Having read the opening chapters during the summer of 2020, I was keen to read this to find out more about Adam. I felt as if I had rushed through the opening chapters on my Kindle and enjoyed taking my time to read them again in the book. The level of detail in this book really brings each person and place alive.

I’m a mother, a sister and a wife, and I think that may have made this story more heartbreaking. The three women who come forward to ‘claim’ Adam are seeking their son (who was their sole reason for living from being young), their husband (who left on a sour note believing village gossip) and their brother (who they need to help bring up his children after his wife died in childbirth). All have been told by the government that their man is missing in action, all believe that he has not died and all believe that Adam is him. As we discover there are various reasons why Adam may not be one of them, from being too tall or having the wrong hair colour. How has their grief affected their ability to make an honest claim?

Alongside the story of Adam, we have the story of James, who is there to help Adam discover his identity. However James was in France during the War and finds that working with veterans is causing his own memories and nightmares to worsen. His wife’s twin brother was seriously injured during a battle and hasn’t been seen since, and James feels guilty.

In November 1918, many families rejoiced to have their loved ones return home. However many of those loved ones were changed for ever, their physical and/mental health altered in ways that weren’t understood. This book looks at the aftermath of the war, the hopes and dreams of those who fought and those left behind. This is one of those books that will stay in my mind for a long time, beautiful but also heartbreaking.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I’m literally blown by the writing. The author has done a fantastic job.
Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

*A big thank-you to Caroline Scott, Simon and Schuster UK, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
WW1 is over. Those who served on the Continent, want to forget what they went through. Some want to wipe out memories, some remember nothing following the shellshock. Some relive horrific moments in dreams, and some crave for regaining those who are believed to have been killed.
This is a beautifully written story of the men who fought and the legacy the war left them with, and of women who refuse the truth and hold on to the hope that their husbands, brothers and sons will return one day.
Ms Scott does not hurry her readers, she gives them time to spend with all characters, to learn more of their tragedies and hidden faith. The narration is slow-paced and each character is given space and time to reveal their thoughts and desires.
It was definitely a read that resonated with me ....

A brilliant novel of the harrowing cost of war. I loved the writing style, the subject and the characters. It is evident in this book that wars not only effect those on the front line, but also those left behind. It is a heart wrenching novel, beautifully written, and based on fact. It will stay with me for a long time. Thanks to netgalley for an advance copy.

This is definitely a memorable read. It is an emotional and thought provoking story about a soldier who has lost his memory. The horrors of World War 1 are an horrific read. I felt so sorry for Adam throughout the story. This story is based on fact and that makes it even sadder.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

What a beautifully written story!

"There's a bird trapped inside the building, and he turns then as he watches  it streak between light and shadow"

This is another way of also describing the man they decided to call Adam Galilee. He is found inside Durham cathedral and has no memory of who he is. He's memories are trapped inside his head and he is scared to let them out. "Sometimes I see things that I might remember and I don't like them"

His photo is placed in the newspaper to try and find his relatives and 3 different women claim to know him.  How will this play out?

It is a story set right after WW1 and it relays the anguish and grief people felt when their loved ones didn't come home and were missing presumed dead. What makes this an even more emotional read is the fact that it is based on a true story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Caroline Scott blew me away with her debut novel Photographer of the Lost and I thought that she could not better it but I was so wrong.
When I Come Home Again takes it to another level. It is so beautifully written almost ethereal in the way it unfolds the story.
The premise of the book Is that days before the end of World War 1. a soldier is arrested in Durham Cathedral. He has no knowledge of who he is and how he got there .and has been given the name Adam. After his arrest he is transferred into the care of James a soldier himself who is a physiatrist who hopes to help him recover his memory by what we today would call cognitive therapy.
In an attempt to help Adam recover his memory his picture and story is printed in a national paper.No one could have known the response this would have and the desperation of women to be reunited with their loved ones.
As with her first novel what really blows me away is the depth of her research into that post war period and the desperation of those women who have lost their loved ones.

The poet Vernon Scannell, himself a veteran of WW2 wrote a haunting poem he called The Great War. The closing lines are:

"And now,
Whenever the November sky
Quivers with a bugle’s hoarse, sweet cry,
The reason darkens; in its evening gleam
Crosses and flares, tormented wire, grey earth
Splattered with crimson flowers,
And I remember,
Not the war I fought in
But the one called Great
Which ended in a sepia November
Four years before my birth."

There is something about that war, something that echoes down the decades. Even now, when those who fought and survived are all long since dead, the conflict is seared into the national psyche. Caroline Scott is, like many of us who lack her grace and talent as a writer, gripped not so much by the military details, but by the colossal aftershock that continued to cause devastation long after the last shot was fired in November 1918.

In her 2014 novel Those Measureless Fields she began her own personal exploration of what happened to the men and families who had to pick up the pieces of their lives after the Armistice. She followed this in 2019 with what was, for, me one of the books of the year, The Photographer Of The Lost (click to read my review), also known as The Poppy Wife. Now she returns to her theme with When I Come Home Again.

