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Beginning with a train arrival and ending with a plane landing, the novel follows an East Coast family through the WWI era. Like the train brings mail to Andrew and Alice Croft on their farm “chateau” on Maryland’s eastern shore after the war, the middle of the story brings their past into the present. How Alice and Andrew met in China, their sons Rory and Autie’s military and business careers, and their adoptive daughter, Laura’s, romantic pursuits lead the novel to a surprise barnstormer landing at the farm just before a new beginning: a wedding. While each character travels around the globe, Crofts’ home base becomes a microcosm of the world at one dynamic point in time.
Going back and forth in time and switching between storylines, the plot dialogues with itself. Alice’s adventures as a missionary and then a suffragette mirror Laura’s bids for independence, working as a postmistress and winning (and losing) lovers’ affections. The black-market jobs through which Andrew builds his wealth help him empathize with the covert ways Rory and Autie find to make a living (and fail). There is no central conflict, rather, a series of blows the Crofts meet with kindness.
Active prose maintains the novel's brisk pace. Like characters who are quick to take a trip or make changes after misfortune, the text is pragmatic, focusing on what people do, their mannerisms, and candid conversations. Some of the characters say little, speaking only with their eyes and their decisiveness. The absence of analysis and lyrical, descriptive passages, as well as the secrets characters keep, not only fits the period but also creates suspense and intrigue. The settings, however, capture the tone. Just as the train and plane are welcomed, so, too, are readers welcomed with the Crofts’ ongoing hospitality.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review