This was a pretty amazing book. The kids, Molly and Charlie were just written so well. Smart and also not ready to stand back and let adults run their life,but vulnerable enough to ask for help. Oliver is wrapped in shadows, but vast the book goes along,the kids change his life just as he changes theirs.

This was a well narrated book, that's definitely worth the time.

#netgalley #StrangersInTime

London 1944, Ignatius Oliver owns a bookstore, Charlie Mathers is 14 and lives with his Nan and Molly Wakefield has just returned to London following earlier evacuation during Operation Pied Piper. Their lives are hard and complicated and not really safe as bombs are still raining on London. They will come to know each other.

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Excellent characters in this well paced and enthralling novel. Lives have been altered and day to day living hard. This novel brings three very different people together and we all really want them to be ok and have good futures. Highly recommend.

I’ve read so many historical fiction books set in WWII over the past ten years, so I was a bit hesitant to read this one, but I’ve been a David Baldacci fan for years, so I decided to give Strangers in Time a try; I’m so glad I did! This was perhaps the best WWII novel I’ve read, or rather listened to, as I had the pleasure of hearing the audiobook.

The book was so good that I got through it in just over a day. There were three main characters, each voiced by a different narrator, and I was quickly invested in each one. Young street-smart, Charlie, living in the East End and struggling to meet basic needs was the first character who really pulled me into the story. Well educated Molly, though only a few years older than Charlie, seems far older as she steps into hospitals working as a nurse’s aide and taking charge of more than one situation. And the intriguing Mr Ignatius Oliver provided a lot of intrigue and kept me guessing. There were a fair number of additional characters but they were all so well sketched that I never mixed any of them up.

I appreciated the different narrators. Generally with different narrators, they’re each reading a different POV characters, so I found it curious that the book was written in third-person, but it works. Narrators took turns reading chapters that mostly focused on them, but they didn’t read dialogue that belonged to a different a narrator. I found the entire production to be far better than just a single narrator. And all the narrators really helped bring their characters to life. I would happily listen to any of them again.

I don’t know if Baldacci will write more historical fiction, but if he does, I’ll read it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advanced copy audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I haven’t read many historical fiction books so this a relatively new genre for me.This was also my first book by this author.

First things first, I would highly recommend the audiobook for this novel. I believe the narration by the full cast added so much to my enjoyment of Strangers in Time. They each truly brought this story to life in the best way. It is probably my favorite audiobook of the year so far. Five stars for the narration alone.

This book is about three very different people living in London during World War II. Charlie is an orphan who needs to steal to get by, Molly is a rich girl just returning to the neighborhood, and Ignatiius is the widowed book keeper who befriends them both. The most unlikely trio who have lost so much but find friendship in one another. This book is heartbreaking but also hopeful. It’s about family, friendship, and a continued perseverance in trying to survive in a war torn city. War doesn’t care who you are or who you may leave behind. These three know that all too well.
I believe this will be a book I think about for a long time. It was beautiful and I highly recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction.

This was fantastic on Audio! There are several narrators. Each narrator brings a unique tone and pacing to their character.

This was a buddy read with my friend, "Darlin' Darla" and I can say it was equally good in print as she very much enjoyed it in that format.

I do enjoy a lot of WW II Historical Fiction but I can understand how hard it is to write something new and refreshing for the genre. Safe to say the renowned David Baldacci has succeeded! He writes a sad but resilient story about three people drawn together at the worst possible time - War. Charlie lives in the East End of London with his Gran. They are struggling to survive through the war. Molly, lives in the west end of London in fashionable Chelsea. She has just arrived back from the countryside and finds herself pretty much alone. They both meet Ignatius Oliver, who is a widower and owns a bookshop in London. He could be hiding something but the two teenagers begin to get close to him at a time when they really need the strength of a grown-up.

There's many twists and turns in this story and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys wartime fiction. Please do check out my friend Darla's perspective of this wonderful story!

Publishes April 15, 2025

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Hachette Audio for granting me access to this Advanced Listening Copy.

I received an advance audiobook copy of Strangers in Time by David Baldacci from netgalley. (I also received an advance ebook copy. My review is based on audiobook)

David Baldacci is new to me. This is the first book for my by this author. I'm a fan and will definitely be diving into his other work.

Strangers in Time is so well written. Amazing character development. You really get to know each of them.

The audiobook is a great experience. The narration is so well done.

This historical fiction with a touch of mystery is heartbreaking and heartwarming. Found family and unlikely friendship. A beautifully sad story during a time of tragedy.

