In his debut novel, Those We Carry, Scott Saxberg creates an immersive war epic that will stay with you long after the final page. Built on historical events, in particular those detailing the major battles fought by the Canadian soldiers of the Lake Superior Regiment against the Germans during the 1944-1945 timeframe, the story is narrated through the voices of two main characters, Ardagh Cadieu and Koos van den Berg. The juxtaposition of flaws and strengths between these two—those of Ardagh, who is from Fort William, Ontario (now known as Thunder Bay), versus Koos, who is from Sint Phillipsland in the Netherlands—is a thought-provoking study in character development. The storyline takes an intriguing turn when Ardagh rescues Koos, who has been kidnapped by Joost, a schoolmate-turned-German-informer. Landing in Europe to fight the Germans, Ardagh, a strapping hard-drinking soldier, is haunted by a fear of combat, feelings of panic, and an overall sense of despair. He is also guilt-ridden by the seismic tragedies of two deaths, one that he is guilty of perpetrating. Koos, on the other hand, is a proud and courageous member of the resistance movement. Smart and determined, she cunningly uses others’ impressions of her as being “just a girl” in order to run food rations right past the noses of the German-manned checkpoints, which she so sweetly does as she rides her bike through. While at times the dialogue felt somewhat simplistic for the circumstances, this is outweighed by the fast-paced, character-driven storyline, which intimately focused on both the in-the-trench-details and the evolution of all the characters, one of which is the regiment’s padre, who is especially enduring. Saxberg’s colourful and amusing quotes, such as, “He has luck so far up his ass it sparkles on his teeth,” and “It was as if someone had set fire to the rain,” add some appreciated relief to the intensity of the ongoing battles. The heavily interlaced threads of tumultuous emotions created by the tragedies of war, alongside the pencil sketches of maps that illustrate where the various war theatres take place, airlifts readers into the action, thus leaving them with a sense of feeling a “part of.” With vivid detail and emotional depth, Those We Carry is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, war epics, and stories that explore the resilience of the human spirit. Saxberg’s gripping prose makes this novel both heart-wrenching and unforgettable. —CANREADS CALGARY BOOK REVIEW