In Memoriam is a haunting and virtuosic debut novel set during World War I. The story revolves around two young men, Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood, who fall in love amidst the tumult of the war. Set against the backdrop of an idyllic English boarding school and the brutal realities of the front lines, the novel explores the intense and secret infatuation between Gaunt, who is half German, and his glamorous, charming best friend Ellwood. As they are both drawn to the war front, their forbidden romance and the grim realities of war intertwine, creating a poignant narrative of love, tragedy, and the youthful illusions of heroism.