The Soldier’s House

In The Soldier’s House, Helen Benedict tells the story of an Iraq War veteran who saves the lives of his assassinated Iraqi interpreter’s widow, child, and mother by bringing them to his upstate New York home. For the soldier, this is a way of making amends, but the widow finds being rescued by the enemy both humiliating and compromising. This is a compassionate tale that examines whether redemption and forgiveness are even possible in the wake of war. In light of the worldwide controversies over refugees, The Soldier’s House is particularly timely and poignant.

ADVANCED PRAISE

“Keen-eyed and warm-hearted, The Soldier’s House is a page-turning story of both American and Iraqi lives shattered by America’s Iraq War, and the long struggle to rebuild a safe place to call home. Helen Benedict’s moving novel is an important work for our time, adding crucial depth of compassion and complexity to our understanding of war’s trauma and the importance of forgiveness and healing.”
—Kate Manning, author of My Notorious Life and Gilded Mountain

“An unprecedented breakthrough novel about life after war. Once again Helen Benedict has blazed a trail in this brutal yet compassionate story of deep human perseverance. Compelling and beautifully written, it is one of the most important books Americans could read, not just about the war in Iraq, but about war in general.”
—Cara Hoffman, author of Running, Be Safe, I Love You and So Much Pretty

“Writing with rare passion and integrity, Helen Benedict brings to light— and life—the wreckage of the American misadventure in Iraq. This is not only a massively good book, it is absolutely necessary.”
—Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya, author of The Storyteller of Marrakesh and The Watch