Weymouth, England 1939
War changes everything. For grandson Martin, coming of age under the backdrop of World War II. For Sonja, the Jewish refugee he’s drawn to, who left her family in Germany only to face new dangers in England. And for Martin’s friend, Ellis, confronting a war similar to the one that drove his father to alcoholism. Recently widowed, Alice must set aside her long-awaited chance to recreate her life on her own terms when the war places her two grandchildren in her care. She finds herself revisiting the tragedies she faced as a mother, as she navigates personal aspiration, loss, and the importance of family.
Alice's War is not a story of decorated air pilots or daring resistance fighters. It is instead a story of ordinary people facing fear and loss. As outside forces tear Alice’s family and community apart, she quietly gathers and reforms their sustaining bonds. Set in the town of Weymouth against the grand backdrop of England’s Jurassic Coast and with a front-seat view of the unfolding drama, Alice’s War immerses the reader in a time unlike any in modern history.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: A gripping plot—a grandmother compelled to care for two of her grandchildren during the second World War—develops into a nuanced snapshot of life in Weymouth, England, during the war.
Prose: Gracefully written, the prose captures Weymouth’s natural beauty as well as the horrors of war and the characters’ emotions as they undergo radical changes and personal transformations.
Originality: The novel’s structure initially follows Alice, who, as an older woman who’s never truly been on her own before but is looking forward to it, offers an interesting, refreshing perspective. The later chapters that follow Martin are more conventional.
Character/Execution: Alice is the novel’s central star, and the chapters emphasizing her perspective are the strongest, as they depict her complexities while she works to reinvent herself amidst a war and new, unforeseen responsibilities. Martin’s character is a contradiction, and his self-centered nature stays prominent until the novel’s end. Sonja remains an enigma, with her interiority denied to readers for most of the novel.
Blurb: Alice’s War is a sweeping, impactful portrait of life in coastal England during the second World War.
Date Submitted: July 24, 2023
