Small Wars in Madrid
‘Small Wars in Madrid is a thoughtful novel about trauma, coming-to-self, and the sometimes inextricable links between such complex processes’ —Ilana Masad,author of All My Mother’s Lovers
‘Anthony Ferner’s easy, fluent and often witty writing style breezed me through the story of David Aguilera, a Spanish naval commander pursued by professional and personal guilt and failure. As well as searching for some kind of atonement, Ferner’s protagonist grapples around trying to establish a religious and cultural identity for himself that proves shifting and tenuous. It’s a captivating page-turner with a skilfully-constructed narrative so from page one I’d signed up for Aguilera’s journey. He appears to await judgement from all sides and I was invested in the outcomes. Characters and settings alike are captured succinctly in precise and economical prose and there are many moving scenes between family members that I found particularly absorbing. It’s a story with real depth and empathy’ —Fran Hill, author of Cuckoo in the Nest
