In her Bridge to Tomorrow series, novelist and World War II historian Schrader (author of Where Eagles Never Flew) explores, celebrates, and dramatizes the complexities of one of the key global triumphs of the 20th century: the Berlin Airlift and the uniting of western powers to counter the Soviet Union in the divided German city in 1948 and 1949. With Lack of Moral Fibre, Schrader again brings life to the Royal Air Force, this time examining the effect of war on the men who must fight it, and digging into the history and implications of this brisk novel’s title. In November of 1943, at the height of the war, Pilot Officer Christopher “Kit” Moran finds himself at his breaking point the day after witnessing his best friend’s death. Moran refuses to fly another op and is sent to an NYDN Centre—that stands for “Not Yet Diagnosed Nervous”—where medical professionals strive to understand whether men like Moran need psychiatric treatment or whether they warrant the designation LMF for their “lack of moral fibre.” Moran knows being branded an LMF “would be interpreted as proof of his fundamental inferiority.” LMFs were stripped of their medals, reassigned to infantry or menial work, and guaranteed to face problems finding employment later. To his surprise, talking to a therapist doesn’t “make things worse,” and Moran begins to discuss his feelings of inferiority. Schrader is sensitive to the trauma and pressures Moran faces, and insights and breakthroughs throughout prove moving, especially when Moran is asked “Isn’t it true that the only way in which you have failed is in not living up to your own expectations?”
The result is a humane and gripping tale of what war costs, a novel alive with telling detail and welcome nuance about its era and the history of PTSD treatment. It’s also a lesson in rest and gentleness. Hard to put down, Lack of Moral Fibre shines a welcome light on trauma, recovery, heroism, and “feeling inferior.”
Takeaway: Moving short novel of a shattered RAF pilot refusing to fly again.
Comparable Titles: Len Deighton’s Bomber, Leslie Mann’s And Some Fell on Stony Ground.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
