As bombs continue, 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. But Charlie’s foolish behavior in the city has attracted attention! Molly is being followed, from the moment she returned to London, Ignatius is harboring his own secrets, which could have terrible consequences for all of them. Buy it get it from your library but read it.

The book opens with Molly, who is fifteen just returning from a five-year stay with a host family in the country during WWII. The war still rages, but her father has not paid the family in a while and although the family was willing to continue to let Molly stay, she hasn't heard from her mother in 5 years and not from her father in a while, so she is anxious to get home.

Charlie is a fourteen who is living in poverty with his grandmother, after the death of both his parents and he's doing whatever he can to help them survive.

Ignatius is a bookstore owner who is grieving from the recent loss of his wife. A combination of very unusual circumstances bring the three of them together. Ordinarily, they might never have met, but together forge a deep friendship that enables each to survive the war and their personal circumstances.

There are a number of surprises in the book, and the characters don't always seen to ring true, but as a work of historical fiction, I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the historical setting. This book can be read by young teens and older.

This book is not the book I expected from David Baldacci, but it was quite enjoyable.

I listened to the audio version of the book, and I have the e-book. There are at least 6 different narrators and the voices represent the characters very well.

“Strangers in Time” is a departure from David Baldacci’s usual American suspense or legal thrillers (he did write a Christmas book once). In this historical novel, Baldacci goes eighty years into the past and across the pond to portray characters who are trying to survive The Blitz in London during World War II. We follow three characters whose timelines converge: Molly, a teenager returning to the countryside to her upper middle class home, only to find her parents missing; Charlie,another teenager and an East Ender scraping by with his grandmother since parents were killed in the bombings; and Mr. Ignatious Oliver, trying to keep his wife’s bookshop alive since her death and also acting as an air raid warden.

The trio find themselves supporting each other through horror and hope. Baldacci paints a vivid portrait of life among the ruins of a majestic city and writes a story that is both heartbreaking and eventually heartwarming. I don’t recall crying when reading any previous Baldacci books, but that time has come.

I was fortunate enough to also be able to preview the full cast audiobook that was narrated by the author with Stewart Crank, Alexandra Boulton, John Lee, Nicola F. Delgado, Matthew Lloyd Davies, and Joe Pitts. I’m so thankful to have heard the performance of this book with multiple voices — as emotional as the story is, it was an easier listening experience with the differing voices.

4.5 stars for both the book and audio version!

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio and NetGalley for advanced copies!

Historical fiction is an unusual genre for David Baldacci. This story has an overall theme of found family involving two teenagers and an older gentleman. There’s decent character development, but the story itself came across as a bit shallow at times. It is generally dialogue-driven which I think works better in Baldacci’s normal thrillers and mysteries. There were sections that seemed better suited to a young-adult novel, yet I don’t think that was the intent for this book. Overall, the story was enjoyable, but there was nothing revealed that was surprising or particularly fresh.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci
This was one of the best Historical Fiction novels that I have experienced!
In London, 1944, two teenagers devastated by the war find a book shop owner who is suffering from his own losses.
Fourteen-year-old Charlie survives the streets as he goes from day to day, taking only what he needs. Existing as no child should have to, barely surviving the Blitz, Charlie is a beautiful soul.
Molly, at fifteen has returned from the country as part of the “Pied Piper” operation, only to find London in a state that she doesn’t recognize. She is confronted by a reality that she no longer has her parents and home isn’t what she remembers.
Molly and Charlie find each other and the two stumble into the world of Ignatius, a book shop owner, whose only solace is maintaining the shop his wife left behind. Ignatius finds that he needs the children as much as they need him.
There is mystery, intrigue, and just an overall beautifully written story of survival and forgiveness that will engulf you as the reader. It’s wonderfully written as only David Baldacci can do!
I would love to Thank NetGalley for the pleasure of reviewing an ARC of this book! 5/5⭐

Strangers in Time David Baldacci is a descriptive, very highly recommended character driven historical fiction set in 1944 London during WWII.

Thirteen-year-old Charlie Matters lives with his grandmother, his only surviving relative. He's dropped out of school and spends his days using his wits to make money or steal what he can. When he notices through a window some biscuits on a plate and money in a cash drawer at a book store called The Book Keep, Charlie rushes in, steals the food and money, and runs. Later circumstances lead to him returning the money to the store owner, widower Ignatius Oliver.

Fifteen-year-old Molly Wakefield has just returned to London after spending years in the countryside. When she arrives home the only person there is her nanny. She learns her mother has been hospitalized and her father is gone. She meets Charlie on the streets and asks him to help her find the building where her father is supposed to be working, but he's not there. Later, Molly meets Ignatius when looking for Charlie and as bombs wreak havoc on the city, the three forge a relationship.

