From time to time, regrettably, circumstances are such that you spend unduly long reading a book. This is exactly what happened after I started on The girl with the suitcase, by Lesley Pearse. I can honestly say that it was not because the book was tiresome. In fact, once I reached the final chapters, I sacrificed sleep to see how the plot would unfold.
The story opens in London, in September of 1940. WWII is underway. A bombing caused casualties in an underground shelter and set in motion an unusual case of mistaken identity. The story follows Mary Price in her new role as Elizabeth Manning. It made for interesting reading to see how Mary, now as Beth, deals with the ethical and emotional challenges in this situation.
Beth had a pitiful childhood, subjected to abuse, violence and neglect. Even in her new role, she was not spared loss. “Grief has its own timetable. We just have to wait until it passes.” (p.318). The challenges of life in the time of war, was vividly painted, yet I did not find it totally demoralizing. Instead, it sparked thankfulness that I have been spared the devastation of war.
I really appreciated the large print of this paperback version, published by Penguin Fiction. It is made available in South Africa by Penguin Random House SA. A good choice if you enjoy historical fiction.
