Helpful Score: 6
My first read by this author left me puzzled. The concept of alternate lives is explored. It was long, dragged in spots and I sometimes wondered why I was reading it. I did like the key character, Teddy, and his grandchildren, Bertie and Sonny. The author details his life before, during and after the war in which he flew fighting aircraft for Britain. At the end she briefly outlines what would have been had he not survived. Or, did he?
Have read alternate histories that were more interesting for me but fans of this author will probably enjoy this novel. She explores the horror of war and how it affects one particular family. She nudges the reader to think about many aspects of war, death and life.
Have read alternate histories that were more interesting for me but fans of this author will probably enjoy this novel. She explores the horror of war and how it affects one particular family. She nudges the reader to think about many aspects of war, death and life.
A God in Ruins is a companion book to Life After Life which was about Ursula Todd. This book is about Ursula's younger brother, Teddy, who was a fighter pilot during WWII. Atkinson shows what a nice and caring man Teddy was and I found myself caring about him throughout. He survives the war but didn't expect to live post-war. The book shows how war is a waste of life and how Teddy will be forever affected by it in the future. It is well-written and researched but I found it to be a rather complex story and not what I was expecting. I think I like Life After Life better as I found that book to be very unique. The twist at the end was a surprise and pretty clever. I look forward to reading more of Atkinson's books and I highly recommend this book to those who like books about WWII.
