All Clear

By: Connie Willis

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren, Connie Willis (introduction)

Length: 23 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

In Blackout, award-winning author Connie Willis returned to the time-traveling future of 2060, the setting for several of her most celebrated works, and sent three Oxford historians to World War II England: Michael Davies, intent on observing heroism during the Miracle of Dunkirk; Merope Ward, studying children evacuated from London; and Polly Churchill, posing as a shopgirl in the middle of the Blitz. But when the three become unexpectedly trapped in 1940, they struggle not only to find their way home but to survive as Hitler's bombers attempt to pummel London into submission.

Now the situation has grown even more dire. Small discrepancies in the historical record seem to indicate that one or all of them have somehow affected the past, changing the outcome of the war. The belief that the past can be observed but never altered has always been a core belief of time-travel theory, but suddenly it seems that the theory is horribly, tragically wrong.

Meanwhile, in 2060 Oxford, the historians' supervisor, Mr. Dunworthy, and 17-year-old Colin Templer, who nurses a powerful crush on Polly, are engaged in a frantic and seemingly impossible struggle of their own - to find three missing needles in the haystack of history.

Told with compassion, humor, and an artistry both uplifting and devastating, All Clear is more than just the triumphant culmination of the adventure that began with Blackout. It's Connie Willis' most humane, heartfelt novel yet - a clear-eyed celebration of faith, love, and the quiet, ordinary acts of heroism and sacrifice too often overlooked by history.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an introduction written and read by author Connie Willis.

Also listen to the first book, Blackout.

©2010 Connie Willis (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Nebula Award, Best Novel, 2010
• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 2011
• Best SF and Fantasy Books of 2010: Readers' Choice (SF Site)

"By the time the three historians and Mr. Dunworthy have unraveled the mystery and arrived at the full-on, three-hanky finale, you’ll no longer be a disinterested observer. Drawn in Willis’s skillful storytelling, you’ll be back in 1941, wondering what’s about to happen next." ( The Village Voice)

"Katherine Kellgren's delightful English accent is perfect for the many characters she portrays." ( AudioFile)

“As vivid an evocation of England during World War II as anyone has ever written.... You’ll find here a novelist who can plot like Agatha Christie and whose books possess a bounce and stylishness that Preston Sturges might envy.” ( The Washington Post)

excellent

An excellent end to the story started in Blackout. For all of you who refused to listen to this book because of the misguided marketing, you are truely missing something. The story as a whole ranks on equal footing with Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog.

CON- FU- SING

I listened to Black Out and All Clear back-to-back and found All Clear to be so confusing that I spent 95% of the book going, "huuuh?" It is excessively detailed and very convoluted. It was, however, perfectly put together in the end, but wading through 2 lengthy books to figure out what the H was going on was a bit much. Connie Willis, is a brilliant writer/researcher though and I have loved her writing style despite the confusion.

absolutely wonderful

wow. I listened to Blackout and All Clear back to back and loved them both. I neglected to say in my review for Blackout how wonderful the narrator is. I listen to a lot of audio books and she is one of the best I have ever heard. She made the characters (especially the children) and the story come very much alive. I highly recommend both of these books. It was a real pleasure to listen to them. Thank you Ms. Willis.

What Tha, Who Tha, When Tha

Book had a good plot, but you better be paying attention . It is fast paced and can get confusing.

Amazing Book, read by an amazing performer.

Probably the most amazing audio book I've ever heard. The narrator was amazing, and the number of different voices she was able to do never left you wondering who was speaking, really adding to the ambience of the novel. don't forget to listen to the first part of this two-part novel before diving into this one.

Patience is a virtue...

The last two thirds of this book is great. Unfortunately I think a lot of people may quit reading it during the first third. The beginning of the story is repetitive and appears to have a very shallow plot. But if you have patience you will be rewarded with an intriguing, unusual time travel story.

surprise ending

Love this series. there is always something to keep you on the edge of your seat. be sure to read in order for the best understanding.

Brilliant!

The perfect conclusion!

The narrator is very good - great accents and excellent job of keeping track of the various characters' voices.

Best story, Best Narrator

These two books, Black Out and All Clear were excellent! You MUST get both books. It is worth every penny. I feel like I know all the characters. I'm really going to miss them all now that I'm done with both books.
Connie is a great author and Katherine is a terrific narrator.

Glad I finished the series but...

If you’ve listened to books by Connie Willis before, how does this one compare?

Doomsday - awesome, emotional, deadly. To Say Nothing of the Dog - hilarious, romantic, wonderful.

I just wanted this one to end. It should have been 1 book instead of this one and the previous book. There was so much fluff smooshed into dialogue, events etc, totally lost interest and just wanted the end. And that is a huge pet peeve of mine. I feel totally disrespected as a reader and a fan.

Do you think All Clear needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

If it is written better, absolutely. Connie Willis is a great writer and I would love to have the world explored further. I still feel heartbroken (in a "that was well written and I am emotionally bowled over by the interactions of the characters" kinda way) at some of the events in Doomsday.