We'll Meet Again

March 29, 1993
The latest frothy work by prolific romancer Carr ( The Gossamer Cord ) begins with the Denver twins--flighty, sunny Dorabella and sane, logical Violetta--living on neighboring Cornwall estates at the outset of WW II. Repetitive first-person flashbacks recount Violetta's engagement and Dorabella's hasty marriage and widowing; subsequently, Dorabella devotes herself to her child while her twin wonders if her fiance has survived Dunkirk. Then Dorabella's French former lover arrives in England, Violetta is mildly distracted by the steadfast head of the local Home Guard and the sisters turn their mansions into convalescent homes for the wounded with the help of a mysterious, fascinating British captain. The war comes even closer when German spies kidnap Dorabella's son in an attempt to force her to steal radar secrets. The eventful plot compensates somewhat for two-dimensional characters and simple, declarative prose. Paperback to Fawcett; Doubleday Book Club selection; Literary Guild alternate.