When I Was Yours

In Page’s elegant novel (after The Wartime Nanny), a middle-aged woman comes to terms with her failing marriage in WWII England while confronting mysteries and tragedies of the past. In 1939, Vivi Lowe and her husband, Edmund, trapped in a childless, loveless marriage, learn they are to take in a refugee from London in their village of Hinckley during Operation Pied Piper, the mass evacuation of London’s children during the early days of WWII. While Edmund resists the idea, Vivi, who had three miscarriages and longs for a child, is excited. The narrative slowly unfolds in alternating chapters between the characters’ present and WWI, when Vivi and her sister, budding artist Olive Mudie-Cooke (a historical person), worked in ambulance transport in France. During this time, Vivi rescues an injured pilot, Sam Isaac. They fall in love, despite Vivi’s engagement to the controlling Edmund. Then a painting made by Olive of Vivi and Sam causes a rift between the sisters. In 1939, seven-year-old evacuee Pearl Posner is assigned to stay with the Lowes, and her presence reveals the surprising connection between Pearl and Vivi, a coincidence that could seem heavy-handed, but in Page’s hands comes off naturally as the novel speeds into its third act. This beautifully wrought story is a worthy addition to Page’s oeuvre. (Dec.)