Overview

AWAKENING FROM IVY LEAGUE CLASSROOMS TO WAR-TORN BATTLEFIELDS: ONE MAN'S JOURNEY TO TRUTH...AND LOVE What happens when academia's theories collide with war's harsh realities? James Miller is about to find out. Fed up with the safe, sanitized debates in his Yale Political Science classes, James makes a decision that will forever alter his life's trajectory: volunteering in Ukraine's brutal war zone. But when artillery fire claims his team leader and leaves James clinging to life in a German military hospital, his real journey begins. His unexpected connection with Brigitta-, a nurse whose East German upbringing gives her a radically different worldview, challenges everything he thought he knew about freedom, politics, and truth itself. ""Awakening"" takes readers on a heart-pounding journey across worlds that seem impossibly divided: from Yale's ivory towers to Ukraine's shattered villages, from humanitarian missions riddled with corruption to the possibility of love in Berlin's thoughtful embrace. Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Things They Carried, and especially, A Farewell to Arms, will be captivated by this unflinching exploration of how we navigate life's gray areas when black-and-white thinking fails us. And how love can blossom in the most unlikely of places. This unforgettable debut asks: Can understanding only come when we stand in the uncomfortable spaces between competing truths? ""Awakening is an intense and touching novel that takes us from the prestigious halls of Yale to the battlefields of Ukraine, following James Miller's inner journey in search of truth. Wounded in war, he finds himself in a military hospital in Germany, where the encounter with Brigitta, a nurse with a deep soul and a different worldview, forces him to question everything he believed in. A powerful and human story that courageously explores the gray areas between ideals and reality. A must-read if you love stories that leave their mark."" -- Francesca F (on Amazon in Italy)

Full Product Details

9798349257704

Table of Contents

Reviews

A SUPERB NOVEL FOR OUR TIMES Awakening by Elliott Middleton is a superbly well-written and conceived novel of our times, with settings in Ukrainian war zones, Berlin, and the United States, notably at Yale University. The novel traces a young man's call to frontline action as an observer, then a participant, and finally a survivor and eyewitness to the implementation of international and institutional policies, the dedication and camaraderie of other responders, and his involvement in a subdued yet powerful love relationship. The prose and dialogue are fluent, rhythmic, and Spartan throughout. The clear-cut narrative delivers valuable, thoughtful insights and perspectives not available in media reports or policy papers. The revelations are masterfully integrated into the narrative through the characters' experiences. The characters and their interactions, the events, including descriptions of battles, life in war zones, recovery from traumatic injury, and classroom scenes, are believable, with descriptions that are immediate and convincingly first-hand. The novel is masterfully presented and constructed. Awakening should be a bestseller, yielding a cable serial or a major motion picture-or both. In sum, Awakening is an exhilarating, hope-filled performance, a thoroughly absorbing, thought-provoking, and rewarding read. --Javy Awan, American poet Advised Awakening is an intense and touching novel that takes us from the prestigious classrooms of Yale to the battlegrounds of Ukraine, following James Miller's inner journey in search of the truth. Wounded in the war, he finds himself in a military hospital in Germany, where the encounter with Brigitta, a nurse with a deep soul and a different vision of the world, forces him to question everything he believed in. A powerful and human story, which courageously explores the gray areas between ideals and reality. A must-read if you love stories that leave their mark. --Amazon reviewer in Italy Deeply Moving This was a deeply moving and thought-provoking read that challenged a lot of my assumptions about war, truth, and privilege. James's transformation from a sheltered student to someone who truly sees the world's complexities felt raw and real. I really appreciated the relationship with Brigitta, and her perspective added depth and emotional weight. The only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five is that some parts felt a bit heavy on exposition, but overall, it's a powerful story that lingers long after the last page. --Amazon reviewer in the US

Author Information

Elliott Middleton graduated from Yale with distinction in English Literature and holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Colorado. He lives with his family in Tennessee.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available