Strangers in Time
- Judith D Collins
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
WWII Novel
By: David Baldacci
Narrators: David Baldacci; Stewart Crank; Alexandra Boulton; John Lee; Nicola F. Delgado; Matthew Lloyd Davies; Joe Pitts
ISBN: 9781538742051
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Hachette Audio
Publication Date: 04/15/2025
Format: Hardcover & audiobook
My Rating: 5 Stars + (ALC) (ARC)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Calamity of Souls comes David Baldacci’s newest novel, set in London in 1944, about a bereaved book shop owner and two teenagers scarred by the second world war, and the healing and hope they find in one another.
Fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters is up to no good, but for a very good reason. Without parents, peerage, or merit, ducking school but barred from actual work, he steals what he needs, living day-to-day until he’s old enough to enlist to fight the Germans. After barely surviving the Blitz, Charlie knows there’s no telling when a falling bomb might end his life.
Fifteen-year-old Molly Wakefield has just returned to a nearly unrecognizable London. One of millions of people to have been evacuated to the countryside via “Operation Pied Piper,” Molly has been away from her parents—from her home—for nearly five years. Her return, however, is not the homecoming she’d hoped for as she’s confronted by a devastating reality: neither of her parents are there, only her old nanny, Mrs. Pride.
Without guardians and stability, Charlie and Molly find an unexpected ally and protector in Ignatius Oliver, and solace at his book shop, The Book Keep, where A book a day keeps the bombs away. Mourning the recent loss of his wife, Ignatius forms a kinship with both children, and in each other—over the course of the greatest armed conflict the world had ever seen—they rediscover the spirit of family each has lost.
But Charlie’s escapades in the city have not gone unnoticed, and someone’s been following Molly since she returned to London. And Ignatius is reeling from a secret Imogen long kept from him while she was alive—something so shocking it resulted in her death, and his life being turned upside down.
As bombs continue to bear down on the city, Charlie, Molly, and Ignatius learn that while the perils of war rage on, their coming together and trusting one another may be the only way for them to survive.
My Review
Master storyteller David Baldacci (favorite author) returns following A Calamity of Souls with his latest standalone, STRANGERS IN TIME —An extraordinary, powerful story of three unlikely souls who find one another during the war. This is their story. Three people standing together against the world and all it could throw at them.
Three strangers must work together to survive World War II. But can they escape their dark secrets?
About...
Set in London in 1944, three characters from different social classes meet, and their lives will forever be changed.
Ignatius Oliver is a caring widower and owns a bookstore. His wife, Imogen, was a writer involved in secretive things; however, Ignatius does not discuss her. He is still grieving. He is also an air warden and holds some secrets, the revelation of which will change the course of the story. He will be the glue that holds them together as strangers become a family.
Charlie, age 14, lives with his Gran after the Blitz on the wrong side of the track.. The rations are barely enough to live on. His parents are deceased. They are poor, and she does the best she can. Charlie has dropped out of school, even though his Gran doesn't know. He is forced to do some things to survive, which brings trouble. He has a great heart, is street-smart, loves his Grandmother, and is a survivor. His resilience and love for his family make him a character you can't help but root for.
Molly, age 15, is back from the country after Operation Pied Piper. Her dad is missing, and her mother, whom she finds out is in a hospital. She has only her housekeeper. She was from a wealthy family and educated, but she soon found herself with nothing, much like Charlie. She is resourceful, resilient, loyal, learns nursing skills, and has a great heart. She and Charlie form a friendship. Molly's journey from a life of privilege to one of struggle and her resilience in the face of adversity will tug at your heartstrings.
Due to their tragedy, the two teens will have no one but one another. They will find a home and comfort with Ignatius Oliver, a man they both come to care about, and that friendship will change the trajectory of their lives. Their friendship, born out of necessity, becomes a source of warmth and comfort amid fear and uncertainty.
My thoughts...
STRANGERS IN TIME is beautifully written, stunning, full of wisdom and heart. An exploration into the resilience of the human spirit. Together, these three had confronted a collective hardship that at times seemed beyond their capability; however, they found strength, courage, and comfort in one another as friends in the face of the war's deadly grip. Their resilience is truly inspiring.
STRANGERS IN TIME is a classic! A top book of 2025, much like Calamity of Souls, a top book of 2024. I loved both audiobooks.
I am a huge Baldacci fan, and even though I love all his legal, crime, action, suspense, and thriller books and series, it is books like CALAMITY OF SOULS and STRANGERS IN TIME standalones that I adore, showcasing his gift of storytelling and lyrical prose.
Rich in character and place, a big-hearted page-turner that will remain with you long after the story ends. You will fall in love with the characters, who are shrouded in a bit of mystery and intrigue as the story unfolds amid their tragedies. A moving tale of love, betrayal, and survival. An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions,
Audiobook...
