I picked this book for my book club. I love Baldacci's Memory Man series, The Camel Club, Atlee Pine, Absolute Power, etc etc etc. So, I thought, YES! Let's read a Thriller!! Here is his new one!
The Joke was on me.
This is straight up Historical Fiction, about WWII. Yes, my clubbers laughed at me because as much as I love Historical Fiction, I am notorious for NOT wanting to read ANY more books about WWII. This is one reason I loved The Women so much because it was about a time in history not many authors care to write about (The Vietnam War).
So for the first few chapters, I was distracted. This is not a typical Baldacci. If I had picked this up not knowing the author, I would never have guessed this to be his work. The tone is not at all his voice; the sentences are prim, short, and actually more like a woman's work! However, once I got past all of these preconceived notions and just read the story - wow. I was quickly invested in the characters: 14 year old Charlie Matters, 15 year old Molly Wakefield, and a widower and bookseller, Ignatius Oliver. Especially Charlie - a little thief with a big heart. How they all meet, where they all are in their lives and during the London Blitz, what their futures could possibly hold - as well as all the interesting tidbits I learned about life (and death) during this specific time of the war - really held my attention. This is a relatively easy read, but the subject matter is still WAR. This is a great Found Family story. Lots of subplots as each character has their own baggage/secrets. The ending, particularly with the story of Molly's dad, was a bit contrived, but the Ending ending was near to perfect. If you like WWII stories, add this one to your list! But it is thrilling for very different reasons than your typical Baldacci. You have been warned!!
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