The Remembered Soldier
Netherlands

The Remembered Soldier

by Anjet Daanje

War & Conflict Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction 2025

Summary

In The Remembered Soldier, a young woman named Noon Merckem encounters a man suffering from amnesia who may be her husband, a soldier who disappeared during the First World War. Although he remembers nothing of his former life, Noon attempts to help him recover his identity and rebuild their relationship. As the story unfolds, conflicting memories and unanswered questions emerge, revealing the uncertainty surrounding his past and the devastating consequences of war. Anjet Daanje explores the fragile relationship between memory, identity, and truth, examining how love can endure when the past becomes inaccessible. Set against the aftermath of the First World War, this haunting novel reflects on trauma, loss, and the stories people construct to make sense of their lives.

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Country
Netherlands
Europe
About the author
Anjet Daanje
Anjet Daanje

Anjet Daanje is a Dutch novelist and screenwriter known for her intricate narratives, psychological depth, and exploration of memory, identity, love, and loss. Born in 1965, she has developed a distinctive literary style that often blends historical settings with questions about human relationships and the ways people construct meaning from their experiences. Although she published several novels over the course of her career, she gained widespread recognition with The Remembered Soldier (De herinnerde soldaat, 2019), a novel about a First World War soldier who returns home with amnesia and struggles to reconstruct his identity and marriage. Her breakthrough novel, The Song of Stork and Dromedary (Het lied van ooievaar en dromedaris, 2022), is an ambitious, multi-layered work inspired by the life and legacy of Emily Brontë. Spanning different periods and perspectives, it explores grief, artistic creation, obsession, and the enduring influence of a writer’s life. The novel won the Libris Literature Prize in 2023, establishing Daanje as a major voice in contemporary Dutch literature.

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Details
Published
2025
Author
Anjet Daanje