One Year, One Night


Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
152 Pages
Reviewed on 03/14/2024
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

Organized as diary entries, One Year, One Night by S. L. Roman is a beautiful story that covers the events in an English village during WWII. It is told through the eyes of a young woman who keeps a diary of her sixteenth year for her father, who volunteers in the war. During the start of the war, a sense of excitement and foreboding looms over the quiet village of Millside. Annie’s family is forced to put up with her mother’s sister, Betty, after she evacuates her home and arrives unannounced at their doorstep with her unfriendly mutt. The news of her father’s impending departure saddens Annie. Exciting events happen when Millside hosts a regiment of soldiers and evacuated children. Annie is drawn to one dashing soldier and forms a close bond with a boy that her family hosts.

I loved the story’s format, as it allowed Annie’s personality to shine through. Her opinions were entertaining, and her thoughts allowed me to connect with her and other characters. In the entries, Annie documents light-hearted events about her friendships and growing romance, balancing the poignant scenes involving the war's painful effects. While many stories cover the main events during WWII, I loved that it offers daily coverage of the activities in the village in 1940. The story’s ending is rewarding and loose ends are skillfully tied up in the final section. Told from the perspective of an endearing main character, One Year, One Night by S. L. Roman is a touching story set in a rural village during the beginning of WWII. It is laced with humor and includes many heart-warming scenes. Highly recommended.