Traumatised by the sinking of the vessel he commands, David Aguilera is finding it hard to comes to terms with what happened and to readjust to family life. Hampered by his inability to express what he’s feelings, he begins to alienate his wife and children and everything seems to be spiralling out of control. How he begins to work through it all is the subject of this short but complex novel, which tackles issues of guilt, responsibility, redemption and identity – which in David’s case is made even more complicated by his having been adopted into a Catholic family when his Jewish mother was forced to give him up. I can’t help feeling that the book was a bit too ambitious as it tries to cover so many themes. I found the military episodes when David is forced to escape from hostile forces after the shipwreck – I couldn’t quite work out who was fighting whom and why – particularly confusing and they slowed the narrative for me. But overall I enjoyed this exploration of a soul in anguish and found it convincing in its description of mental breakdown. Another Fairlight Modern gem.

This is such a touching novel about a man who doesn't know who he is meant to be and how he fits into the world. David is learning how to be vulnerable within the confines of his Catholic upbringing and his connections to Jewish culture. Reading from his perspective is so interesting, as we see how willing he is to self-examine but survivor's guilt causes rage that disconnects him from those he loves.
David is a passionate character, which is a nice change from the tidal wave of apathetic narrators I've seen recently, who has had to spend quite a large portion of his life making compromises on his own identity in order to satisfy his adoptive parents, then his birth mother, and then his wife. I think this novel says a lot about how so much of masculinity is about servitude: not in the sense of actually serving but in the sense of serving a specific purpose. Men are confined by the protector, provider, fighter stereotypes and I think this contributes significantly to David's story. Ferner really embraces the multi-cultural background of Madrid as a setting for his novel. The place pulls into how the story unravels but also how David's story even began. It's very compelling.

In this beautifully written, modern-day Odyssey sequel (Something along the lines of Ulysses returns, and then things get really tough), our protagonist, David Aguilera, a Spanish naval officer working for the European maritime force, has returned to Madrid after a gruelling, traumatic journey in which he lost the ship under his command, as well as most of his crew, and then endured a nearly impossible escape on foot through a militia-controlled, chaotic, war-torn Baltics region. When the novel opens, Aguilera has made it home to Madrid, but is having a difficult time readjusting to everyday life. He is emotionally paralyzed—unable to process his own trauma, grief and shame—and struggles to reconnect with his wife, son and stepdaughter. He cannot return to work until he undergoes a formal naval inquiry, which will scrutinize virtually every decision that he was forced to make quickly and under extreme duress, and the outcome will determine his future work and life.

As he grapples with his journey’s traumatic memories, David is also coming to grips with other aspects of his life and identity. He had only learned as a young adult that he had been adopted by his strict Catholic parents, and that his birthmother had been a young, Jewish woman. Over time he has found and created a relationship with his birth mother, and upon his return to Madrid he learns that she is dying. This adds to the stress of his life and causes David to think more deeply about his complex relationship to religion, specifically growing up in a conservative Catholic family and then later discovering his Judaism. David’s wife, Margalit, is deeply committed to her Jewish identity and finds David’s ambivalence frustrating. An ongoing question of the novel is whether the marriage will survive.

I enjoyed the thoughtful unfolding of the events of this novel, the interplay between past and present, and the layering of the biographical details that brought David to the state of disequilibrium of the novel’s present. This is primarily a novel of ideas and the author interlaces numerous observations about cultural, religious, historical, and political identity. There is a thematic sub-strand that can be thought of as a meditation on fidelity, or faithfulness, that also weaves in and out of the narrative. Spain here is beautifully described, and I found some of the taste and scent memories of a childhood in Madrid to be particularly poignant.

Much of the novel is spent unpacking what it means to be a Sephardic Jew in Spain, with its long dark history of persecution and expulsion. I will note that although the character of Margalit is well developed and fascinating, I found her strong defense of the ethics of the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) to be particularly problematic in light of current world events, which I recognize are well outside of the setting and time period of the novel. And, to be fair, her views also challenge David, who seems quite ready to debate her on matters of military ethics.

I will certainly recommend this novel to other readers and am eager to learn more about the literary moderns series at Fairlight Books. My thanks to them and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of the novel.

David Aguilera's life is collapsing around him. After the catastrophic loss of the vessel under his command and a perilous trek across the Baltics to safety, he returns home to find himself unable to reconnect with his family. Frustrated by his inability to express what he is feeling, his wife Margalit moves out to stay with friends, taking their children with her.

There isn’t a lot of joy in this book. I, initially found it hard to get going. A little disjointed until I found the story’s rhythm. I didn’t particularly like David, he didn’t appeal to me. He seems to stumble from one disaster to another. The story is well written it just didn’t work for me

A short read, but one that wrenched my heart from its moorings and set it adrift. Survivor guilt, normative crises, disconnection and finding a way forward

David Aguilera is adrift in life. His vessel was lost tragically at sea and he was the only survivor. The trauma of the accident, the perilous journey home and the stress of the looming inquiry keeps David on a type of autopilot, disconnected, overwhelmed. His wife and children are staying with friends and he is so very lost. David needs to anchor himself, to rebalance and in order to do so, seeks solace with his closest friends and adoptive mother who encourage him to regain control over his own destiny

There is so much to relate to and empathise with in this book and it is a story that will take you from one extreme of emotions to the other. It is beautifully written with a poetic narrative and as difficult as it was in places, as a reader, you want to keep going for the HEA

A stunning novel of endurance and fortitude in the face of adversity

Thank you to Netgalley, Fairlight Books and Anthony Ferner for this stunning ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I really need to see more people yelling about these Fairlight moderns, I've read two so far, and they've both been wins.

Small Wars in Madrid follows David as he battles with his demons after losing his entire crew at sea. He had it all until he didn't. He's come back and is struggling to deal with his feelings, creating cracks between him and his wife. He also recently found out he was adopted having been brought up Catholic, and he now finds out his birth mother is Jewish. He is struggling with his identity. He doesn't feel Jewish enough or Catholic enough. He is self-destructive and making mistakes. This story really surprised me because usually I struggle with stories based in or around warfare. It was just so human and really, really interesting. A joy to read.

Published 14 March 2024. This is a short novel about a man almost on a voyage of self discovery after a traumatic incident. David Aguilera had thought that he was a man who had everything - career, wife, family. He was a man who knew his place in life. But after the devastating loss of the vessel that he was captain of and a perilous journey across the Baltics he now finds that he is unable to reconnect with his wife, his family. His career also seems to be in tatters as he has to face an inquiry into the incident. Added to this is his confusion about his identity. As an infant he was adopted and brought up to be a Catholic. However, his birth mother was Jewish and so there is a conflict in his about his identity, especially as his wife is Jewish. As a character, I liked David and wanted him to resolve all of his issues. I could understand and sympathise with his survivor's guilt after the loss of the vessel, I could understand why he kept the details of the incident and the dangers that he faced on his trek to safety locked inside him. But there were times when I just wanted him to talk to his wife who comes across as a woman who is steadfast in her love for him. In fact Margalit is a super character, passionate and loyal. A very good read as we watch David find his way home.

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher, for the opportunity to read this book.
This is a story of tragedy, self-discovery, coming to terms with feelings/emotions, and navigating familial challenges. Having studied in Madrid, and travel there numerous times, I also appreciated the descriptive nature of the writing that brought me back to the streets of my barrio. This is a fast read that takes you on a multi-layered journey.