Guest Post: 22 Britannia Road

Recently, I climbed into my mother’s silver Ford mini-van and embarked on a road-trip of sorts.  Really anything that is over twenty miles constitutes a road-trip to me, but that is beside the point. The looming three and a half hour drive seemed utterly daunting. Would I really be alone with only my thoughts and two yellow lines for that long? Horrors. Thankfully, the library provided some welcomed relief and distraction.

Roaming the colorful stacks proved a comforting and welcomed task as I put the drive out of my mind and concentrated on choosing the perfect book on CD to accompany me on my trip. As the only other voice in the van with me, it was vital that I chose wisely. Finally, I found it: 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson. I, as an Anglofile, tend to gravitate towards anything that will let me walk the streets of my lovely London again, even if only in my head, and this book promised to let me do just that.

The premise of the plot centers on a family during World War II torn apart and later reunited, trying to repair the fragments of time and distance and reacquaint themselves with each other. Both husband and wife have wartime secrets hidden from each other, and a son loyal to his mother and wary of his father. The story unfolds from each of their perspectives and during multiple time periods—before the war, during, and the rocky after-years.

As I drove through Pennsylvania and into the familiarity of New York, I found myself equally transported to Poland and England, 1940. My heart was in my throat as the family awkwardly met up in Victoria Station, and later as their son ran truant from school. I clenched my jaw as husband and wife tried to establish a new routine, and as foreign life overwhelmed the family.

The arrival at my destination left me halfway through the story and wanting more. As I climbed out of my van and stretched my legs, I almost wanted to get back in so I could finish the story of Janusz, his wife Silvana, and their shifty child Oreck.  Almost.

So, final word: check out 22 Britannia Road and see if this family can reconcile themselves and start afresh in England.

Cheers, readers!

Renee

On behalf of the ACL