I had the privilege of reading and listening to the book and audio, and let me say, you MUST listen to the audiobook, which is STELLAR! The performance, narrated by a full cast including David Baldacci (loved the author's note), Stewart Crank, Alexandra Boulton, John Lee, Nicola F. Delgado, Matthew Lloyd Davies, and Joe Pitts, is utterly captivating! They draw you in immediately and capture you with perfect voices for each character as they come alive. Award-winning, emotional, suspenseful, and compelling. I highly recommend the audiobook.
Special thanks to Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC for my honest opinion. Also purchased the hardcover for my home library. A classic for any bookshelf.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 15, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Praise
“A riveting story of secrets, betrayals, and unlikely friendships during World War II. An emotional web that keeps spinning—and keeps you guessing—right until the startling finish.”
―Mitch Albom, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Little Liar
"Oliver Twist meets the Blitz when powerhouse author David Baldacci turns his pen from thrillers to historical fiction. Two brave and capable teenagers find themselves thrown together in the rubble and chaos of WWI-era London: fifteen-year-old Molly, sent away from her Mayfair home to escape the German bombings and returned to find both her parents inexplicably missing; and fourteen-year-old Charlie, an East End orphan barely surviving as a petty thief. Charlie and Molly find shelter with mysterious bookshop owner Mr. Oliver, but he has secrets of his own that will come home to roost with deadly consequences. Baldacci beautifully explores the dark side lurking under the London Blitz's romanticized image—Strangers in Time is a beautiful read that will linger long in the memory."
―Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club
“David Baldacci’s foray into historical fiction is a meticulously precise account of what it was like to live through the Blitz in London—a visceral reminder that war not only levels social classes, but creates the most unlikely and indefatigable bonds between unlikely souls.”
―Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"#1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci takes on World War II with the touching Strangers in Time, a character-driven tale of three disparate souls whose paths unexpectedly intertwine during the last year of the Second World War. Baldacci's meticulous research is evident in his deep sense of place and time, and bomb-shattered London comes richly alive on the page under his capable pen. Through his own Wish You Well Foundation, which supports literacy, Baldacci has long celebrated the way books can change lives, and in Strangers in Time, it is indeed a bookshop--the lovingly chaotic The Book Keep--that brings together 13-year-old Charlie, 15-year-old Molly, and recently widowed bookstore owner Ignatius Oliver, all of whom are alone and adrift. As German V-1 and V-2 rockets wreak havoc on the city, the three forge a new family, the existence of which is soon threatened by deadly secrets that simmer beneath the surface. Absorbing and deeply researched, Strangers in Time is a celebration of the books that change us, the families we choose, and the capacity we all have to rise from the ashes and find our way home."
―Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter
“David Baldacci is one of the best authors alive, and every page of Strangers in Time shows why. This riveting novel plunges us into wartime London through three unforgettable main characters – a young boy, a teenage girl, and a bookshop owner - who come together to endure the terrifying bombing of a city they love, and at the same time, help each other to unravel the heart-wrenching mysteries of their own families. In Baldacci’s virtuosic hands, Strangers in Time is not only a masterpiece of a historical thriller but also a profound and even poetic exploration of the eternal power of friendship, grace, and love to overcome the harshest cruelty of war, hatred, and evil.”
―Lisa Scottoline, #1 bestselling author
“David Baldacci has the audacity to cross boundaries and genres with Strangers in Time, and he does so with aplomb. A rare and terrific exploration of human resilience and courage in the most dire of times, Baldacci drops the reader straight into the shattered remains of London near the end of World War II. Three wildly different but completely wonderful heroes gradually end up forging a friendship that survives on grit, hope, and sacrifice. The plot twists, the details haunt, and the characters feel as real as your heartbeat. I stayed up all night to finish it. A phenomenal read!”
―Shana Abé, New York Times bestselling author
"Strangers in Time's main character, Charlie Matters, is aptly named—this is a beautiful book about the things that really matter in life. David Baldacci deftly shows the reader that when you think you have no one left and the world is quite literally falling down around you, strangers can emerge from the gloom, everlasting bonds can be formed, and you can start to piece your world back together. With an ensemble of endearing and inventive characters, a quirky bookshop and a vivid rendering of wartime London, Strangers In Time is both atmospheric and warm-hearted. Ultimately it shows us that, with hope and friendship, humans can survive anything."
―Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan
"A totally engrossing novel about war, friendship and the resilience of youth. A book that will stay with you."
―Ann Cleeves, New York Times bestselling author
"If Dickens had written a novel set in the WW2 London Blitz, he could not have bettered this. Captivating, tender, brutal and brilliant."
―Peter James, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author
"The author does a terrific job of transporting the reader back in time to a tumultuous period of living in London, and readers will practically smell the smoke and feel surrounded by rubble from the shattered buildings. Another great tale from a grandmaster storyteller."
―firstCLUE
“Hope, excitement, and tragedy will keep rapt readers reaching for their tissues.”
―Kirkus
“Baldacci’s strong character work highlights the trio’s courage and tenacity, as do the wrenching depictions of London’s wartime devastation. It’s a touching tale of a found family.”
―Publishers Weekly
About the Author
DAVID BALDACCI is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world's favorite storytellers. His books are published in over forty-five languages and in more than eighty countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.
