A mesmerising and inventive novel that lays bare the devastations of war on the most intimate aspects of our lives
Fleeing a nameless war, a soldier emerges from the Mediterranean scrubland, filthy, exhausted and seeking refuge. A chance meeting forces him to rethink his journey, and the price he puts on a life.
On 11 September 2001, aboard a small cruise ship near Berlin, a scientific conference pays tribute to the late Paul Heudeber, an East German mathematician, Buchenwald survivor, communist and anti-fascist whose commitment to his side of the Wall was unshaken by its collapse.
The oblique pull between these two narratives – a cipher in itself – brings to light everything that is at stake in times of conflict: truth and deception, loyalty and betrayal, hope and despair.
The Deserters intimately examines the ravages of war – and asks what remains of our selves in its wreckage. It was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026.
About the Author
Mathias Énard, born in 1972 in Niort, France, studied Persian and Arabic and has spent long periods in the Middle EastAbout the Translator
Born in Connecticut, Charlotte Mandell has translated over 50 books of fiction, poetry and philosophy from FrenchA man and woman escape an undefined war; a conference celebrates a mathematician’s life. Both raw and refined, The Deserters weaves together two contrasting stories of hope and survival
— The International Booker Prize 2026 judges
‘The Deserters weaves together two stories, told in very contrasting voices, exploring themes of commitment and betrayal, hope and survival, during times of war. One story, delivered in a raw unforgiving tone, moves forward in time and follows a man and woman escaping an undefined war. The other, told in more refined language, looks backwards as we join a scientific conference celebrating the life of Paul Heudeber, a mathematician, communist and poet. We were particularly taken in this second strand by the broad engagement with history from the Second World War to 9/11, from the Cold War to the conflicts in Ukraine and former Yugoslavia. The mathematicians among the judges also thought the author pulled off a convincing portrayal of the culture of mathematics.’
Dustin Illingworth, New York Times
‘Utterly distinct in form and tone, these braided stories demand a certain vigilance from the reader, an alertness to echo and intuition… In this artful and sad novel, forbearance is courage.’
Russell Williams, Times Literary Supplement
‘This rich, unsettling novel – the eighth by Mathias Énard, and his sixth to be translated into English (once again by Charlotte Mandell) – amounts to an interrogation of betrayal… This is a moving, elegant and frequently uncomfortable novel about the emotional stakes of difficult choices made amid the most unbearable situations.’
