About to make his last stand, a soldier facing certain death at the hands of the enemy writes home to his love to explain how he ended up there. The Officer in the story has no name nor is his nation specified. While out for a walk, he stumbles upon officers enjoying a military barbecue and is persuaded to join them. He enjoys the comradeship of the event and is quickly seduced by the smart, tailored military uniform he is later fitted with, by the power bestowed upon it, by the respect commanded by it. From there, this gentle man is gradually transformed into a war criminal, committing acts he wouldn’t have thought himself capable. Chidi Ebere’s debut Now I Am Here is a profound reflection on how good people can do terrible things – precipitated by circumstances and the violence of war. This morally complex and nuanced novel is brave, unflinching and thought-provoking. It feels timeless and will appeal to readers of Uzo Iweala’s Beasts of No Nation, Giles Foden