The characters are richly drawn and depicted as fully realized, complicated individuals with flaws and strengths. The setting is also skillfully descriptive of place and time. All the characters are struggling with personal battles while a battle is literally going on around them, exposing everyone to potential death. The overwhelming sense of anxiety and the hustle for survival, as well as their tenacity, is clearly depicted in bomb-shattered London.

Strangers in Time moves at a fast pace and will hold your complete attention right to the end. The detailed, descriptive writing helps to vividly bring the characters and the setting to life. There are several plot twists, threats, mysteries, and surprises incorporated into the narrative along the way. Generally I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but this novel is excellent, compelling, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Readers who enjoy well-written historical fiction should definitely read Strangers in Time. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Strangers in Time is my first historical fiction book by David Baldacci. Full of details and interesting facts, it kept my attention all the way through. It's the story of two London children during The Blitz in WWII. Molly was sent to the country to live and returned to find her parents gone and only her nanny living in the family home. Charlie is a street urchin who finds ways to generate income instead of going to school as he should. Molly and Charlie are befriended by bookstore owner, Oliver, and their adventure begins. As they come to trust one another, they are faced with multiple challenges, including the loss of Charlie's grandmother and the discovery of the whereabouts of Molly's parents. Baldacci has written a good book, not too long or drug down by unneeded details. Good pacing and entirely readable, If you enjoy historical fiction, you will love this one. My thanks to David Baldacci, Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC.

Strangers in Time, author David Baldacci's first historical fiction novel, is about an unlikely alliance of three characters during the 1944 London blitzes of WWII.

The backgrounds of the main characters couldn't be more different from each other.

Charlie Matters, 14, is extremely poor, and is used to doing what he needs to do to survive. That's the reality of the situation. Yet Charlie is a thief with honor. There is a goodness and softness behind his hard exterior, that makes him quite endearing.

Molly Wakefield, 15, is a young lady of privilege. She recently returned to a London she doesn't recognize after being evacuated to the country as part of Operation Pied Piper five years before. Eagerly looking forward to her homecoming, when she arrives home, she finds both of her parents gone.

Ignatious Oliver is a recent widower who runs The Book Keep, a bookstore started by his beloved and much mourned wife Imogen.

The three characters are beautifully written. They are flawed as humans tend to be and hold secrets that they fear will come to light. They come together in an unusual way and soon find themselves a family of sorts, looking out for and caring about each other.

A story of hard times, the horrors of war, devastating loss, resilience, and hope, this slow to start story is engaging and a good read.

My thanks to Grand Central for allowing access to a DRC of the novel via NetGalley. Publication is 4/15/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Check out this really great new book by David Baldacci! Definitely not a legal thriller, Strangers in Time introduces us to two young people in Blitz era London, from very different sides of the tracks, who come together to survive. Aided by an adult who runs a very interesting book store Charlie (an orphan living on the street) and Molly (who's parents seem to have disappeared) who is living in her family home with her nanny, the two work to survive the blitz. When Molly's home is destroyed by a bomb, at first the two move into a shed on the property. But orphans, no matter how capable, are typically sent to orphanages, where neither Molly nor Charlie want to go. They find safety with Ignatius Oliver, proprietor of the Book Keep bookshop. But Ignatius has secrets of his own, and even though he willingly provides shelter for Molly and Charlie, they have to keep secret the fact that they are orphans.

Filled with interesting characters (both good and evil and sometimes a bit of both) Strangers in Time is a wonderful coming of age story. It's heartwarming and suspenseful at the same time. Seeing how Molly and Charlie work together to save not only themselves but Ignatius and others is inspiring. It's a quick read, a real page turner. I couldn't put it down, don't miss it!

Strangers in Time is an epic tale of loss, heartbreak and chosen family. Baldacci has set a new high with this Historical Fiction reminding us of the ravages of war and the struggle to simply survive.

The main characters, Charlie, Molly and Ignatius, as well as the supporting ones. are depicted as humans with flaws doing what it takes to survive chaos and uncertainty. Some are at the right place in time and some are not.

This memorable story is inspiring as well as heartbreaking and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Strangers in Time was a unique perspective of London during World War II. Told mostly thru the eyes of two adolescents, Charlie and Molly, it was amazing to think about how fast they had to grow up. I loved how Charlie was a petty thief with a strict code of honor. And Molly always so calm and confident in a crisis. I only hope there were real Mr Oliver’s helping out the kids struggling during the war. There were many storylines that needed to be set up so the book started off slowly. But the second half kept me up way past my bedtime. Definitely recommend.

Beautiful and haunting story of human resilience. While this story is very heavy and you have to be in the right mood to read it, it's really a story of hope at the heart of it. While it takes place during WWII, it really is about the characters and about how 3 people can form a family though unconventional love. This one will stick with you for a while.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook for my honest review. I love David Baldacci novels and this is no different. This book follows multiple individuals as they try to survive thru the trying times of WW2.

Loved it! Such a page turner! David Baldacci has always been an auto buy author. Can’t wait to get a physical copy of this one.

