Strangers in Time: A World War II Novel

by David Baldacci, Stewart Crank (Read by), Alexandra Boulton (Read by), John Lee (Read by), Matthew Lloyd Davies (Read by)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A story of bravery and resilience in tumultuous times, David Baldacci reminds us that books — and bookstores — have the power to change lives.

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 bookshop owner and two teenagers scarred by the Second World War, and the healing and hope they find in one another, in this “riveting story of secrets, betrayals, and unlikely friendships.” (Mitch Albom)

Fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters is up to no good, but for a very good reason. Without parents, peerage, or merit, 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 children to have been evacuated to the countryside Molly has been away 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.

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. Mourning the recent loss of his wife, Ignatius forms a kinship with both children, and in each other 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 harboring his own secrets, which could have terrible consequences for all of them.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798228570092
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	04/15/2025
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

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.

With over eighty titles to his name, Stewart Crank has developed a reputation as a solid and reliable voice-over artist, consistently delivering quality audio to his clients. Originally from Lancashire in the North of England, his burgeoning audiobook career has seen him tackle a wide array of genres, from historical fantasy to noir and true crime and most recently a version of Ulysses by James Joyce, widely regarded as the most difficult English language book to read in the world. When not recording, Stewart spends his time rock climbing or slowly making his way through his ever-expanding list of unwatched classic films.

John Lee, is a stage actor, writer, and a coproducer of feature films. An AudioFile Golden Voice narrator, he is the winner of numerous Audie Awards and AudioFile Earphones Awards.

Matthew Lloyd Davies is a veteran actor, director, and Audie Award–winning audiobook narrator. Highlights of his acting career include regular appearances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre in the West End, on international tours, and in award-winning television shows and films. He has experience in radio, a master’s degree in directing, and extensive experience in presenting at corporate events.

Nicola F. Delgado is a professional actor and audiobook narrator. She majored in theatre at Columbia College, Chicago, and completed the Conservatory program at The Second City. Soon after, she studied at the British American Drama Academy. She has since worked in such venues as The Berkeley Rep and The Magic Theatre, Pasadena Shakespeare Company, The Company Rep, and Lamplighters Theatre. A child of the Caribbean diaspora, she has lived in Jamaica, Staffordshire, and Chicago.

Hometown:

Northern Virginia

Date of Birth:

August 5, 1960

Place of Birth:

Richmond, VIrginia

Education:

B.A. in Political Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1982; J.D., University of Virginia, 1986

Website:

http://www.david-baldacci.com/

Editorial Reviews

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.”

#1 New York Times bestselling author Mitch Albom

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

From the Publisher

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.”

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult

A group of acclaimed narrators delivers an absorbing performance of David Baldacci's new novel. In 1944 London, well-born 15-year-old Molly, 14-year-old Charlie from London's East Side, and Ignatius Oliver, a bereaved bookshop owner, are flung together to forge a found family in the midst of war. While the writing suggests a young adult novel, the complex story will certainly engage adult listeners. Stewart Crank's Charlie shines as a plucky boy who finds joy wherever. Alexandra Boulton's Molly is a sweet-voiced mix of kindhearted and imperious. John Lee's somewhat theatrical delivery captures the mysterious Ignatius. Nicola F. Delgado, Matthew Lloyd Davies, and Joe Pitts perform remarkable cameos of the other characters. And Baldacci pulls everything together in his well-read delivery of an interesting author's note. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine

MAY 2025 - AudioFile

★ 2025-03-08
Three strangers become friends amid the Nazi bombing of London.

In 1944, fierce aerial fighting rages over London as the bombs and rockets continue killing and maiming English civilians. A 13-year-old “East End bloke” navigates the rubble and looks for things to steal. He always wishes for inclement weather so the Jerries won’t bomb them. In the few pieces of clothing he owns, his gran has sewn a label: “The Honorable Charles Elias Matters,” with his address. His parents and grandfather have been killed, and Gran thinks Charlie is going to school every day. Instead, he’s decided to get his education on the street. The well-to-do 15-year-old Molly Wakefield returns from the safety of the countryside to her parents’ London house, but the parents are nowhere to be found, and she meets Charlie as he hides in her yard. Ignatius Oliver runs The Book Keep in Covent Garden, a shop started by his late wife, Imogen. Charlie sneaks in and nicks some money and a book filled with blank pages, imagining he can sell it for the paper, but when he realizes that Ignatius knows where he lives, he tries to return everything. Ignatius catches him, but lets him keep the book, which plays a fateful role when it changes hands again. Before long the three become friends, all sharing common bonds of danger, humanity, and heartbreaking loss. All have their complex stories: Despite her youth, Molly wants to treat the wounded, and she’s good at it; Ignatius is a part-time air warden who’s burdened by a dark secret about himself; and Charlie is party to a foot chase in which one of his mates and a police officer are accidentally killed. Charlie frets that he might hang. Meanwhile, the buzz of the V-1 rocket gives way to the silence of the V-2, and life or death are the devil’s toss of a coin. Baldacci weaves the trio’s lives together seamlessly, even though each comes from a different stratum of society.

Hope, excitement, and tragedy will keep rapt readers reaching for their tissues.

Kirkus Reviews