Katherine’s review of The Warm Hands of Ghosts > Likes and Comments
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I've never clicked pre-order so quickly. I cannot wait!!!
I’m really looking forward to this book.
I am almost done with my ARC on NetGalley, and it's going to be one of the easiest 5-star ratings I've ever given. Thank you for fighting so hard to get it finished - it is truly a remarkable book.
Thank you for writing this book! I loved it so much, one of my favorites of the year
Im a teen and always wanted to get into reading and i wanted to thank you for getting me into it ! The small spaces series was a magical experience i dont remember living ever since childhood, i will try to get into this book to maybe use it as a start for adult books
Looking forward to reading this especially after reading your write up on it! I love when authors explain how they write and how they felt while writing their book. I’m in awe of writers and the ability to research and learn and knit that knowing into a book with people I can route for or people I despise. Either way means they made me invest my feelings into their work. The ability to write is amazing to me! I have stories in my head that I can feel and see but can’t get them out into the real breathing world. So admire all authors who accomplish this! Can’t wait to read your work. Thank you for taking the time to tell us how this story came to be. (Happy and healthy New Year to you and yours)
I adore this author and this insight into the writing of this book. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is INCREDIBLE. I hope it comforts you to know I am, in fact, haunted by it.
Was already chomping at the bit to read this ... Your post & these comments have elevated that to bad pony posing a safety hazard at the gates
I just finished- easy five stars for me. Pim broke my heart.
Not ordinarily a fan of fantasy as a genre, I adored The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy. Can’t wait to read this latest!
Can I say I love this honest insight into the struggles that you as a writer faced and the mountains that were climbed to complete this book. I put it on my tbr list because of that. I would love it if more authors gave insights like this.
I am looking forward to reading The Warm Hands of Ghosts. Thank you so much for sharing with us your journey to write Ghosts. I truly appreciate it. I also fell in love with The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy.
After reading Ghosts, everything you admitted here is felt through its narrative, but in the best way possible. How do you wrestle a giant like the Great War, narrow it down to a feature a few key elements, and not do the rest of what, in fact, happened without doing it injustice? I think you may have pulled off something massive. Thank you for sticking with it!
I am new to you and The Warm Hands of Ghosts. Goodreads chose your book as a must read for February. That’s how I came to you. Fantasy is not my genre, but your explanation of your process in writing this book engaged me so much, that I am definitely adding this to my TBR list. Thank you!
Im here to say thank you, as well! I grew up in Nova Scotia, and went to University in Halifax, and love that you included the tragic history of Halifax during this time period. That was just a fun little aside for me, that you included a setting that I have fond memories of, even though the history, like the war was so tragic. Your book was so well done and I couldn’t get enough of your story and the characters, as if by reading I could make sure they were okay. You have cured me of my intolerance for historical fiction based on war, with this empathic and sensitive story. I haven’t “enjoyed” - not the right word, right, a story in this genre since the book thief! I hope your book gets the attention it deserves, and now your creative runway is clear and welcoming to any projects available to you that may bring you relentless joy as a little break! If anyone is reading this who hasn’t yet started the book, stop wasting your time reading this and pick up a copy immediately!
I am digging into a borrowed copy of Ghosts at the moment - and I am especially excited to read the translation when it gets to me. Hope to see you soon in Zagreb!
Browsing books to add to my list but boy did this comment give me chills. Sounds like a must-read!
I have just now finished it, and came here to thank you for writing it. It’s one of the damndest books I’ve ever read.
I love your stories. Every one. This _is_complex. Appreciating your writing of my local history without it seeming off at all! You do your homework ... Thank you for this work. I am so amazed you wove a story from the threads of all this "stuff" ... On chapter 5. *The best* narrators as well. Thankful Martimer ❤️
So thankful you stuck with it. A beautiful and haunting story that will stick with me for quite awhile.
I was really challenged with the story because of the complexity of the intertwined timelines of Laura and Freddie. But I perservered and just finished. I think it was extremely helpful to the reader to have the approximate date of each chapter to help figure out how close Laura was to reaching her brother. I will write a full review on my Goodreads page soon. I am grateful that you took the needed time to write such a complex and compelling story. I know it will stay with me for a long time.
Even your commentary on your work is beautiful. Thank you for your sacrifice of time, sleep, and heart for this to exist for us. Your works are beautiful and we celebrate them. I’m opening your book to read now, and I am very excited to see what comes next. Thank you Katherine!
It is definitely a haunting and complex story. I gave it 5 stars.
Your writing leaves me breathless and energized simultaneously. Thank you!
I love your books so, so much! The author’s note at the end of this one gave me a new perspective on the Great War and even an understanding of the whole steampunk thing, which I used to find baffling. I can’t wait to read whatever comes next from your brilliant, imaginative mind.
I have not read much about WW1 and am grateful you persevered. As ever your words are breathtaking, and use of myth breathes extra magic into the story. You are a wonder, thank you for sharing your gift with the world.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent. And, for sharing your struggles. I have not seen anything quite like this before. It is nice to have such an explanation of what goes into your writing.
I have just finished this book and it is wonderfully heart-wrenching. It transports you to WWI and all the horror of war whilst giving you a golden thread of hope to hold tightly throughout. This story has a realness whilst touching the fantasy veil just enough that you could imagine soldiers telling this tale in the trenches. This story will stay with me and so will the characters.
I loved this book!! I adored your Winternight Trilogy too!
This is one of those books that will stay with me for the rest of my life. How we choose our own fates by giving in and letting go and how we can live without things but must have others in order to make a life worth living. And sometimes sacrifice and succumbing is all we can hope for. 💔
This book is truly magnificent. Rarely, have I wanted to know so much of evil.
You captured the twist and sweetness in cruelty, and how sharp the edges of hope can be.
My stomach’s still turning a bit, but I have deepened my view of the world, and am every grateful for your words.
🌙
This book changed the way I think about historical fiction, and I have not been able to shake the feeling that I have just scraped the surface in my conception of history up to now. Just, whoa. Good job:)
I am so freaking excited your writing is my favorite!
Just finished it…
Damn, you’re good.
Thank you for this book. I need to ponder it for some time. You’ve nailed the sensation we sufferers of PTSD experience, where our unreality feels more real than the phantasmagorical experience of the actual world at hand.
I just finished the book and… thank you for fighting through to the end. It is beautiful.
Katherine,
I just finished ‘Warm Hands of Ghosts.’ I am totally blown away. Thank you for writing such a beautiful book. Your story is a fine piece of literature and I enjoyed every moment of it. I’m afraid I’m going to have to take a couple of days off from reading to allow my heart and soul time to finish digesting your book. (Do you ever read a book which is SO good, it doesn’t feel right to pick up something else right away? That’s me right now.). So, thanks again.
Now where did I leave that box of Kleenex?
Bobbie
I just received my beautiful Owlcrate signed edition and I literally devoured it today. It was so well written and it tore my heart to pieces.
Is this a fictional retelling of Ghosts Have Warm Hands: A Memoir of the Great War, 1916-1919 by Will R. Bird? It was published in 1997. No mention of it in your review. Regardless, I appreciated the story. It reminded me of the stories my grandmother told of those she knew who fought in the war. An extremely ugly war!
33 pages into and I can already say that the writing is exquisite, the ambiance is dark, haunting, yet beguiling. I love my Owl Craete special edition, and I enjoy it even more so as I am living in Belgium and I feel an even deeper connection to the story. Can't wait to read more about Laura and Freddie!
I loved this story, it was so atmospheric. I’ve thought about it often since I finished reading it, it’s a real reflection on loss and desire and the lengths that we will go to for the thing we think we want the most. I thought it was brilliant.
Your post about your struggle to write this is as good as the book itself! Thank you for finishing it. It is, by far, the most penetrating book I have read this year.
I wonder if it was the Great War itself that stymied you--such a tremendous and ruinous waste that haunts modern history. The mud, the gas, the trenches, the inches gained and lost.
All that work and effort was worth it. I enjoyed everything about this book - the characters with all their nuances, the strong women, everyone’s brokenness, the treatment of PTSD, their loves. Huge success and I thank you for sticking with it. Bravo!
Your Author's Note in the book was one of my favorites in recent memory. Especially loved the paragraph about juxtapositions.
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Nov 28, 2023 10:21AM
I've never clicked pre-order so quickly. I cannot wait!!!
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I’m really looking forward to this book.
I am almost done with my ARC on NetGalley, and it's going to be one of the easiest 5-star ratings I've ever given. Thank you for fighting so hard to get it finished - it is truly a remarkable book.
Thank you for writing this book! I loved it so much, one of my favorites of the year
Im a teen and always wanted to get into reading and i wanted to thank you for getting me into it ! The small spaces series was a magical experience i dont remember living ever since childhood, i will try to get into this book to maybe use it as a start for adult books
Looking forward to reading this especially after reading your write up on it! I love when authors explain how they write and how they felt while writing their book. I’m in awe of writers and the ability to research and learn and knit that knowing into a book with people I can route for or people I despise. Either way means they made me invest my feelings into their work. The ability to write is amazing to me! I have stories in my head that I can feel and see but can’t get them out into the real breathing world. So admire all authors who accomplish this! Can’t wait to read your work. Thank you for taking the time to tell us how this story came to be. (Happy and healthy New Year to you and yours)
I adore this author and this insight into the writing of this book. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is INCREDIBLE. I hope it comforts you to know I am, in fact, haunted by it.
Was already chomping at the bit to read this ... Your post & these comments have elevated that to bad pony posing a safety hazard at the gates
I just finished- easy five stars for me. Pim broke my heart.
Not ordinarily a fan of fantasy as a genre, I adored The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy. Can’t wait to read this latest!
Can I say I love this honest insight into the struggles that you as a writer faced and the mountains that were climbed to complete this book. I put it on my tbr list because of that. I would love it if more authors gave insights like this.
I am looking forward to reading The Warm Hands of Ghosts. Thank you so much for sharing with us your journey to write Ghosts. I truly appreciate it. I also fell in love with The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy.
After reading Ghosts, everything you admitted here is felt through its narrative, but in the best way possible. How do you wrestle a giant like the Great War, narrow it down to a feature a few key elements, and not do the rest of what, in fact, happened without doing it injustice? I think you may have pulled off something massive. Thank you for sticking with it!
I am new to you and The Warm Hands of Ghosts. Goodreads chose your book as a must read for February. That’s how I came to you. Fantasy is not my genre, but your explanation of your process in writing this book engaged me so much, that I am definitely adding this to my TBR list. Thank you!
Im here to say thank you, as well! I grew up in Nova Scotia, and went to University in Halifax, and love that you included the tragic history of Halifax during this time period. That was just a fun little aside for me, that you included a setting that I have fond memories of, even though the history, like the war was so tragic. Your book was so well done and I couldn’t get enough of your story and the characters, as if by reading I could make sure they were okay. You have cured me of my intolerance for historical fiction based on war, with this empathic and sensitive story. I haven’t “enjoyed” - not the right word, right, a story in this genre since the book thief! I hope your book gets the attention it deserves, and now your creative runway is clear and welcoming to any projects available to you that may bring you relentless joy as a little break! If anyone is reading this who hasn’t yet started the book, stop wasting your time reading this and pick up a copy immediately!
I am digging into a borrowed copy of Ghosts at the moment - and I am especially excited to read the translation when it gets to me. Hope to see you soon in Zagreb!
Browsing books to add to my list but boy did this comment give me chills. Sounds like a must-read!
I have just now finished it, and came here to thank you for writing it. It’s one of the damndest books I’ve ever read.
I love your stories. Every one. This _is_complex. Appreciating your writing of my local history without it seeming off at all! You do your homework ... Thank you for this work. I am so amazed you wove a story from the threads of all this "stuff" ... On chapter 5. *The best* narrators as well. Thankful Martimer ❤️
So thankful you stuck with it. A beautiful and haunting story that will stick with me for quite awhile.
I was really challenged with the story because of the complexity of the intertwined timelines of Laura and Freddie. But I perservered and just finished. I think it was extremely helpful to the reader to have the approximate date of each chapter to help figure out how close Laura was to reaching her brother. I will write a full review on my Goodreads page soon. I am grateful that you took the needed time to write such a complex and compelling story. I know it will stay with me for a long time.
I have to say, I am only 30% through but this book is absolutely FANTASTIC!! You really take us into these dangerous locations and make us feel all the emotions. I have cried, laughed, been absolutely terrified, and just in awe. You really don't hold back and let us experience the absolute terror that is war.
I have already learned some things too and have been researching Mary Borden for a bit now. I have always loved reading a book that also teaches me things. Lifelong learning!!
Thank you for another beautiful and amazing book that I will be thinking about all the time.
I have already learned some things too and have been researching Mary Borden for a bit now. I have always loved reading a book that also teaches me things. Lifelong learning!!
Thank you for another beautiful and amazing book that I will be thinking about all the time.
Even your commentary on your work is beautiful. Thank you for your sacrifice of time, sleep, and heart for this to exist for us. Your works are beautiful and we celebrate them. I’m opening your book to read now, and I am very excited to see what comes next. Thank you Katherine!
It is definitely a haunting and complex story. I gave it 5 stars.
Your writing leaves me breathless and energized simultaneously. Thank you!
I love your books so, so much! The author’s note at the end of this one gave me a new perspective on the Great War and even an understanding of the whole steampunk thing, which I used to find baffling. I can’t wait to read whatever comes next from your brilliant, imaginative mind.
I have not read much about WW1 and am grateful you persevered. As ever your words are breathtaking, and use of myth breathes extra magic into the story. You are a wonder, thank you for sharing your gift with the world.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent. And, for sharing your struggles. I have not seen anything quite like this before. It is nice to have such an explanation of what goes into your writing.
I have just finished this book and it is wonderfully heart-wrenching. It transports you to WWI and all the horror of war whilst giving you a golden thread of hope to hold tightly throughout. This story has a realness whilst touching the fantasy veil just enough that you could imagine soldiers telling this tale in the trenches. This story will stay with me and so will the characters.
I loved this book!! I adored your Winternight Trilogy too!
This is one of those books that will stay with me for the rest of my life. How we choose our own fates by giving in and letting go and how we can live without things but must have others in order to make a life worth living. And sometimes sacrifice and succumbing is all we can hope for. 💔
This book is truly magnificent. Rarely, have I wanted to know so much of evil. You captured the twist and sweetness in cruelty, and how sharp the edges of hope can be.
My stomach’s still turning a bit, but I have deepened my view of the world, and am every grateful for your words.
🌙
This book changed the way I think about historical fiction, and I have not been able to shake the feeling that I have just scraped the surface in my conception of history up to now. Just, whoa. Good job:)
I am so freaking excited your writing is my favorite!
Just finished it…Damn, you’re good.
Thank you for this book. I need to ponder it for some time. You’ve nailed the sensation we sufferers of PTSD experience, where our unreality feels more real than the phantasmagorical experience of the actual world at hand.
I just finished the book and… thank you for fighting through to the end. It is beautiful.
Katherine, I just finished ‘Warm Hands of Ghosts.’ I am totally blown away. Thank you for writing such a beautiful book. Your story is a fine piece of literature and I enjoyed every moment of it. I’m afraid I’m going to have to take a couple of days off from reading to allow my heart and soul time to finish digesting your book. (Do you ever read a book which is SO good, it doesn’t feel right to pick up something else right away? That’s me right now.). So, thanks again.
Now where did I leave that box of Kleenex?
Bobbie
I just received my beautiful Owlcrate signed edition and I literally devoured it today. It was so well written and it tore my heart to pieces.
Is this a fictional retelling of Ghosts Have Warm Hands: A Memoir of the Great War, 1916-1919 by Will R. Bird? It was published in 1997. No mention of it in your review. Regardless, I appreciated the story. It reminded me of the stories my grandmother told of those she knew who fought in the war. An extremely ugly war!
33 pages into and I can already say that the writing is exquisite, the ambiance is dark, haunting, yet beguiling. I love my Owl Craete special edition, and I enjoy it even more so as I am living in Belgium and I feel an even deeper connection to the story. Can't wait to read more about Laura and Freddie!
I loved this story, it was so atmospheric. I’ve thought about it often since I finished reading it, it’s a real reflection on loss and desire and the lengths that we will go to for the thing we think we want the most. I thought it was brilliant.
Your post about your struggle to write this is as good as the book itself! Thank you for finishing it. It is, by far, the most penetrating book I have read this year.
I wonder if it was the Great War itself that stymied you--such a tremendous and ruinous waste that haunts modern history. The mud, the gas, the trenches, the inches gained and lost.
All that work and effort was worth it. I enjoyed everything about this book - the characters with all their nuances, the strong women, everyone’s brokenness, the treatment of PTSD, their loves. Huge success and I thank you for sticking with it. Bravo!
Your Author's Note in the book was one of my favorites in recent memory. Especially loved the paragraph about juxtapositions.
