I loved this book. Barker explores the different facets of trauma. There is the obvious trauma of war; soldiers who have hallucinations and nightmares, who have lost their ability, or will, to speak, etc. The novel also explores the gender issues brought up in psychiatric hospitals. These men, whose duty it is to fight, are scared and no longer want to be the "manly" man off killing Germans. Barker brings up how traumatic it can be even for the doctors, particularly Rivers, treating these patients. The job of these psychiatrists is to get the men ready to go back to war, but what happens when the doctor starts doubting the validity of the war? Or sending off young men to their deaths? I cannot wait to read the rest of this trilogy.