The
Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater.
December 7th, 1941: the American Naval Base at Hawaii’s Pearl
Harbour has been bombed by the Japanese and, whether American citizens like it
or not, they are now fighting in the Second World War. What to do with the Axis Diplomats and their
families and staff members who have enjoyed very comfortable residency as their
country’s representatives up until now:
Germany, Italy and the Japanese legation are not allowed to ‘go home’,
however much citizens would want them to, for American diplomats in the Axis
countries have been similarly detained but in the interests of strict
neutrality, Swiss diplomats make certain that each country’s representatives
are treated fairly, right down to the books they are permitted to read weekly (one
each) – and how many newspapers they can see weekly (one each).
The State Department is in charge of all the day-to-day
logistics and has recruited several FBI Special Agents to ‘assist’, a euphemism
for spying and listening-in wherever possible to various conversations in
various languages; to say that their
destination – a luxurious West Virginia mountain hotel – will be onerous and
boring is utter nonsense, especially when the G-men encounter the attractive
and always obliging staff: yes, this is
definitely an assignment with a difference, but!
War has intruded on the Avallon, the beautiful
Appalachian hotel selected to house all the fine enemy diplomats, and Manager
June Hudson must be host to all three hundred of them, a task that doesn’t faze
her for her training by the Gilfoyle family who own the hotel has been
extensive and thorough; she expects the
minimum of trouble from her illustrious guests and in the main they fulfil her
expectations – until the 10 year-old daughter of one of the German diplomats
has a screaming fit one day and is quickly sedated by one of his friends. It is later revealed that the little girl
will be euthanized when she returns to Germany, as is usual with anyone with
mental problems. Or anyone with a disability.
Something must be done, and soon, for the detainees are expecting to be
sent back to their various countries by the State Department, just as soon as
their own representatives are sent home.
Yes, something must be done, but what? And when?
Ms Stiefvater has a
beautiful writing style, revealing gradual facts about her characters rather
than too much information too quickly;
her love for the area of which she writes is palpable and makes one wish
that we could all revel in such unspoiled beauty. She also doesn’t hold back on the poverty and
sadness that ruled mountain people’s lives at that time and her many and varied
characters are all a pleasure to meet – even the bad guys! And there are many of them, many who steadfastly look away, too – the ‘Nothing-to-do-with
Me ‘ club. It’s up to June to change
their minds. FIVE
STARS.
No comments:
Post a Comment