The Time Between Us by Marina McCarron Book Review!

 

THE TIME BETWEEN US                                               

By Marina McCarron                                                       

Publisher: Aria/Bloomsbury                                               

Publication Date: May 1, 2022

Price: $15.95; trade paperback original                       

ISBN: 9781801104425; 412 pages

War can be a haunting experience, but it can also provoke a range of other emotions for all that it touches, from fear and longing, to love. In Marina McCarron’s emotionally complex debut THE TIME BETWEEN US, she weaves these emotions into the fabric of her story, as well as the characters that inhabit it and its three timelines.

In 1937 when her brother Pierre brings home his friend William, sixteen-year-old Elise shows him around their village in Normandy. After he departs, a package arrives for Elise from William; a book of poetry. This sparks a correspondence between the two that deepens over the next years into romance. William and Elise arrange to meet in Paris and spend a few magical days together. But the clouds of war are forming and Elise doesn’t know when she’ll see William again.

In 2009, Lucy is left reeling by the death of the beloved grandfather who raised her. They had planned to visit France together after her college graduation. Conflicted about her life and her path forward, while also aching from loss, Lucy impulsively decides to leave Boston and take the trip alone. As she visits the World War Two landing beaches at Omaha and Juno and other sites, friendly tour guide Rob shares insights into the history of the region, and also helps her process the emotional turmoil she’s still feeling. As Lucy seeks clues about her grandmother, who died before she was born, she and Rob keep encountering into each other, as if fate has a greater purpose for them.

Hank and William met on the bus to basic training together and bonded as only soldiers can. On D-Day in 1944, William’s last request of Hank, as he lays dying on the beach at Omaha, is to take care of his girl, and Hank vows to honor his friend’s dying wish. But keeping that pledge will be complicated than Hank realizes. He returns home and sets about building a life, but his promise haunts him and he feels more needs to be done to truly fulfill his vow.

The war and its memories linger for all the characters, even in peacetime. As the stories of Lucy, William, Elise, and Hank intertwine, McCarron provides a study in contrasts. A haunting, gripping novel, it is through how the characters interact, and how destiny intervenes, that THE TIME BETWEEN US shows its emotional power.

MARINA MCCARRON was born in eastern Canada and studied in Ottawa and Vancouver before moving to England. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Publishing degree. She has worked as a reporter, a freelance writer, a columnist, and a manuscript evaluator. She loves reading and traveling and has been to six of the seven continents. She gets her ideas for stories from strolling through new places and daydreaming./ THE TIME BETWEEN US /came to her as she stood at Pointe du Hoc on a windy June day and asked the magical question, what if...?

My Thoughts

This is a dual timeline story about 16 yo Elise in 1937 France. Her brother Pierre brings home a friend, William. William is from New England and is in France to fight As Elise and William spend more time together, they fall in love. As time goes by, Elise finds out that William has died in action. She is visited by William's close friend Hank. Elise and Hank's story is told in alternating chapters. Elise is doomed to live in the past.

In 2009, Lucy who is Hank's granddaughter goes to France to find out more about the past that Hank never spoke of. It is bittersweet for her as Hank had often talked about taking Lucy with him to see the battlefields one last time. Unfortunately, he didn't live long enough. Lucy was raised by her grandfather as her parents died in a car crash, she was the only survivor.

While in France, Lucy meets Rob, an American who is a tour guide and tours the beaches from the battles. He is a good guide for her, with his help she is able to learn more about her grandfather and who Elise was, and her short relationship with William.

The story progresses swiftly, we learn about Elise and her troubled relationship with her mother and brother. Hank, promised William that he would look after Elise, even going as far as to marry her and move her to the US. They have a child, who never really gets to know his mother as she can't escape her past. Hank as a single parent raises his son, but still never talks about the war years which has frustrated Lucy.

This novel was so good and so much of a tear-jerker, I have not cried over a book in a long time. I always believe that an author has done a great job when it reduces me to tears. Such a bittersweet story and the intertwined lives of William, Elise, Hank, and Lucy. The descriptions of the war years were spot on and how the people on both sides of the ocean managed to continue with their lives.

I give this book 5 stars, which I don't often do, but I loved it!

I received a copy for review purposes only.