The third book in Pat Barker’s Life Class trilogy takes up the story of Elinor Brooke,  Paul Tarrant and Kit Neville in 1940, over twenty years after the events of the first two books ( 1 –Life Class and 2-Toby’s Room)  The world is at war again and London  is suffering sustained aerial bombing. As fire wardens and ambulance drivers Elinor, Paul and Kit daily face the reality of the horrors of the ‘Blitz’. Their lives and relationships alter as they struggle against not only the relentless destruction and fear but their memories of the past. The characters and the historical period are well drawn in prose that, for the most part, is plain yet able to vividly create the atmosphere of the time. While there is enough backstory for this book to be read on its own, I would recommend reading all three in order.

Detailed reviews can be found  here and here.