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May 01, 2017ready2read rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The title of this novel is from the first line of a speech given by King George VI, on the day that it was announced that Britain was at war, September 3, 1939. Another line in that same speech states " for the second time in the lives of most of us, we are at war." This is certainly true for Maisie, a former WW1 battlefield nurse, the reader first met as she was opening her inquiry/psychology agency in 1929. (Maisie Dobbs, 2003). Her cases often had their roots in events surrounding the war and , as readers, we got to know her circle of friends, colleagues, and family. Maisie experienced tragedies and heartache in the following years but there was always a sense of hope. Sometimes that hope was represented by the children of her friends -- so it is especially sad to think that this new generation is just the right age to fight in his new war. The older generation expresses dread and incredulity, while the younger generation expresses youthful excitement. Immediately after the announcement of war, London was in chaos; children were evacuated and severe blackout laws were in place. But nothing much happened for eight months on land with the allies. Historians often refer to this time as the phony war or Churchill's own term - "the twilight war" (The seas were a different matter). It is during this London chaos that Maisie has to deal with a new case. ....thirteenth Maisie Dobbs novel