A Review By Keith Smith

Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked out streets, illicit liaisons, sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, ‘The Night Watch’ is the work of a truly brilliant and compelling storyteller. This is the story of four Londoners – three women and a young man with a past, drawn with absolute truth and intimacy. Kay, who drove an ambulance during the war and lived life at full throttle, now dresses in mannish clothes and wanders the streets with a restless hunger, searching …Helen, clever, sweet, much-loved, harbours a painful secret …Viv, glamour girl, is stubbornly, even foolishly loyal, to her soldier lover …Duncan, an apparent innocent, has had his own demons to fight during the war.

I really enjoyed this holiday read. Terrific writing, wonderful atmosphere. But no plot. It didn’t bother me too much as it was such a good read, but I did find it a little surprising. Plus the novelist’s trick of running backwards is a little old hat and a little tiresome (literally). But this could almost be read as a history book so powerful and vivid (and well-researched) are the descriptions of living in London during the Blitz. I recommend it for A Level History courses and for anyone wanting to re-live those frightening times.