Sparta

Quotes

“Sparta is a feat of the imagination. Vividly and with unflinching wisdom, Robinson has given voice, substance, and profound reality to her protagonist Conrad Farrell of the Marine Corps—and in so doing to thousands of veterans like him.” Claire Messud, New York Times bestselling author

“Sparta gives us an unflinching portrayal of the costs of war, costs that go far beyond what the tallies of killed and wounded can tell us. There are plenty of losses that can be measured only in the language of the spirit, and it’s books such as this one, necessary books, that guide us to a fuller appreciation of war’s costs.” Ben Fountain, New York Times bestselling author

“One of the many strengths of this engaging story is that Robinson doesn’t treat post-traumatic stress disorder with that nifty abbreviation, PTSD, neatly buttoning it in place. Instead, she shows us a more insidious, layered, and complex mix of debilitating psychological wounds.” New York Times Book Review

“[A] page turner…Robinson’s fifth novel is an exceptional account of life after war.” People (4 stars)

“This slow, thorough, and utterly believable journey into Conrad’s mind has a dizzying effect, mostly due to Robinson’s artistic manipulations with language that make the everyday world seem suddenly strange—and scary.” O, The Oprah Magazine

“Powerful…[Robinson] is unsparingly forensic in her account of this proud ex-soldier’s tortured inability to readjust to civilian life…[Sparta’s] force lies in its level of bared psychological detail. Without becoming strident or pushy, it sounds an alarm for an invisible American crisis.” Wall Street Journal

“A tour de force…Sparta is a novel with a mission—which in lesser writer’s hands could spell its doom. But Robinson manages to convey the difficulties of a warrior returning to society and dramatize how we fail our veterans without reducing her story to a polemic. She pulls this off by expertly deploying three literary weapons: emotional insight, moral nuance, and intellectual depth…Robinson brings the tolls of war up close…Her explanation of the mishandled early missions in Fallujah and the clash between the long-ruling minority Sunnis and the majority Shiites is as clear as any I’ve read…But it’s Robinson’s portrait of the Veterans Affairs system that is most devastating…Robinson demonstrated her deftness in handling the dynamics of a family under duress in Cost…Robinson’s powerful novel demonstrates that fiction actually can function as a sort of explosive device.” Washington Post 

“Compelling and sensitive.” More magazine

“Certainly, Robinson has done her research…[She] cares deeply about war and its fallout…Sparta will teach us what we should know.” Philadelphia Inquirer

“Robinson’s diligently researched and profoundly realized tale of a warrior’s trauma and his family’s struggle to help him is a beautifully incisive, respectful, suspenseful, and indicting drama of our failure to grasp the full toll of war.” Booklist (starred review)

Awards

• Washington Post Notable Book
• Maine Literary Award