I highly recommend this for anyone and everyone. Easy 5 stars.

I loved that this book has multiple narrators. 5hey all did a fantastic job,The story was good. The characters held my attention all the way through the book. Loved this book.

This was such a great story. I loved the three characters and how they all came together. There is so much that each one of them goes through and I love how it shows that it takes one person to be kind and it can change your life. This is a World War 2 story and it is in London. You get to see how three people from different backgrounds all go through it together. Overall a great book I highly recommend it.

Charlie tries to keep his nose clean, but he just can't seem to figure out how to. He hates to disappoint his grandma, especially as WWII rages. Molly returns to a war-torn London looking forward to seeing her parents after 5 long years, but comes back to an unrecognizable London. Ignatius may run his late wife's desolate bookstore but he misses her terribly, plus has quite a secret life that he hides as well. When these three peoples lives collide, the results are a truly beautiful and emotional story that you won't want to miss.

Baldacci is one of the few "big name" authors that I don't miss. However, if I hadn't know this was written by him, I would never have guessed in a million years, and I mean that in the best way possible. This was beautifully written, drawing you in to each character's life that war has devastated. The found family aspect of this story leaves you with the best feeling, and Baldacci doesn't spare the reader any of those emotions, good and bad. I did have to remember that two of the main characters were very young, and some decisions made were indicative of that. This was a beautifully written five-star story for me.

In WWII London, two teenagers and an older gentleman cross paths and support each other. Charlie is from the poor side & he & his grandmother are barely subsisting. Molly has just returned from the country to find her mother in a sanitarium and her father strangely absent. Ignatius is the widowed bookseller who becomes their friend.

I enjoyed this audiobook very much. The various voices added to the realism and tension. This is a highly emotional book. Life in London during the blitz was dominated by food shortages and the relentless bombing raids. Sometimes beloved characters are killed and the real stories behind the death of Ignatius' wife, why Molly's mother is hospitalized and why her father has disappeared are all quite real and devastating. I have read other books by Baldacci, but they have all been spy or legal thrillers. His foray into historical fiction is new to me. I loved the details and how the story unfolded in bits and pieces. The epilogue answers the questions of what happens after the war, but I thought this was the weakest part. While it was nice to know what happened next, it felt just a bit too "happily ever after" for my taste. Otherwise, I really liked this and will look for his other historical fiction books.

I had the joy of listening to the full cast audio edition of Strangers in Time, and it was such a treat. I love full cast productions—it's like having a movie play in your ears. When done well, they bring each character vividly to life, and this one absolutely delivered.

Stories set during wartime are never easy to read or listen to, but this book struck a beautiful balance. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking in all the right ways. I found myself really connecting with the characters and feeling every high and low alongside them.

Molly made me roll my eyes a few times, I won’t lie—but then I had to remind myself of her background. She came from privilege and was a bit naive, yes, but not unintelligent. In fact, she was incredibly sharp in other ways and was always a loyal supporter of Charlie, constantly looking out for him.

Charlie, on the other hand, kept insisting he wasn’t honorable, but time and again he proved otherwise—sometimes without even realizing it. And then there’s Ignatius, who tied them all together perfectly, adding depth and warmth to the story.

Overall, Strangers in Time was a moving and memorable listen.

Thanks NetGalley and Hachette audio for the ARC

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci follows three characters: Charlie Matters, trying to survive on the streets London, Ignatius Oliver, a store owner, and Molly Wakefield, a teen from an affluent portion of London trying to find her parents in London during WWII(1944).

The narration included the author David Baldacci, Stewart Crank, Alexandra Boulton, John Lee, Nicola F. Delgado, Matthew Lloyd Davies, and Joe Pitts. Having this large cast gave each voice a distinct character, making it easy to root for and love these characters. I strongly recommend this book for those who read themes of struggle, loss, and a found family.

Thank you to Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. All opinions are my own.

Book and Audiobook Rating: 5 stars
Pub Date: Apr 15 2025
Audio Release Date: Apr 15 2025

Tags:
#HachetteAudio
#GrandCentralPublishing
#StrangersinTime
#DavidBaldacci
#StewartCrank
#AlexandraBoulton
#JohnLee
#NicolaFDelgado
#MatthewLloydDavies
#Joe Pitts
#YarisBookNook
#netgalley

For those of you who follow my reviews you KNOW that I love David Baldacci’s books! So, it should come as no surprise that I loved this one too. But, this one was Amazing. Unforgettable. Heartbreaking. Uplifting. Torturous… and yet Wonderful too.

**** THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED! PLEASE LOOK FOR IT ON APRIL 15, 2025!! ****

The entire story revolves around the three main characters and their lives…

It opens up in war torn London in 1944 featuring Charlie Matters… a 14 year old boy who lost both his parents and has NO ONE but his elderly grandma. They live in one of the poorest sections of London, and Charlie does WHATEVER he has to do to get by….

Next we meet Ignatius Oliver. He is the owner of The Bookkeep, a book store, that honestly does not get many customers during the war. But the shop was his wife’s dream… and so he goes in to work every day, and continues it as a legacy to her.

And lastly we meet Molly Wakefield, a 15 year old girl from a more ritzy part of town. She returns home after being away for 5 years. You see, when the war began, her parents sent her away to safety. And now, she returns to be with her parents.

BUT, all does not EVER go as planned.

And somehow, the three of them meet up, over and over… maybe it’s a Godwink! (For those of you who’ve read these books, you’ll understand!)

And as the story progresses, so do they. And they learn to grow, grow-up, evolve, reinvent themselves… and live… and love.

Although I’ve read MANY stories that revolve around war times, this one is very distinct. It brings out so much emotional turmoil, but also teaches us that humanity, kindness, and human nature, will always prevail… at least in the long run. And although at times The Good might be buried deep inside, it WILL come out and show itself.

Many, many moving parts in this story. Many ups. Just as many downs… But WOW! Utterly amazing in the end!!

ALL the STARS and then some for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫💫💫💫💫✨✨✨✨✨

#StrangersInTime by the one and only #DavidBaldacci and narrated by a full cast including: #StewartCrank; #AlexandraBoulton; #JohnLee; #NicolaFDelgado; #MatthewLloydDavies; #JoePitts and the epilogue by the author himself! Please be sure to listen to it ONCE YOU ARE DONE with the book!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HachetteAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review. I consider myself very lucky to be able to preview this one! ❤️❤️
*** Release date is soon on 4/15/25, so look 👀 for it on shelves then !! ***

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci is a World War II novel, but different than most. It is about three people: an orphaned street urchin, a well-to-to young woman who has been abandoned, and a middle-aged book shop owner. Charlie Matters is fifteen and up to no good. He no longer goes to school, a fact he has hidden from his grandmother, his only guardian. Instead he spends his days picking up odd jobs and pursuing minor thefts and other misdeeds. He turns all the money over to his grandmother. He had robbed Ignatius Oliver’s store, The Book Keep , but his conscious got the better of him and he returned the money and developed a relationship with the man. Later he met Molly on the street and they became friends. As time wore on Ignatius became the only adult in their lives and had a huge impact on them.

These were all good people trapped in a terrible situation. London was being bombed almost nightly. There was no hope for the poor people and little hope for anyone else. As time wore on and Molly’s house was bombed, where she and Charlie had been living, they had fewer and fewer options. Molly was female and underaged; Charlie was a minor criminal; and Ignatius had no experience with young people, plus difficult matters of his own. It was really more a slice-of-life than one with a plot, with small plots popping up, one after another. The character development was natural as were the relationships, no matter how unlikely they seemed. The story was heart-wrenching as only a wartime story can be. The narrative brought home what life must have been like at the time, when men were fighting so very close by. It was masterful. As much as Baldacci is a genius at thrillers, he is even better with historical fiction.

The narration was carried out by a number of people, including the author and was perfect. I liked the audio better than the written version as it was easier to follow. Kudos to the cast: David Baldacci; Stewart Crank; Alexandra Boulton; John Lee; Nicola F. Delgado; Matthew Lloyd Davies; Joe Pitts

I was invited to listen to Strangers in Time by Hatchette Audio and read it by Grand Central Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HatchetteAudio #GrandCentralPublishing #DavidBaldacci #Stewart Crank #Alexandra Boulton #John Lee #NicolaFDelgado #Matthew Lloyd Davies #Joe Pitts #StrangersInTime

As it is with a lot of people, World WR II fascinates me. This historical fiction by David Baldacci had me imagining what it was might have been like to live in London during 1944. The characters of Molly Wakefield, Charlie Matters, and Ignatious Oliver along with a multitude of others definitely kept me listening. Strangers in Time is a good read (or listen).

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this lovely read of good story.

