Strangers in Time

A World War 2 Novel

De: David Baldacci

Narrado por: David Baldacci, Stewart Crank, Alexandra Boulton, John Lee, Nicola F. Delgado, Matthew Lloyd Davies, Joe Pitts

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Calamity of Souls comes a David Baldacci novel, set in London in 1944, about a bereaved book shop owner and two teenagers scarred by the second world war—and the healing and hope they find in one another.

Fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters is up to no good, but for a very good reason. Without parents, peerage, or merit, ducking school but barred from actual work, he steals what he needs, living day-to-day until he’s old enough to enlist to fight the Germans. After barely surviving the Blitz, Charlie knows there’s no telling when a falling bomb might end his life.

Fifteen-year-old Molly Wakefield has just returned to a nearly unrecognizable London. One of millions of people to have been evacuated to the countryside via “Operation Pied Piper,” Molly has been away from her parents—from her home—for nearly five years. Her return, however, is not the homecoming she’d hoped for as she’s confronted by a devastating reality: neither of her parents are there, only her old nanny, Mrs. Pride.

Without guardians and stability, Charlie and Molly find an unexpected ally and protector in Ignatius Oliver, and solace at his book shop, The Book Keep, where "a book a day keeps the bombs away". Mourning the recent loss of his wife, Ignatius forms a kinship with both children, and in each other—over the course of the greatest armed conflict the world had ever seen—they rediscover the spirit of family each has lost.

But Charlie’s escapades in the city have not gone unnoticed, and someone’s been following Molly since she returned to London. And Ignatius is reeling from a secret Imogen long kept from him while she was alive—something so shocking it resulted in her death, and his life being turned upside down.

As bombs continue to bear down on the city, Charlie, Molly, and Ignatius learn that while the perils of war rage on, their coming together and trusting one another may be the only way for them to survive.

©2025 David Baldacci (P)2025 Grand Central Publishing

Reseñas de la Crítica

“David Baldacci’s foray into historical fiction is a meticulously precise account of what it was like to live through the Blitz in London—a visceral reminder that war not only levels social classes, but creates the most unlikely and indefatigable bonds between unlikely souls.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Oliver Twist meets the Blitz when powerhouse author David Baldacci turns his pen from thrillers to historical fiction. Two brave and capable teenagers find themselves thrown together in the rubble and chaos of WWI-era London: fifteen-year-old Molly, sent away from her Mayfair home to escape the German bombings and returned to find both her parents inexplicably missing; and fourteen-year-old Charlie, an East End orphan barely surviving as a petty thief. Charlie and Molly find shelter with mysterious bookshop owner Mr. Oliver, but he has secrets of his own that will come home to roost with deadly consequences. Baldacci beautifully explores the dark side lurking under the London Blitz's romanticized image—Strangers in Time is a beautiful read that will linger long in the memory."—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club

"#1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci takes on World War II with the touching Strangers in Time, a character-driven tale of three disparate souls whose paths unexpectedly intertwine during the last year of the Second World War. Baldacci's meticulous research is evident in his deep sense of place and time, and bomb-shattered London comes richly alive on the page under his capable pen. Through his own Wish You Well Foundation, which supports literacy, Baldacci has long celebrated the way books can change lives, and in Strangers in Time, it is indeed a bookshop—the lovingly chaotic The Book Keep—that brings together 13-year-old Charlie, 15-year-old Molly, and recently widowed bookstore owner Ignatius Oliver, all of whom are alone and adrift. As German V-1 and V-2 rockets wreak havoc on the city, the three forge a new family, the existence of which is soon threatened by deadly secrets that simmer beneath the surface. Absorbing and deeply researched, Strangers in Time is a celebration of the books that change us, the families we choose, and the capacity we all have to rise from the ashes and find our way home."—Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter

I love when there are multiple readers giving more true voice.

I’ve read a lot of world war 2 real history and the story of the small island nation always grabs me.

Strangers in Time

One of the best David Baldacci books I read ! He’s written a lot of wonderful books! You will appreciate the complex relationship between his lovable characters .

Ending on a cliff hanger!

Not knowing the name of the book!! I really want to buy it. What is the book name?

Characters

This is my favorite of his books. It’s so different and the characters are what make the story. It just happens to be set in WWII.
There are so many historical fictions set in this era and they all read the same the same blah characters followed by of course romance.
If you are looking for that , this is not the book for you!

Depressing ending

Well written but I found the ending to be depressing. An alternative ending could still be realistic.

great story

I thoroughly enjoy this story. although different from what I expected, it was simply a great story that kept me actively engaged in my mind

Great book for various ages.

As usual for Baldacci, story is great. You don’t know how it’s going to end until you get there. Enjoyed the narration, too.

The. Honesty

Loved the characters seemed like I was transported to that time in space loved the escape

A New Look at WWII

I loved the different narrators! That really added so much depth to the story. I really felt like I got to know each character. The story is different from all the other WWII books I've read, but ultimately the same as they all shared in the grief and loss of that time period. I highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The characters and how they became a family

Love, love, loved this book! David Baldacci did a wonderful job in writing this book. So different from other books that I’ve read of his other than calamity of souls which if you haven’t read you should! This was such a different aspect of World War II that I had not read before and I just loved how everyone came together and how Charlie and Molly and Ignatius made a family together. Having to different narrators for the characters was a fabulous choice. It made me really fall in love with the characters. War is such a horrible thing. I can’t imagine being involved in one, but in reading this book, it really makes you feel like you’re there. And you got to see the better side of people. This is a must read for anyone who likes World War II stories.