As far as I’m aware, Sebastian Faulks can do no wrong. This is his latest novel and, if you have sometimes found his work a bit dense, it is short and very readable, while still possessing the gravitas Faulks is famous for.

Like all of his novels (I think), where my heart used to beat is focussed on war. However, it is more about memories of war as the protagonist (Robert Hendricks) revisits his experiences for the benefit of his very elderly host, a man who seems to know more about Hendricks than he does himself…. In recounting these experiences, Hendricks reawakens feelings, desires and fears that he had long ago buried.

A large part of the novel is also about psychiatry and mental health, which adds an intriguing layer to the war story and makes Hendricks more complex. Then there is of course a love story which is passionate and heart-warming.

This is an intelligent yet moving novel with enough twists and turns to keep you turning pages. The characters and their relationships are complex and well constructed so you find you care for them. I’d highly recommend it, especially to Faulks fans but also to anyone who has been put off from trying him before because of the length of, say, Birdsong.