I have always been a fan of Anita Shreve, and this novel did not disappoint. It's thoughtful, heartbreaking, profound, and, in a way, uplifting. And like all of Shreve's work, it's beautifully written.
In a field hospital in Marne, France, during WWI, a young woman awakes, injured, with no idea who she is. After a time she comes to believe that her name is Stella Bain, and that she is a nurse's aid and ambulance driver. It turns out she is also an adept artist. In the back of her mind is the idea that she must get to London, to the Admiralty - though she is American, not British. But she somehow makes her way to London, where she is taken in by the Bridges - he is a cranial surgeon, and he and his wife Lily care for Stella, and he tries to help her with her amnesia and distress.
We soon learn that Stella isn't Stella, and that she has left behind a very complicated life in America. Shreve deftly uses straight narration, flashbacks, and letters to get us from France to London to New Hampshire. Through it all she paints a portrait of a woman who is strong, kind, independent, and loving. It's a truly moving story.
Stella Bain
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