March 15, 2021
In his latest novel, following The Other Side of the Bridge (2018), Wright explores the psychological wounds of war in London during WWII. As German bombs rain down during the Blitz, Audrey Stocking helps transport British children from the besieged city to the, hopefully, safer countryside while hiding her actual identity as a German Jew. Lieutenant Wes Bowers, an American marine training with a British bomb disposal unit, meets Audrey when his unit is called to disarm an unexploded bomb that landed in her flat. Drawn together by their shared experience as outsiders trying to navigate and survive wartime London, they quickly become friends. But can their relationship withstand the truth about Audrey's past, including a secret so traumatic she's buried it even from herself? Wright's characters grapple with questions of heroism, loyalty, and forgiveness as they reconcile their ideas about good and evil with the reality of a horrific war. Fans of Mitch Albom will appreciate this inspiring story based loosely on the wartime experiences of the real-life Lieutenant Wesley Bowers.
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