A review by unnatived
Toby's Room by Pat Barker

3.0

The war displaces lives , alters people and changes things drastically. Is it the loss of a soldier that is more painful or is it the return of a soldier permanently disabled or disfigured that is more unbearable? This novel will surely put this question right in centre stage.

Pat Barker,famous for her Booker prize winning Regeneration trilogy is back with a war time novel. It's dark, grotesque but still tender for the reader. The sadness in the novel is not too forceful and the narrative keeps you engaged.

The story revolves around Elinor , who receives news of her brother to be "Missing Believed Killed".Determined to find out the truth behind her brothers death, she takes the help of Paul Tarrant, her on and off lover. Things get more complicated because of Elinor's ex boyfriend Kit Neville who is back from the war disfigured having served under her brother Toby, a medical officer.

The story set in 1917 has interesting characters in a well woven story. The character of Kit Neville stands out. The suspense in the novel keeps you hooked till the end. Definitely worth a read.