how trauma haunts and skews human beings. This book held me from page one, and still hasn't released me, months later.

This is a lyrical, beautiful book. Nayman takes on big issues with a delicate hand. I read it over one weekend. Her language is stunning. It's a dark book, it takes you into areas of the human psyche that are hard to face, but it is a worthwhile journey. The issues are sadly current today. We forget that we are a nation at war. It's "convenient" to forget but we suffer somewhere in our collective soul by turning away. The book has stayed with me in a haunting way. Highly recommended.

I really related to this book. My husband fought in Iraq. I feel as if this book spoke to me personally. My husband has a hard time talking about his feelings. This book is about World War II but I feel it is relvant to today. It helped me to understand my husband better. But that's not all. I love mystery books and this reads like a mystery. It is also a love story. And a thriller, but also psychological.I gave this book to three friends and they all liked it.