Just weeks after the Armistice, a filthy, dishevelled young man, wearing a tattered soldier's uniform, is arrested by the police after causing minor damage to monuments in Durham cathedral. In custody, he refuses - or is unable - to give his name, or any other clue as to his identity. The police, thinking they may have a case of severe shell-shock on their hands, put him in the care of a young doctor, James Haworth. For want of any other name, they call him Adam Galilee.

At a rehabilitation centre in the Lake District, Haworth tries to find the key that will unlock Adam's memory. James and his boss, Alec Shepherd, take a bold decision. They release a photograph of Adam, and what little they know of him, to the national press. This triggers a wave of mothers, wives and sisters who yearn for the impossible - a virtual resurrection of their lost son, husband and brother. From the tragic queue of broken hearted souls, three women seem to be the most convincing. They are Celia Daker, who believes that Adam is her missing son, Robert, Anna Mason, a young wife who dares to dream that she is no longer a widow, and Lucy Vickers a sister who is now bringing up the children of her lost brother

Haworth is a former soldier himself and is haunted by terrifying dreams of the horrors he experienced during the Battle of The Somme. As he tries to come to terms with the hopes of the three women who believe that Adam is theirs, his own mental health - and with it his marriage - begin to shatter.

I'll be quite frank here. This is not an easy read. I'll say that the bleakest and most harrowing novel I have ever read is Thomas Hardy's Jude The Obscure. If I give that a 10 for heartbreak, then When I Come Home Again is a nailed-on 9. It is, however, haunting and beautifully written and works on so many different levels. In her descriptions of how Adam reacts to the intricacies of the natural world around him, Caroline Scott is surely channelling her inner John Clare, or perhaps remembering Matthew Arnold:

"Through the thick corn the scarlet poppies peep,
And round green roots and yellowing stalks I see
Pale pink convolvulus in tendrils creep;
And air-swept lindens yield
Their scent, and rustle down their perfumed showers
Of bloom on the bent grass where I am laid."
The Scholar Gypsy 1853

As the book builds towards its conclusion, there is the terrible irony of Adam's palpable fear of returning to his old life - wherever that was - as he retreats more and more into the solace of rebuilding the ruined and neglected walled garden at Fellside House. As for the women who long for Adam to be their son, brother and husband, we fear that they are fated to lose their men twice over, thus doubling the pain. There is dramatic catharsis still to come, and an act of irony worthy of the aforementioned Thomas Hardy. Life must go on, however, and in Adam's restored garden, perhaps Caroline Scott has created a metaphor for regeneration. There is deep, deep sadness at the very heart and soul of this book but like the blossom on the damson trees of Fellside Hall this fine novel leaves us, to borrow Milton, "calm of mind all passion spent." and with a sense that renewal might - just might - be possible

November 1918: On the cusp of the First World War, a uniformed soldier is arrested in Durham Cathedral. It quickly become clear that he has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there. He is given the name Adam and transferred to a rehabilitation home where his doctor, James, tries everything he can to help Adam remember. But Adam doesn't want to remember.

This story is based on on a true eve to. The characters are all f.awed, 3ven the doctor is left traumatised after witnessing eventw during the First World War. The characters were likeab,e and believable. The story is told from multiple perspectives. Tnis is a heartbreaking read. 8t reveals the tragedies of war. Will they ever find out who Adam really is? You'll need to read the ooh to find out.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #SimonAndSchuster for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I come home again, this book has been a talking point in my family as I have shared the book with them, which has left us all guessing and very thoughtful. A very powerful, thought provoking story line, Such a sad ending for Adam,

I loved everything about this book! The story of men coming home from the war with a trauma that took them years to overcome, the suffering of relatives of missing soldiers and the uncertainty about the fate of so many lost men- all that really resonated with me and it’s what makes me feel like the author has done their research.
It was a very moving story and I particularly enjoyed the many beautifully descriptions of the nature in northern England. Initially, the different POV’s confused me but I got the hang of it and started enjoying the insight into the characters minds a lot.

Following on from her stunning debut novel Photographer of the Lost, Caroline Scott revisits the theme of the missing men of WWI. In the closing days of the war, a young soldier is picked up on the streets of Durham with no memory of who he is or where he belongs. As doctors at Fellside House try to coax back his memory, women around the country come forward to say he is their husband, brother or son. Some of their claims are strong, and we're given a moving glimpse into their lives lived in the shadows of uncertainty. But will Adam, as he is now known, find his place in this post-war world or will he forever remain the "living unknown warrior"?
Meanwhile, his doctor, James Haworth is facing his own struggles with the aftermath of war - perhaps Adam is lucky to have no memories of that horrendous time?
Powerful characters, atmospheric descriptions of nature, and a real sense of mystery make this poignant and breath-taking exploration of loss, love and precious memories an unputdownable read.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK and Netgalley for the arc of this book.

