The Gun Room

Harding's fourth novel (following Painter of Silence) opens just after a devastating siege against a Vietnamese village witnessed by Jonathan, a young British war photographer. His image of a traumatized American soldier staring into space gains iconic status even as its creator seeks escape from the horrors he has viewed. In Tokyo, Jonathan finds some solace in taking pictures of Japanese urban life and gardens and with Kumiko, who becomes his lover. However, he cannot escape his history any more than can Kumiko's grandfather or Jonathan's own father, who fought on opposite sides in the jungles of Burma. The narrative builds slowly and subtly toward understanding and insight for Jonathan, with Harding demonstrating her prowess as a writer in fine descriptions of both the physical and the emotional worlds.