The Aftermath

The Aftermath

Now A Major Film Starring Keira Knightley

Summary

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER, NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING KEIRA KNIGHTLEY

In the bitter winter of 1946, Rachael Morgan arrives in the ruins of Hamburg. Here she is reunited with her husband Lewis, a British colonel charged with rebuilding the shattered city. As they set off for their new home Rachael is stunned to discover that Lewis has made an extraordinary decision: they will be sharing the grand house with its previous owners, a German widower and his troubled daughter. In this charged atmosphere, enmity and grief give way to passion and betrayal.

'This masterly novel wrings every drop of feeling out of a gripping human situation.' Mail on Sunday

'Superb. Conjures surprise after surprise' Guardian

'Excellent, original, masterly. A captivating tale not only of love among the ruins but also of treachery and vengeance' Literary Review

'Profoundly moving, beautifully written. Ponders issues of decency, guilt and forgiveness' Independent

'Terrific. Suspicion, resentment and misunderstanding haunt this city. Richly atmospheric' Sunday Telegraph

Reviews

  • Masterly ... the story develops with many a deft twist ... Brook wrings every drop of feeling out of a gripping human situation, and his vignettes of war-ravaged Hamburg are superb
    Mail on Sunday, Novel of the Week

About the author

Rhidian Brook

Rhidian Brook is an award-winning writer of fiction, television drama and film. His first novel, The Testimony of Taliesin Jones, won several prizes including the Somerset Maugham Award. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications, including the Paris Review, New Statesman and Time Out, and have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. He is also a regular contributor to 'Thought For The Day' on the Today programme.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more