A 4 star read for me, brilliant story line, great character development i love it! This follows in which is the aftermath of the first world war. its an emotional, heartwarming story definitely recommend though!

Thank you to Caroline Scott for writing this! Definitely be checking out your other books"

The ARC of this book was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #WhenIComeHomeAgain #NetGalley.
This was beautifully written, poignant and poetic. I felt immediately connected to the story and characters, desperate to find out more information as the story slowly unfolded. Although it's a slow burner, it's absolutely breathtaking. The way Scott writes this is beautifully poetic, the writing almost leaps off the page as you're pulled into this story of grief and loss. It presents itself as not just a war novel, but one that explores the aftermath and the inconceivable damage war does to an individual. Scott does a wonderful job of balancing the multitude of characters we come across in this novel, not one feels underdeveloped or overwritten. There's a real, human feel to every person we encounter. It was haunting and moving, one that will leave me thinking.

So this is the second book I’ve read from the author. I was entering this with hopeful eyes but alas I was very disappointed. I felt the story dragged on, especially the first few chapters. And I didn’t feel drawn to the characters and it took a lot of effort to make me read the whole novel. I’m a big Great War fiction book lover and this just didn’t tempt me one bit.

When I Come Home Again by Caroline Scott is a novel of the unbearable sadness suffered by those who came home and those who were left behind in WWI. The book begins with the arrest of a soldier in Durham Cathedral at the end of the war The soldier claims to not know who he is and the police name him Adam Gallilee. A new hospital has been set up in Fellside House in the Northumberland countryside and it is decided to entrust Adam to the care of Dr. James Haworth himself a survivor of the Great War. It is hoped that Adam will remember who he is and provide an insight for the doctors working with him. Adam represents the unknown Soldier buried among kings in Westminster Abbey.
As time goes on Adam shows no signs of recovering his memory, in fact he actively refuses to remember. A decision is made to publish his photo in the national press and hundreds of people apply to come and see him. Three women are equally convinced that he is their son, husband and brother. The identities of Robert, Mark and Ellis all seem to fit Adam's profile but still his memory refuses to surface. Adam talks about "the fairy woman" he meets in the woods as his wife but everybody believes him to be delusional. Caroline Scott captures beautifully the need for closure and how we can convince ourselves of pretty much anything if the desire to do so is strong enough.
The various storylines are a lesson in empathy and poignancy. There is no judgement here just an acceptance that trauma affects everybody differently.
When I Come Home Again is a powerful portrayal of when a world goes mad and leaves the victims ill equipped to deal with the aftermath. It is also a multilayered work that tells each story in an understanding manner and shows that sometimes answers don't always bring closure. I will be recommending #WhenIComeHomeAgain to everybody. #Netgalley

I read Caroline Scott's previous novel, set in the same historic period, but found this one a bit more of a struggle. Again the subject matter is something that many people possibly have not considered but is basically PTSD caused during WWI. As psychology was still in it's infancy at this time even doctors struggled to cope and help their patients. The story revolves around "Adam" who has complete amnesia and cannot remember his name or how he came to be in the state in which he is found. Different treatments are tried in a bid to get him to recall his identity. Characters and events are sympathetically described. It is difficult to say more without divulging some of the plot. A worthwhile and interesting read.

With grateful thanks to netgalley and caroline Scott for an early copy in return for an honest review.
This is one amazing Author having read her last I book I was delighted to have the privilege to read this work off art,quite mesmerising characters and totally captivating I have absolutely nothing but praise for this beautifully crafted book.

Caroline Scott's second novel is one of the best books I've read this year. Beautifully written and superbly plotted, the novel also balances the perspective of multiple characters, shifting between them seamlessly and allowing each to develop as nuanced, complex personalities.

The story revolves around the story of Adam Galilee, the name given to the amnesic soldier who is arrested by the police for sketching in chalk on a tomb in Durham Cathedral. Adam is released into the care of psychiatrist James Haworth, another veteran of the Great War who is haunted by the men he could not save. Drawn by Adam's isolation, James becomes obsessed with restoring Adam to those who love him while at the same time denying his own tortured memories that estrange him from his wife, Celia.

Advertisements that seek to locate Adam's family draw hundreds who believe he is their missing son, brother, or husband. As James Haworth wonders, "Can that many people be deluded? Can there be so much wishful thinking in the world?" The tenderness with which the novel explores these women's loss and longing serves as the foundation for exploring eternal questions of grief: is it essential to face reality when it is too brutally painful to be borne? Does pretending to feel better promote or disrupt lasting emotional healing?

A book that begs to be re-read and discussed, Scott's novel is a treat to be savored.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Reading this book, going through different emotions

Caroline, has written an emotional and very interesting book, a story which should continue to be told.

The book gave an insight on the effects a war has on the victims, their families, wives, parents, girlfriends etc.

Thoroughly enjoyed it.