This book follows the story of Bea, who, as a child British evacuee during World War II, gets placed with the Gregorys, a well to do American family with two boys around her age. Her bond with this family is the core of the story. It is intense and warm and familial, and we and see how Bea struggles to contextualize and hold on to this bond even decades after her years in America comes to an end.
What I really loved about this story is its portrayals of complex relationships, especially familial relationships, and all the ways that people become family. It is beautiful how each member of the Gregory family takes to Bea in their own way, some immediately, and some slowly but with profound depth. Juxtaposed against that is Bea's relationship with her own mother, difficult and beset by insecurities and rough edges, but ultimately full of love. I thought that the exploration of how these characters and relationships evolved over time - the story spans over two decades - was very well done. I enjoyed seeing the children grow up into adults. The author sketches out vignettes of who the children are in the first part of the book, and to me, the people they became both echoed that, and were reactions against that, in ways that felt believable and human. There is a romance in this story, it felt a bit predictable to me, and honestly that was the least interesting relationship in the book.
While this book is set during World War II, and it is the historical event that drives the plot, I wouldn't say that the war is foregrounded much in the story. There were details that the author included (the postal chess, the telegraphs, the boys taking shifts to look for enemy planes) that I thought were really interesting and lends a definitely sense of time to the story. There were some bigger societal themes, e.g. commentary about class and war - the Gregorys are portrayed as well to do while Bea's parents are solidly working class - that were briefly touched on, but where not explored in depth. It's clear that the author made the choice to center the personal, which may or may not be your expectation for a book where World War II features in the synopsis.
Overall, I thought this book was beautifully written, with lyrical prose, characters that felt fully realized, and wonderfully complex relationships. This is definitely worth picking up, if it sounds like your cup of tea.
What I really loved about this story is its portrayals of complex relationships, especially familial relationships, and all the ways that people become family. It is beautiful how each member of the Gregory family takes to Bea in their own way, some immediately, and some slowly but with profound depth. Juxtaposed against that is Bea's relationship with her own mother, difficult and beset by insecurities and rough edges, but ultimately full of love. I thought that the exploration of how these characters and relationships evolved over time - the story spans over two decades - was very well done. I enjoyed seeing the children grow up into adults. The author sketches out vignettes of who the children are in the first part of the book, and to me, the people they became both echoed that, and were reactions against that, in ways that felt believable and human. There is a romance in this story, it felt a bit predictable to me, and honestly that was the least interesting relationship in the book.
While this book is set during World War II, and it is the historical event that drives the plot, I wouldn't say that the war is foregrounded much in the story. There were details that the author included (the postal chess, the telegraphs, the boys taking shifts to look for enemy planes) that I thought were really interesting and lends a definitely sense of time to the story. There were some bigger societal themes, e.g. commentary about class and war - the Gregorys are portrayed as well to do while Bea's parents are solidly working class - that were briefly touched on, but where not explored in depth. It's clear that the author made the choice to center the personal, which may or may not be your expectation for a book where World War II features in the synopsis.
Overall, I thought this book was beautifully written, with lyrical prose, characters that felt fully realized, and wonderfully complex relationships. This is definitely worth picking up, if it sounds like your cup of tea.