Strangers in Time by David Baldacci

Set in London in 1944, the lives of three unlikely strangers collide when a bereaved bookshop owner and two teenagers scarred by World War II meet.

Charlie Matters is an orphan living rough on the streets of London. While he lives with his gran, he has given up on school (without her knowledge) and theirs is a hand-to-mouth existence. Sometimes he earns a few coins from doing some odd jobs, but more often he is forced to steal to help them survive. He has managed to avoid the falling bombs, but in his young life, there is no certainty.

Molly Wakefield has been living in the countryside after being evacuated years earlier, but now she is coming home, expecting a joyful homecoming with her well-off parents. But when she returns to her home, only her old nanny is still there. Her mum is in a nursing home, and she is unsure if her father is alive or dead – he has simply disappeared.

Charlie and Molly’s lives intersect when they seek solace at The Book Keep, a book shop owned by a grieving widower, who is burdened by secrets surrounding his beloved wife’s death.

Can they help each other survive this challenging time? Bestselling author David Baldacci shows his versatility with this fast-paced historical fiction with its unforgettable characters. Strangers in Time is a novel of healing and hope, brilliantly plotted and impeccably researched.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Pan Macmillan