Now We Shall Be Entirely Free: The Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year By Andrew Miller - Fiction - Paperback
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Title:
Now We Shall Be Entirely Free
Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781444784664
Overview:
Step into the storm-torn world of the Napoleonic era with Andrew Miller’s Now We Shall Be Entirely Free, the Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2019. On a rain-swept night in 1809, Captain John Lacroix is carried into a house in Somerset, body damaged but alive, mind haunted by the retreat to Corunna and the brutal memory of what the war demanded. He refuses to speak of the carnage, the moral cost, or the lives cut short. When orders come to return to his regiment, he abandons the march and flees toward the Hebrides, hoping to outrun the past. Yet the past trails him: a vicious English corporal and a Spanish officer with secret orders close in, turning a fragile escape into a perilous chase. Miller’s lean, lucid prose renders wind and wave with cinematic immediacy while probing the inner weather of guilt, memory, and the fragile line between freedom and fear. The novel is both a taut suspense story and a humane meditation on what it means to be truly free when memory refuses to release its grasp. A quietly triumphant work that sits at the intersection of literary historical fiction and gripping storytelling.
What Makes This Book Stand Out:
Andrew Miller’s precision as a writer sets this novel apart. The narrative voice is steady and restrained, allowing Lacroix’s moral turmoil to steer the pace as deftly as any chase sequence. The historical backdrop—Spain’s brutal 1809 campaigns, Morales’s tensions, and the remote Hebridean coast—feels deeply researched yet never didactic, giving readers a vivid sense of place without slowing the story. Miller fuses psychological depth with conventional suspense, so the danger is as much about memory and guilt as it is about pursuit. The result is a book that rewards patient immersion: you’ll savor each economy of sentence and every deliberately chosen detail that illuminates a character’s struggle toward some kind of fragile, imperfect freedom. And as the Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2019 winner, it signals a rare blend of craft, originality, and emotional reach that resonates beyond the period setting.
Who This Book Is Perfect For:
Fans of literary historical fiction who crave a morally complex protagonist and a narrative that marries battlefield realism with intimate, human moments will treasure this. It’s ideal for readers who enjoyed Andrew Miller’s Pure or other finely wrought historical novels, as well as those who appreciate crime-thriller pacing tempered by reflective prose. Perfect for book clubs seeking a thought-provoking, moveable core, and for gift buyers looking for a standalone novel with lasting reader appeal. If you adore immersive settings, tightly plotted suspense, and a story that lingers long after the final page, this is the book for you.
Key Highlights:
- Historical fiction set during the Napoleonic era with a taut, suspenseful thread
- Lean, cinematic prose that heightens mood and tension
- A morally ambiguous protagonist whose memory drives the action
- Meticulous research that authentically renders the period and landscapes
- Winner: Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2019
- Standalone novel with a complete, satisfying reading arc
About the Author:
Andrew Miller is a celebrated British novelist known for blending historical depth with sharp, humane storytelling. His novel Pure won the Costa Book of the Year in 2011, establishing him as a master of ambitious, character-driven fiction. Now We Shall Be Entirely Free continues Miller’s exploration of memory, guilt, and the cost of freedom, within meticulously researched settings that span battlefields, seas, and remote landscapes. Miller’s prose is admired for its precision, economy, and emotional resonance, inviting readers to inhabit both the external world of war-torn history and the intimate interior life of a man haunted by what he has seen—and what he has chosen not to say.
Why You’ll Love This Book:
If you value a novel that combines historical authenticity with quiet, piercing suspense, this title delivers. The book offers a complete, immersive reading experience: a relentlessly moving chase, a carefully drawn cast of characters, and a central question about the true meaning of freedom. It’s a standout gift for readers who relish literary fiction that reads like a page-turning thriller, and for collectors seeking a high-quality standalone work from a renowned author. With its elegant prose and enduring themes, this is a book you’ll want to revisit, underline, and discuss in depth with fellow readers.
Please Note: The individual books included in this listing will be dispatched as per the original UK ISBN and UK edition cover image shown in the image.
