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On Bended Knees

Format: Paperback

Condition: Standard Secondhand — £4.38
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  • Standard Secondhand - Clearly been read before, but not too bad. We do not recommend these for gifting. Spines usually creased. Could also include creases or folds to cover, some writing such as in the cover or elsewhere, underlining or highlighting, but might not do. Possibly some stains or marks. Similar in general to books in any secondhand shop or charity shop.
  • Poor Condition - Usually this will have a specific problem such as writing inside, water damage, missing dust jacket, heavy staining, large creases or cuts. These are readable copies but not nice ones. On other websites this condition is called 'Acceptable' or 'Fair' , but we want to be more honest.
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"Goodman writes with flare and panache, and the narrative fizzes along. Goodman's novel soars."- The Times

The Second World War is over, but young Tomas learns that Europe's wounds have not yet healed.

Discover the 30th anniversary edition of a Whitbread shortlisted novel - available in the U.S. for the first time.

"You come to see [Tomas] is conserving himself deliberately against the old suffering, the tired old guilt of the adults... Simplicity is a great virtue, in novels as elsewhere. After all, it can only be produced from sincerity." - Penelope Fitzgerald

It's 1966. Young Tomas is taught by English war veterans, the adults around him haunted by memories of war. He walks the ruins of Coventry with his Gran, the city still rebuilding from the blitz. But his mother is German, and Tomas is torn between two worldviews.

As he nears adulthood Tomas heads to 1970s Berlin. He's taken in by his enigmatic uncle, a blind, disgraced Nazi soldier. Arm in arm, they explore a drastically changing Berlin. Out in Dresden, a city decimated by Allied firebombs, Tomas finds more family with their hidden stories. This soaring, poignant novel invites readers to explore what we inherit from the wars of our elders, and how we might move on.

Genre: Fiction, Historical
Format: Paperback
Published: 2024
Pages: 233
Publisher: Barbican Press
ISBN: 9781909954502

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Our conditions mean the following:

  • New - a brand new book
  • Almost New - appears new but is actually secondhand.
  • Very Good - only minor imperfections such as minor scuffs to edge or cover or a price written in pencil or shop sticker.
  • Standard Secondhand - Clearly been read before, but not too bad. We do not recommend these for gifting. Spines usually creased. Could also include creases or folds to cover, some writing such as in the cover or elsewhere, underlining or highlighting, but might not do. Possibly some stains or marks. Similar in general to books in any secondhand shop or charity shop.
  • Poor Condition - Usually this will have a specific problem such as writing inside, water damage, missing dust jacket, heavy staining, large creases or cuts. These are readable copies but not nice ones. On other websites this condition is called 'Acceptable' or 'Fair' , but we want to be more honest.
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