The brutalities of World War I left all sorts of injuries in its wake – fractured skulls, frost bitten feet, and severed limbs. Lucius was the surgeon in charge of mending these wounds. However, this twenty-two year old medical student dealt with the invisible effects of war – night terrors, inexplicable muteness, and broken hearts.

Historical fiction novels often focus on the unbelievable – the one-in-a-million. Daniel Mason’s vivid and often all-too-real story follows the mundane – a doctor in over his head during the most tumultuous time in history. While Lucius’ path may not be unique, he found his one-in-a-million, a nun turned nurse, Sister Margarete.

The novel is a love story disguised as historical fiction, for better or worse. For me, the plot felt a bit slow and repetitive. Patients came in, travesties occurred, and Lucius and Margarete became closer and closer. The reader could sense a tragic end to this relationship as the front lines of the war approached their outpost.

While this love story may not have been my cup of tea, Mason does create a vivid scene and certainly would pull the heart strings of a more empathetic reader. I will admit, I did not see that ending coming!

Verdict: Skip It (3/5 Stars)
Length: 336 pages
Quote: “Now with each day that passes, I feel more and more like some of my soldiers, who seemed forever stuck in their eternal winters.”
Instead Try: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Derr

Buy The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason