"This is a devastating book. It is matter-of-fact, makes no attempt to score political points, does not attempt to solicit sympathy for its protagonist and yet is among the most chilling indictments of war I have ever read." (Arundhati Roy)

"One of the essential books for understanding war and life" (A.S. Byatt)

"This book is one of the most important personal accounts ever written about the effects of war and defeat." (Antony Beevor)

"This is not an hysterical woman... you simply cannot dismiss it... profoundly, acutely embarrassing... an insight into the resilience of people in an unknowable situation" (Robert Sandhill)