(different cover) now registering a birthday present from 2019 ... floated to the top of my to-read pile!

26/04/20 Not so much a sequel to Life After Life, in KA’s words, this is a ‘companion’ novel to the story of big sister’s Ursula life (lives) during the blitz. This book is about Teddy Todd’s real and fictional life (a small obscure spoiler!) as a Halifax pilot carrying out bombing raids on Germany, mostly. We are reunited with his family and rural idyll at Fox Corner and the neighbours Shawcross (Nancy became Ted’s wife). Ted stays in touch with nature and his love for literature and poetry all his life, despite moves (more or less forced upon him) to suburban York and then a progression of homes in later years. He nearly reaches his century, surviving to see the queen’s jubilee in 2012, accompanied by unlovely and unloving daughter Viola, and his real spiritual heirs grandchildren Moon ‘Bertie’ and Sunny. This family history is interspersed with his war-time family, the bomber crews, dead and alive, during his 70+ raids. In the Author’s Note we hear a lot – unusually – about the what and the whys of the book and the writing process, which was interesting as a coda to the unexpected twist at the end of the book. She believes in the, ‘rich textural (and textual) interplay of plot, character, theme and image’ of her writing craft; it’s a great read, I can’t really argue with that.

This is going on the sharing bookshelf ... or available as a 'request' if anyone is interested?

This is being delivered as part of a post-pandemic box; I hope it gets into the shop and can continue its journey!

From Chester to Poland ����