The Letter Bearer

Praise

“Daringly, debut novelist Allison makes the story all his own….Allison’s tale has an almost hypnotic inevitability that unfolds as the rider shifts his viewpoint from unknown past to an unknowable future in which “I shall become everything expected of me.” Elegantly and exactingly written. A touch ponderous at times but oddly—beg pardon—unforgettable.”—Kirkus, Starred Review

“This is a tremendous second world war novel. With thickets of intense, opaque prose and some striking, hallucinatory descriptions of the desert… Allison writes powerfully – often thrillingly – about the nitty–gritty of conflict. A finely crafted debut.” —Financial Times

“Allison’s debut is a beautifully written investigation into alienation, guilt and the will to survive. The desert is a character itself, brilliantly alive and vividly depicted. This is a gripping exploration of one man’s travails – and through him, those of millions other men trapped in the terrible mechanism of war.” —Independent

“The novel is insightful in its development of character and the interaction of the small group of fellow–travellers amongst whom the Rider finds himself.”—Historical Novel Society

“One of those rare novels that merits a second reading.” —Paul Bailey

“Infused with the head and dust of the North African desert, this is a haunting, lyrical novel that hovers in the mind like a glittering mirage, long after it has finished.” —Roma Tearne