The debut historical novel from Raymie Martin, One Remembers Yet is a book taking place during WW1 but is not really a war novel. Set in December 1917, as the First World War grinds toward its uncertain conclusion, Martin tells the intimate story of a war-hardened nurse, a blinded officer, and a fractured family haunted by a death that may never have occurred. The title, “One Remembers Yet,” comes from the epigraph, a poem by Rossetti.
Winnie Watling is a nurse serving in northern France during World War 1. She has been hardened by eighteen months of the brutality of war, “convoy after convoy passing through the hospital, making the days a whirl of dressings, blood and bedpans, surviving on cigarettes and snatched sleep.”
Then illness forces her hand. Despite her will to stay, the hospital’s doctor insists she must return to England to recover. On the crowded vessel returning across the Channel, Winnie meets a blinded soldier who offers Winnie to come with him to his family home in Dorset. Winnie soon accepts. However, in Hunter’s Hall a supposed death, a fractured family, and a hidden murder threaten to pull her into danger as she uncovers the truth.
What makes One Remembers Yet particularly enjoyable is the mysteries, which will surely keep the reader turning pages. Freda’s insistence that her supposedly dead husband David is still alive is dismissed, but the fact that David’s body was never recovered means we cannot entirely dismiss her claims. When Sir John’s sudden death occurs, it introduces a second mystery of what truly happened to him. As these threads begin to intertwine, suspicion falls across the household, and Winnie is drawn ever deeper into uncovering secrets the family would rather keep buried.
I found the dialogue to be another strong point. People in this house rarely say what they mean. Instead, tension lives in what is not said, in the careful rerouting of conversations, in the sudden silences when certain topics approach. For instance, conversation about Christmas decorations or the family business becomes a proxy battle for control.
Besides lacking a bit of description at points, the prose style is generally very strong, “wave crests frothed wildly before widening and weakening and finally dissolving into slate-grey sea.” The author is also good at showing and not telling When Winnie is anxious or distressed, her physical response is described instead of just spelling it out, “Winnie’s throat constricted, her lungs struggling against her tightening chest.”
The dialogue is where the prose truly excels. It generally feels very realistic and Martin trusts readers to understand what is being communicated beneath surface meanings. When Sir John says to Leo, “You’ve done your bit for King and Country. Time you did your duty by the business,” we understand not just the words but the implication.
Getting to know all the members of the Hunter family is one of the book’s main appeals. What emerges is a portrait of a family where genuine communication is nearly impossible. As the book is told from Winnie’s perspective as an outsider, she is a relatable main character to discover the Hunter family through the eyes of. The true heart of the novel is her transformation, and luckily she is a joy to read with strong character development by the end.
The novel’s pacing is pretty good. The first chapters feel slightly rushed, but others feel a bit slow. The mystery elements emerge gradually, and there are long stretches where seemingly nothing much happens. Readers seeking rapid plot escalation may find themselves frustrated. This is not really a criticism though; after all, the book is a character study, a historical novel and murdery mystery all in one.
It’s worth noting what Martin does with the war itself. Rather than making it the center of the story, the author uses it as the force in the background. What distinguishes One Remembers Yet from much historical fiction is that the period setting is not window dressing. The novel understands how the trauma of the First World War ripples through home front society. All the little details feel well-researched, like a scene from the second season of Downton Abbey.
One last thing I wanted to mention is that I really enjoyed the relationship between Leo and Winnie. What begins as a purely transactional arrangement gradually deepens into an emotionally compelling bond. He is definitely one of, if not the most interesting and complex character in the book, whether that be through his bitterness at surviving the war or the connection he develops with Winnie as their relationship evolves.
At 280 pages, One Remembers Yet is a substantial but not overwhelming read, and easy to recommend. The pacing means it’s not exactly a quick beach read, but rather something to settle into. It’s a book that trusts its readers’ intelligence, that understands that the most interesting mysteries are psychological rather than procedural. It’s a book that will probably stay with you.
Final verdict: For fans of Sarah Waters, Kate Morton or Julian Fellowes’ shows and books, One Remembers Yet is a great historical fiction murder mystery with highly memorable characters. This is a novel that feels like a long lost classic.
You can get your copy of One Remembers Yet here!
