I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

This is a heartbreaking account of people trying to put themselves together, after undergoing trauma in World War I. The "Blasted things' of the title are trying to get back to regular life, but it's nearly impossible to do that when you've been through life changing events. The author's also very clear about how much tougher it is, when you belong to a lower socio-economic class and don't have the relative comfort of a financial cushion to support you, as you're trying to find your footing. There aren't clear resolutions for anyone, and the only thing they can hope for is some measure of peace, and for some, that can be unattainable. This is a very quick read, but it's deeply tragic.

Fabulous book!
Combines psychological insight with an immersive sense of time and place. In short, she’s the perfect lockdown novelist so if you’ve yet to discover her, now’s the ideal time., read this one in one day!

A captivating portrait of a doomed relationship at the tail-end of WWI and a fascinating look at English society at large after the long & devastating conflict.

Cleverly crafted and very delicately plotted, this very powerful novel is also blessed with a cast of very unforgettable characters all trying desperately to move on one way or the other from the painful emotional wounds left by the war.

A marvellous tapestry of a pivotal moment in 20th century British history and a fascinating psychological dissection of human bonds and feelings after great upheavals.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sandstone Press for this exquisite discovery.

I first started reading and enjoying Lesley Glaister's books back in the 1990s and she became one of my go to authors. This is the first novel I've read of hers for many years and so was thrilled to have the opportunity to do so. Glaister is a beautiful writer and I don't understand why she is not more well known and lauded in the literary community. Blasted Things is set during and after the First World war and focuses on Clem who returns home from nursing at the front and grieving the death of her lover Powell. She enters into a passionless marriage with Dennis, a GP who epitomises the controlling view towards women at the time. Glaister writes so beautifully with real compassion and insight. Her writing is elegant and moving and so immersive. She portrays the characters and the period with a real sense of insight and I found myself completely immersed in Clem's life. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC.

An outstandingly intelligent read. Blasted Things intricate storyline is beautifully written and oozing with wonderfully descriptive, historical detail that submerges you into the book with such accuracy that you are instantly transported to post WW1 Britain. Absolutely loved it.

I've avoided books set in the war for a while,having read too many of them and feeling they were all saying the same thing.
This one though,is more to do with the after effects the war has on people,the damage it did to them and the chain of events that spiral from that,to its surprising ending.
I liked Clem almost from the first page, and throughout the book I willed that all would be well for her.
A small cast of characters meant I felt I got to know everyone very well,and could predict how they might act next,but not the repercussion from their actions.
My first Glaister book,probably not my last.