War Bonds: A Novel of World War Two
World War II novels are often grim and disturbing affairs, focusing on the horrific cruelties of that particular war. Norsworthy takes a different approach in War Bonds, which revolves around the emotional bonds that people create, break, and re-create in times of duress. Not that the novel ignores the horrors of that era (especially the brutal conditions in a POW camp) but it’s not necessarily the focus in the way that the human relationships are.
Beryl Clarke, a London nurse, relinquishes her son, Colin, to Ivy Hughes and her son in Elsworth so that he can be safe from the frequent bombings of the city. Both Ivy and Beryl are war widows with husbands in battle overseas. Beryl’s husband, Gordon, has been captured and is in a POW camp. Ivy’s husband, Will, is missing in action. The town of Elsworth provides a sanctuary for Colin, a bright, curious boy, and his new-found “brother” Hugo. The boys befriend a rugged all-American pilot, who becomes a regular at the house when the Yanks join the war. Meanwhile, in Europe, Beryl’s husband has been sucked into the web of a Nazi officer’s wife, who saves him from death and then tries to use him for her own ends, while Will, who has been separated from his unit in France, finds ways to help the Resistance.
The story incorporates a subtle Judeo-Christian message, and the two families are a testament to the resilience of familial bonds even in the worst of times. Readers looking for an engrossing, often poignant story to touch their hearts will find it here. Well-written and rigorously researched, War Bonds is a stirring novel and a welcome addition to the World War II genre.
