Takes up the story shortly after The Light Years left off, with the family coping with the privations of wartime as well as their own individual problems. Like the first book in the series, this is beautifully written and treats all the characters with respect.

The characters in the book comment on how they feel as if they are just marking time, and this sense is conveyed very well in the book: there is a feeling of being in a kind of limbo, unable to make progress while the war is on because its course and eventual outcome is unknown. Despite this, the children are growing up, and a larger portion of the narrative focuses on them, especially Louise and her acting career. What I found impressive here is Howard's confidence in just telling each story, and taking her time about it: giving each character as much space as necessary rather than trying to devote an equal amount to everyone. In fact I don't think I enjoyed this as much as the first book because I found the childrens' stories not quite so interesting as the adults', but it was a close thing.

There were some lovely passages in here, such as when she described the way one of the boys seemed always to be covered with the evidence of minor injuries - bruises, cuts etc. (I would have underlined this one and quoted it if I'd been reading the book) and the story of how Archie was happy to fall out of love with Rachel. Most striking was the letter that Clary had from her father Rupert towards the end of the book, showing that he might still be alive after all. What was wonderful about this was that while the letter didn't reveal any hitherto unknown aspect of the story, the characters and situation in the book seemed so real by this time that a single sentence was all that was needed to bring tears to my eyes - you just knew how much that one sentence would mean to Clary.

The next volume is on order from the library - I hope it doesn't take as long as this one to come, because it is quite difficult keeping track of who everyone is. I think I'll probably buy the books anyway, since they've all got a picture of the family tree in the front.

Re-read in 2018. These are the comments I made:

• Lots is from childrens' point of view which means that their concerns figure prominently and the events of the adults lives seem far off and distant
• What baffled her was the way people's lives never seemed to reach any conclusion at all; after all, if these aunts, at their advanced stage in life, were going about falling in love with an unsuitable person (and come to that, who could be suitable? It was the general idea that was embarrassing, rather than who they might fall in love with), when could one every say, well, that person has got their life arranged and all they have to do and go on with it - in fact I think this sentiment is expressed a couple of times, and reflects the book sequence as a whole: there aren't tidy conclusions, so long as people carry on living.
• The baby made a few apparently random, almost blind movements of her head and found the breaast, whereupon her body instantly softened, and on her face an expression of (stern) rapture instantly occurred.
• She thought of Rachel in a bath with the kind of tender anguish that had become so familiar and yet still astonished her - good pairing of words "tender anguish"
• "However much we care for other people, we cannot become them. People can only do as much as they are. It may be more gthan we could do, it may be less, but very often it will be different. Sometimes that is very hard to bear, as I know you know" - this was Miss Milliment - she is so kind.
• When Stella's name was mentioned I remembered it straight away although didn't remember what she'd done
• Section about Archie being ill and everyone bringing him things was like first book where different people remembered the summer in different ways. Search for treacle because someone brought him treacle tart/pudding
• Scene where French guy turns up at the house with news of Rupert who's been missing and presumed dead in France - I'd forgotten what happened so my heart was in my mouth just like Clary when I waited to hear. And the simple letter from Rupert to Clary Darling Clary, I think of you every day. Love, Dad. - made me gasp

Completed : 26-Jan-2004 (audiobook)

Completed : 25-Apr-2018 (audiobook)