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crafalsk264 's review for:
Strangers in Time
by David Baldacci
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Charlie Matters is making the best he can in his working class neighborhood. His parents are dead, leaving him with only his grandmother. He walks a double life—pretending to attend school while stealing what he can from where he can on the street. He is living from one day to the next, seeking shelter from the bombs that fall night and day. Molly Wakefield returns from her refuge in the country hoping to find out why she has not been receiving mail from her parents. She finds that both her parents are gone without leaving information on where they will be. Without parents or guardians, both Molly and Charlie meet through The Book End, a bookstore owned by Ignatiius Oliver trying to eke out a living while also serving as an air warden every night while still reeling from a secret his late wife, Imogen, left for him to discover before she committed suicide.
The three of them come together to support each other while the War rages on and the bombs fall. When Charlie’s grandmother dies and he is left on his own, he continues to dodge the viciousness of the street and the authorities who are looking for him in relation to an accident which kills a police constable. Molly learns that not only her parents are missing but the money that has been supporting her is gone. When a bomb makes her homeless, they come together and take shelter with Ignatius at the bookstore. Day by day the three of them realize that their love and trust may be the only way to survive.
This is a coming of age story with two teenagers who don’t have family or resources other than each other. The characters are well developed and their location in War-torn London is rich in detail and experiences. This is different from the usual WWII stories. Instead it is a love story, a life story, a family story. This is a little different from the usual fare of Baldacci. He has tried and succeeded on something different and I hope that this is the early stage of a future oeuvre full of more of the same.
Recommend to readers of historical fiction, mystery, thriller and suspense, WWII and coming of age.