The Single Soldier

A “magnificent” novel set in occupied France about one man’s search for peace amid the chaos of war (Willy Russell, author of Blood Brothers).

In war-torn rural France, amongst the devastation—both physical and emotional—of German occupation, a man decides to move his house to the other side of the village, using only a cow and a cart. Once there, he embarks on the project of reconstructing it piece by piece. What, or who, possesses him to do this and why? Can he rebuild his house? His home? Will that bring him the peace he longs for?

This warm-hearted, astonishing debut novel from an acclaimed actor and playwright explores passion, secrets, and painful truths; the lives of ordinary people engulfed by history; and the ways that peace can be elusive even in the absence of war.