This book absolutely blew me away. I read it in almost one sitting.
It's a haunting tale of history, family, friendship, and the realities we make in our own minds.
If you have even a passing interest in WWII history, you should pick up this book.
Have you ever heard of the village of Tyneham in England? I certainly hadn't. This Ruined Place is an incredible stepping stone to the shocking and sad history of Tyneham, although in this book Tyneham is fictionalized into the village of Rouklye. It's the perfect time to read this book, as December 2023 is the 80th anniversary of what happened to the village of Tyneham. With our world in the state it's in, it isn't difficult to imagine that the event that transpired at Tyneham could happen anywhere in the world still. It's a sobering thought.
Although it's a quiet story, I found it very compelling. It tells the story of ordinary people who find themselves unexpectedly connected through a historical event. It weaves the story of the main characters overtop of the history of Tyneham and that overlap really worked for me.
There were no high stakes drama or action, but it was a page-turner anyway as the connections between characters are slowly revealed. Just like real life, the reader finds there is more to any given person than they show.
Besides sparking an interest in the history of Tyneham, this book also tells a beautiful tale of intergenerational friendship and the unexpected ways that people can forge connections with one another.
It's a book I'll never forget. I loved it.