The Midnight News

A novel

De: Jo Baker

Narrado por: Katherine Manners

Duración: 13 h y 33 m

Resumen del Editor

From the best-selling author of Longbourn, a gripping novel of one young woman’s unraveling during the Blitz—a story of World War II intrigue, love, and danger • “[A] thrilling novel…atmospheric and memorable.”—Emma Donoghue, best-selling author of Haven

It is 1940 and twenty-year-old Charlotte Richmond watches from her attic window as enemy planes fly over London. Still grieving her beloved brother, who never returned from France, she is trying to keep herself out of trouble: holding down a typist job at the Ministry of Information, sharing gin and confidences with her best friend, Elena, and dodging her overbearing father.

On her way to work she often sees the boy who feeds the birds—a source of unexpected joy amid the rubble of the Blitz. But every day brings new scenes of devastation, and after yet another heartbreaking loss Charlotte has an uncanny sense of foreboding. Someone is stalking the darkness, targeting her friends. And now he’s following her.

As grief and suspicion consume her, Charlotte’s nerves become increasingly frayed. She no longer knows whom to trust. She can’t even trust herself . . .

Utterly riveting and hypnotic, The Midnight News is a love story, a war story, and an unforgettable journey into the fragile mind and fierce heart of an extraordinary young woman.

©2023 Jo Baker (P)2023 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Baker’s thoroughly absorbing novel impresses on many levels. Like the war novels of Pat Barker and Sarah Waters, it brilliantly evokes the sustained horror and chaos of the times . . . Here she shrewdly examines madness and sanity, keeping her reader guessing . . . We follow Charlotte’s progress keenly to discover if, after coming undone, she is able to put herself back together.” —Malcolm Forbes, Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Baker’s intriguing historical novel explores how the strain of wartime living can tip the balance between sanity and delusion, and how forging friendships can be a lifeline.” —Becky Meloan, Washington Post

“Weekend plans: clear your schedule, get a copy of The Midnight News by Jo Baker, and settle in. This is the kind of book you will want to read from start to finish in a couple days. That is, if you like historical fiction, World War II, good writing, and an interesting plot . . . Riveting.” —Wendy Migdal, Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star

Original plot; rather depressing

The book was very well written, and the story original. However, I was expecting more emphasis on life during the blitz and more of a murder mystery from the plot summary. And the book was a bit too depressing for me with regards to the main character’s mental health.

An intensity that bordered on painful at times but worth the discomfort

The sections on the Blitz capture the horror and madness as so much more than just background setting. The war on Great Britain becomes a reflection of the war fought by women against male domination and almost impossible odds. Almost impossible. And “mental health care” as control quite frankly had me taking short breaks and not listening while driving. I don’t say this lightly—brilliant characterization, too.