Strangers In Time by David Baldacci
5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
0🌶

This book was a change up from my typical reading recently, and it was so amazing. This book takes place in 1944/45 London, in the height of WW2. We follow 3 main Characters, Charlie, a young teenager from the poorer east end of London, Ignatius l, a recently widowed bookstore owner in The Strand area of London, and Molly, a young teenager who has recently returned from the country to her home in the more posh area of Chelsea. Had the war not been in full force these three very different people may have never met, but as their lives start twining together they find comfort and a found family of sorts while enduring the horrors of German bombings on London and the loss of loved ones. There have been many books written taking place during this time period, but this story was something so special. I was moved to tears multiple times, David did not sugar coat the horrors the citizens of London went through during this time, he in fact leaned into it in vivid detail thay makes me appreciate even more what military and civilians alike went through during this dark time. I can not recommend this book enough l, even if this book is outside your normal realm of reading, give it a chance. You will not regret it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the free ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyable read. Also did the audio book just to see if it helped the story flow a little bit better. It did. Not your typical WWII novel, really gave gravity to the plight of everyday people who were not part of the actual fighting. The emotions between the characters made them relatable and I found myself at times wondering what I would have done in certain situations that the characters were put into. Recommend to anyone looking for a different approach to your typical war novel. Audio book was fantastic to listen to.

Strangers In Time is a heart wrenching tale about the moments and chance encounters that can have a ripple effect on the circumstances we find ourselves in.

This story is set during the WW2, and we meet several characters whose lives touch upon eachother through momentary situations. As always, Baldacci is able to weave a tapestry which eventually brings us full circle.

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, and the voice actor cast was phenomenal. I could very easily forget I was listening to the same set of people for the multiple characters they portrayed.

If you’re considering this novel my biggest advice is to try and get access to the audiobook. The narrators voice their characters throughout and I loved hearing all their voices pop up each time they spoke. The entire production was impressive.

It’s rare that a WWII novel feels unique to me, but this one had a different atmosphere. Amid destruction we witness an inspiring story of struggle, survival, and found family. The three main characters would have been unlikely to have crossed paths without the war wreaking havoc in London.

Charlie is almost fourteen, he’s been ditching school and barely scraping by with the only family he has left his dear old Gran. He spends his days doing any odd job he can for a bit of coin and isn’t above swiping something he needs from those who can afford to part with it. After all these ration books aren’t filling the bellies of the poor. Charlie’s conscience and desperation made me emotional. His spirit walked a line between fragility and strength. I wanted to hug him.


Molly was whisked away to the countryside before the Blitz for safety. Upon her return at age fifteen she expects to be greeted by her loving family, but returns home that’s empty save for her nanny. Molly’s fortitude was admirable. She began with more wealth and comfort than anyone and experienced tremendous loss. She looked for ways to make any situation work. Molly reminded me of the saying, “Nothing works until you do.”

Where are Molly’s parents?

Strange men begin following Molly everywhere.

Ignatius Oliver has a name that belongs in fiction! I love it!! It’s perfect that he runs a book shop. He harbors some secrets. The children find his shop to be a safe haven. He seems level headed, patient and diligently looks out for their best interests.

Suspicious men are seen leaving the book shop.

The children find unexplained oddities hidden in the shop.

There are some mysterious elements at play which were unexpected, but enjoyable.

This novel pulled me right into this time period. There were details I’ve never considered or read about before which I found interesting. (No spoilers 😉) A fantastic standalone!
4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Audio for providing a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

David Baldacci is one of my favorite authors, so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it.
Typically, I am a lover of fast-paced psychological thrillers. However, this historical fiction stole my heart. The entire novel meandered along, picking up detail as it went along, fleshing out the story and characters. I never got bored and felt like I was brought into the story of Charlie the young orphan, Molly the well-to-do evacuee, and Ignatius the grieving book shop owner.
When I'm not reading thrillers, I love World War II historical fiction. Because I have devoured so many, I get burned out and find that the books can get repetitive and stale. The author took a common topic and wrote it in a way that I have never read before, keeping it fresh and new. This book takes place during the Blitz in London, and David Baldacci does an excellent job of transporting me to that time in history, allowing me to imagine how the people felt and survived. It's historically accurate, but this novel goes beyond that, and you truly get the human side as well.
While this book is not what many would associate as a typical Baldacci genre, it is just as fantastically written as his other books, or even more so.

Many thanks to NetGalley and David Baldacci for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

ARC copy, audiobook
Book: 4 stars
Narration: 4 stars

This is a review of the audiobook.