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Nov 02, 2019sharon711 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Ondaatje gives us a nostalgic story lyrically told, about reinterpreting our archived childhood memories from the vantage point of adulthood. It helps when those memories plunk us in the middle of wartime espionage and disrupt our sense of safety and justice. The story starts gently enough, carefully laying the ground work with a table full of intriguing strangers. In fact, you might wonder where Ondaatje is going with all of this delightful but rambling character description, colored with just a hint of skulduggery. But pay attention. For then we are violently thrust into Part 2, left with scraps of unfinished story and many questions. Now our story teller, Nathaniel/Stitch Williams, deserted as a child by his parents, finds himself in his late 20s working for the British Intelligence in a minor role. But it is enough. His childhood experiences have left him with the skills he needs to ferret out information from secret archives. Slowly he fills in answers to the mysteries of his childhood. We see with heartbreaking clarity how two world wars sucked people in and destroyed families through three generations in Britain. Beautifully written and replete with wisdom, this story is as highly recommended as Ondaatje’s earlier tales.