'In 1945 our parents went away and left us in the care of two men who may have been criminals.'
Nathaniel and Rachel are young teens, living with their parents in Ruvigny Gardens, London. Within a few pages, their parents announce they'll be leaving for Singapore on an extended business trip for Unilever. Their father flies on ahead with remarkably little fanfare as Rose's carefully considered wardrobe is packed into a large travelling trunk. The teens have been enrolled in separate boarding schools and a guardian, whom Rachel and Nathaniel refer to as The Moth, has been left in charge of their home. As Nathaniel later learns, his mother has known The Moth for several years as both were fire watchers on the roof of the Grosvenor House Hotel during the war. Or, at least that's what the siblings have been told, because once their mother's trunk has been discovered, hidden in the house after her departure, their bubble of security has been burst.
Within a couple of weeks, Nathaniel decides that living at home with a stranger is preferable to life at boarding school. The trajectory of his life will be forever altered. The Moth makes an unsettling decision to invite a former boxer known as The Pimlico Darter to join the household. His particular talent is smuggling greyhounds into England using the night skies as cover while gliding along the Thames on river boats. Nathaniel is pulled by the sense of adventure and becomes The Darter's steadfast companion, honing skills that will come in handy for better or worse.
As the years progress, Nathaniel and Rachel form attachments to the various people who come and go from their home in Ruvigny Gardens. Some are suspect from the beginning but others have layers that are revealed over time, the point being that the people living among us conceal things from the simple to the implausible. Trading the pavement of London for the paths of Suffolk doesn't necessarily mean guaranteed immunity from the covert actions of people with connections, or unfinished business.
Ondaatje weaves the story of some of Warlight's characters through time, backwards and forwards. Were all of the connections made as characters' paths crossed plausible? I did have a couple of moments of cynicism, but at the end of the day, this is a ripping good read. Warlight is clever, entertaining, and at times the tension made me forget all about watching the clock when it was almost time to leave for work. Going back through my notes I found it interesting there wasn't a single bold scrawl that says 'QUOTE' as I often do while reading, but there are seven pages of clues and suspicious behaviour. Apparently I was as much 'on the case' as Nathaniel. Warlight is the sort of book that would be fun to read over again with the gift of hindsight.
I was disappointed yesterday when the Man Booker Shortlist was announced and Warlight wasn't on it. At the end of the day, there are many winners of various prizes for all kinds of books, but if they don't appeal to me then it's a moot point. Warlight suited me down to the ground.
Cornish Children by Harold Harvey