The Wonderful

Starred review from September 30, 2019
Sarginson (The Other Me) crafts an unusual, bittersweet coming-of-age novel that’s also a fascinating mystery steeped in Cold War history. Ruby thought she had left her lonely, emotionally desolate childhood in Norfolk, England, behind when she married Todd, a dashing American fighter pilot. In 1957, however, Todd receives a new posting at a U.S. airbase in England, close to where Ruby grew up, and they move there with their 12-year-old twins, Hedy and Christopher. Hedy is tomboyish and brave, often sticking up for her fragile, dreamy brother, who avoids his painful scoliosis (and equally painful back brace) by escaping into an imaginary science fiction universe. Life on the base is lonely and claustrophobic—as Christopher claims to hear screams and see mysterious lights, and as Todd’s behavior grows increasingly erratic, the family arrives at a breaking point that leaves Hedy on her own, contending with profound losses. Over the following 20 years, Hedy gradually grasps—and then confronts—the lies and misperceptions that, she comes to realize, characterized her childhood. Sarginson effectively interrogates the power of storytelling to engender catharsis and healing but also to deceive others and destroy relationships. Portions of the early sections are presented from Ruby’s and Christopher’s points of view, but as the narrative develops, it becomes Hedy’s story of reclaiming the truth and redefining the past. Set against a historical backdrop that will surprise many readers, Sarginson’s novel movingly captures the private and at times painful evolution of a resilient and inventive protagonist.

November 1, 2019
Captain Todd Delaney, his wife, Ruby, and their 12-year-old fraternal twins, Hedy and Christopher, are sent to a military base in England from their home in Sioux City, Iowa. It's 1957, and the Cold War has created fear throughout the U.S. and England. Hedy and Christopher are mostly inseparable, partly owing to Christopher's severe scoliosis and Hedy's assignment to watch over her brother. The English base is surrounded by pine forests, and for safety reasons, everyone is discouraged from venturing out. Convinced there are aliens from outer space nearby, Christopher loves to read and write science fiction. Hedy is a headstrong tomboy. Traumatic events send her to live on her estranged uncle's farm, where she spends the next few years searching for answers about what caused the devastation of her beloved family. Spanning to 1981, English author Sarginson's (The Other Me, 2016) fifth novel is compelling and beautifully written, with spectacular descriptions, many plot twists, and a shocking ending. Hand to fans of Dean Koontz and to readers who like their historical fiction mixed with domestic suspense.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)