“Sometimes it simply comes down to the serendipity of whom one meets and when.”
This book has pulled all the emotions out of me. Hope, heartbreak, grief, delight, the list goes on.
David Baldacci did such a great job developing each character and this story. I felt connected and deeply moved by what was happening, This story is very emotional and covered themes of mental illness, suicide, sexual assault and other heavy topics. It’s definitely not a light read.

The story is set in England in the midst of WWII. It’s follows the story of three main characters. A young boy Charles Matters, a young girl Molly Wakefield, and an older widowed man Ignatius Oliver. You read how each one is greatly affected by war and how their lives beautifully intertwine and they become family.

This book was so good and well written . Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of this title for my honest review.

I can’t help but be drawn to a good WWII novel. Strangers in Time is my first David Baldacci novel, and the story left me quite intrigued. I have to start by saying this story is sloooow. But it felt deliberate. And while normally that would bother me, it really didn’t with this story. I just kept coming back to it.

This story is of a young, wealthy woman who returns to war-ravaged England after being sent away to be kept safe. She is greeted by a life she doesn’t recognize and crosses paths with a boy who has struggled most his life. They form an unlikely bond with each other and an old bookshop owner as we follow each of their stories.

John Baldacci depicted England so well. Along with the things these people went through at the hands of the Germans. The writing is impeccable. It was perfectly descriptive yet so easy to follow and actually enjoy. If you’re in the mood for a good historical fiction, definitely don’t pass this one up!

This stand-alone book is different from David Baldacci’s standard fare, lighter in style, characters, and plot line.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: London, late in World War II
Characters: Teenagers Molly Wakefield and Charlie Matters, bookstore owner Ignatius Oliver, and their families
Overview: In different ways, both Molly and Charlie have lost family members and find themselves on the streets of London during the Luftwaffe bombing of London. Molly comes from a wealthy family while Charlie lives in desperation, “nicking” money and whatever else he can gather to survive. Ignatius also has a loss in his life and tries to maintain a declining bookshop. How these three come together and manage to persevere during this depressing period in history comprises a good story.
Recommendation: I rate this book 3 stars
Extras: This tale seems both depressing and uplifting – dark and frightening during the intense periods of bombing and yet, uplifting for the ways the lead characters manage to survive and maintain optimism. The story moves slowly at first and, at times, the dialogue seems forced or unnaturally elementary. Nonetheless, it is a good story with satisfying resolutions, the lost art of chapter titles, and an excellent epilogue.
Thanx to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to provide this candid review.

This book takes place in 1944 London during the Second World War. The story follows three strangers who are brought together by difficult circumstances. I really enjoyed this book. I love historical fiction. I think James Baldacci captured the emotions and hardships of war-torn London beautifully. I will definitely be recommending this to my followers.

The best books are those where the action unfolds gradually allowing the reader to learn about each character and become immersed in the story's setting. Strangers in Time by David Baldacci is one of those books. This was my first experience reading a book by this author and I am absolutely hooked on his writing style. The amount of detail and character development draws the reader into the story from the very first page. My favorite books are those that meander as opposed to hitting ful force from the very start. Readers will get to know the characters in depth and beome part of their journey as unlikely friendships are built through chance encounters in 1944 London.

Charlie Matters is not yet 14, but has already experienced a lifetime of hardship. With both of his parents victims of the war, Charlie lives with his grandmother who does her best to support him with her meager earnings from the bakery where she works. Unknown to her, Charlie no longer attends school and does his best to suppliment what she provides although by often dubious means.

Fifteen year old Molly Wakefield has been away from London since 1939 when her parents sent her off to the countryside at the start of World War II. She returns home to a London she no longer recognizes and a home where her former nanny still lives with secrets to harbor. Molly has a lot to uncover from the past five years and is going to need assistance as she tries to determine what happened to her mother and father.

Ignatius Oliver, proprietor of the Book Keep has his own story to tell. A story that unfolds over the course of his encounters with Charlie and Molly. These people who have traveled completely different paths come together as their stories intersect in a mesmerizing work of fiction that draws the reader in and doesn't let go until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC. Planned publication date: 15 April 2025

David Baldacci is one of my fav authors for many years. Most of his novels are lawyer/courtroom related and this story sounded historical and interesting.It took place in London mainly,during WW2.It had a different perspective than the typical wartime stories that I have read or seen in movies.It mainly had three characters,Oliver,an elderly bookstore owner,Charlie,a 14 year old boy trying to survive during wartime by dropping out of school and stealing items to resell to get any money he can and Molly,a 15 year old girl who returns to London and her upscale parents from being sheltered in the English countryside for several years.Those three characters are very different from each other but eventually all come together to depend,be friends,survive and love one another as a family. I gave it three stars because I felt like it would be more suited to younger readers.
Thank you NetGalley,author,David Baldacci for the opportunity to read the arc ebook of Strangers in Time and Grand Central Pubs
On Sale,April 15,2025