This richly written book is a sequel of sorts to Atkinson's wonderful "Life After Life," which was reviewed in a previous posting. This time, Atkinson focuses on Teddy Todd the brother who also appeared in the previous novel, though his sister Ursula was the subject of that book. Again, four generations of Todds hold our attention and interest. The setting is post World War II England and Teddy, the god of the title is now married to his former sweetheart Nancy. Since war is man's greatest fall from grace, Teddy muddles through life trying to make sense of the part he played in the war and reconcile it with his placid post-war life. He has one child, a spoiled daughter named Viola who grows into a nasty piece of work. It is only at the end of the book that one can scrape up a bit of sympathy for this unpleasant character, who seems to work overtime to ruin the lives of her two children.
The story first takes us back to Fox Corner and Teddy's childhood in the 1920s and leaves us in the 1980s of Teddy's grandchildren. Atkinson has an amazing knowledge of World War II aircraft and their capabilities, and she presents bombing raids conducted over Germany in the most realistic manner. Teddy made 70 bombing runs over Germany as an ace RAF pilot. The chapters dealing with Teddy's part in the war are exciting and admirable in their depth. In this she rivals another of my favorite authors, Pat Barker, who writes realistically about the First World War and its affect on the combatants in a post-war world.
Teddy's relationship with his beloved wife, his grandchildren, and the Todd family reveal him to be a complex and caring man doing his best in a changed society. As for his daughter, Viola, who bubbles and simmers with anger, it is only at the end of the book that the reader discovers the secret of the discontent that colored her life.
The last section of the book which covers Teddy's old age with all the aches and pains of adapting to modern mores and society's treatment of the elderly, is particularly moving. As he nears death, Teddy realizes that he has lived his life along the lines of advice his father had once given him as a child, "neither sink nor float, just sort of paddle about in the middle."
The final chapter in the book comes full circle and leads the reader to an understanding of the author's purpose in writing this novel as well as "Life After Life." It all becomes clear in the Author's note. As Atkinson says, "It's about fiction and how we must imagine what we cannot know."
I highly recommend this book. It can be read alone, but is more enjoyable if one has read "Life After Life," first. When the reader finally realizes what Atkinson has been about in these two books, it leaves one admiring of her creative ability and writing talent.
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