Publisher and Publication Date: Simon and Schuster. 2016.
Genre: Historical fiction. World War II. Romance.
Pages: 448.
Source: Self-purchase.
Audience: Readers of World War II and romance stories.
Rating: Okay.
Summary:
Time period for the story is 1939 to 1942.
The setting is London, England.
On the day World War II began, Mary North enlisted at the War Office hoping to do something exciting for the war effort. Instead, she’s given the job as a teacher of children.
Mary meets Tom and they fall in love.
Alistair is Tom’s best friend. He is in the army.
My Thoughts:
My main problem with the book is I don’t like Mary’s character. I kept having to remind myself she is 18, but to me she comes across as younger. Her experiences during the war grew her up…..a little. She is still not a character I felt invested in because of her voice and personality. Unfortunately she is the voice I hear the most. I’d rather have the story focused on Alistair. He is the interesting person.
The part of the story that is meaningful and memorable is the air raids and bombings in London during these years. I learned through the characters, and by their responses, what it must have been like.
I have a great love for children. I wish the story had examined more children and their individual stories.
Over-all I felt this an okay story but could have been more.
Impressions In Ink 