Inspired by his father’s struggles with PTSD from WWII and set in part in East London, Chris Barker presents a powerful historical family drama.
The lives of Vic Woods and Ruth Wolfe, working-class teenagers from Liverpool and London, are profoundly disrupted by the arrival of World War II. Ruth’s journey leads her to aerial photographic interpretation, though her aspirations for advancement are denied, while Vic’s wartime experiences with bomber command haunt him long after the war is over. Their post-war marriage and tumultuous relationship with their son, James, make for a gripping narrative of trauma, conflict and, ultimately, love.
Set against the backdrop of World War II and the social upheaval of the late 1960s, Hungry Ghosts transports readers into the drama of two pivotal eras in history, exploring the intergenerational impact of war, particularly on the intricate relationships between fathers and sons.
Hungry Ghosts is not just a war story; it’s a timeless exploration of family bonds and the indelible scars left by war.
Born in England, resident in Australia, Chris Barker boasts a rich history as an educator in schools and universities in the UK and Australia. He has published several non-fiction books including Cultural Studies: Theory and Practise and The Hearts of Men. When he is not engrossed in writing fiction, he can be found in his garden. He has published short stories in the UK, Australia and the USA.
Chris explains: “I was inspired to write the book by my parents’ experience of WW2 in England and its subsequent impact on my family and myself. As a child and teenager, I did not have a good relationship with my father (who became an alcoholic), but later, as an adult, I came to understand that he was a victim of war, suffering what we would not call PTSD. I believe that my parents were both traumatised by the war (my mother for example lost a fiancé) and that this impacted on me (intergenerational trauma is both learned /cultural and epigenetic). I was both a rebellious teenager and later suffered depression.”
He continues: “The novel is in some ways a letter of understanding and forgiveness to my (now deceased) parents. I was also influenced by the social movements of the late 1960s and I hint in the book that in some ways those rebellions were a revolt against the wartime parental generation. In 2008 I published a book (University of NSW Press) called ‘The Hearts of Men’ in which I explored, through interviews with men, some of these issues.”
RELEASE DATE: 28/03/2024 ISBN: 9781916668447 Price: £9.99
