Sarah Waters’s newest novel, set in 1940s London, is wonderfully researched and written with tremendous insight. It is the beautifully crafted, heart-wrenching tale of how five lives intertwine in interesting and unexpected ways. It shows the horros of war, while also exploring the relationships that can spring up among people from the strangest of situations and chance happenings.

The story is told backwards, starting in 1947 and ending in 1941, so the relationships and stories of the characters become clearer as more of their past is revealed. My only complaint is that I felt somewhat unfulfilled at the ending, wanting to know what happened after 1947, but only because her style is so captivating and the story so interesting that I didn’t want it to be over. Sarah Waters is a master of her craft.

Really really good book. Going backwards in time was interesting, but perhaps a little distracting. Had to keep referring to prior chapters. Overall a great book; I found it so emotionally brutal. Wow.