by Sarah Waters
First published 2006
As bombs rain down on London, three women find their lives entangled in unexpected ways. An ambulance driver, a ministry clerk, and a building inspector navigate the perils of wartime, their feats of heroism both epic and intimate. Waters captures the taut composure of rescue workers, the yearning of separated lovers, the peculiar thrills of a convict watching the sky ablaze. Through it all, their stories converge in subtle, exquisite twists that reveal the profound impact of historical events on individual lives.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, war
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: epic-intimate, found-family
Setting: England, Great Britain, London, London (England)
Period: Bombardment, 1940-1945, George VI, 1936-1952
528 pages · Paperback · Riverhead Books
Content warnings: war