The Tin Nose Shop: a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Recommended Read

by Don J Snyder

Overview

"Beautifully written and sensitively observed" —Hazel Gaynor, author, The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter

"Beautifully written and thought-provoking" —Ruth Hogan, author, The Keeper of Lost Things

INSPIRED BY ONE OF THE LAST GREAT UNTOLD STORIES OF WW1

1916. Young artist Sam Burke is spared death by firing squad on the battlefields of France and brought to a remote castle by the Irish Sea. At the "Tin Nose Shop" he is tasked with creating intricate masks to hide the mutilated faces of his fellow soldiers from the Front. While he tries to come to terms with the death of his best friend and the promise he failed to keep, Sam and the disfigured soldiers struggle to return to their former lives and their loved ones.

A stirring and emotional tale based on the real-life story of the Tin Nose Shop.

"Will both break your heart and give it wings as it explores the healing powers of friendship, love, hope and purpose" —Robin Wells, author, She Gets That From Me

"One of the best historical novels I have read in a long time... I have never read anything quite like it" —Mark Sullivan, author, Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781915054609
Publisher:	Legend Press US
Publication date:	06/06/2023
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Don J. Snyder is the author of many acclaimed books, including the memoirs The Cliff Walk and Of Time and Memory and the novels Night Crossing and Fallen Angel.

Read an Excerpt

prologue
For most of us, it takes a while to realise that we cross lines in our lives. Silent, unmarked borders of time that we pass, as if in our dreams, without ever realising what we are leaving behind. We do not see that the matchless nights of being cherished and held close are vanishing even as we live them, and that we are all refugees from one war-torn country or another, or from one war-torn love story or another. Time moves so deceptively that we never say, “This is the last walk I will take with you along the shore.” Or, “This afternoon I carried a child in my arms for the final time.” Perhaps early this morning while we dressed and put the kettle on, our destiny advanced, unwatched. 

Editorial Reviews

"There are many novels based on the events of World War I; this one has to be among the most compassionate and moving." —Historical Novel Society

"A soul-searing glimpse into the brutality of war and indomitability of the human spirit. Fast-paced and vivid, this novel about World War I will both break your heart and give it wings as it explores the healing powers of friendship, love, hope and purpose.” Robin Wells, author of The French War Bride.
 
“A beautifully written and thought-provoking tale - one I will definitely remember. A great read.” Ruth Hogan author of The Keeper of Lost Things.
 
"Beautifully written and sensitively observed, THE TIN NOSE SHOP is an emotionally stirring novel that doesn't shy away from addressing the horrors of war whilst also amplifying the humanity and hope of those affected by it. Told from a unique and refreshing perspective, this is an important addition to Great War fiction. A thoroughly engrossing read which I couldn't put down." - Hazel Gaynor, New York Times, USA Today and Irish Times Bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper.

 

From the Publisher