I'm sure my mother was a big fan of Nevil Shute. I can imagine her reading this book in 1945, the year after it was published and just after I was born. Although it does feel dated, the prose is quite simple and easy to read. I am guessing that all books by this author contained something of a romantic pairing and this is no exception. The two young main characters are straight out of Mills and Boon. Some of their conversations are so quaint.
I much preferred some of the other characters, especially the few paragraphs about the most senior WAAF officer, Flight Officer Stevens who is much older: "They had no right to make her feel …. old, but they did". In a modern novel, she would take centre stage. There is also one chapter, when Gervase goes to meet an elderly Mrs Carter-Hayes, That came out of the blue, something quite surprisingly emotional.
It was interesting that the story reminded us that for some, the war was played out ninety percent at home, and this is the life that is portrayed here. Fishing plays a major role. However, there is a lot of detail about the technicalities of operations, both on the base and in the air. But on a visit to London, there was hardly any mention of the effects the war had on the city.
This was a book club choice so not a novel I would have chosen, but an interesting one nevertheless.
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