Against the Day

What would have happened if the Nazis had succeeded in invading Britain? While this is not a new idea (It Happened Here; Fatherland etc) it is an endlessly fascinating one and Cronin's novel of occupation is written with a strong feel for the historical moment. Frank's father is believed dead following an air-raid and he moves in with his nan and aunt in the village of Shevington. At first Frank's anger towards the German occupiers does not appear to be shared by the rest of the village but he comes to realise that there is more going on than meets the eye. Cronin creates some wonderful cameo portraits (Warden Firth the collaborator; Mr Underwood the headmaster) although Frank himself is a rather one dimensional character and the novel comes to an oddly abrupt end. Nevertheless this is a gripping and enjoyable first novel with a strong sense of uneasy and menacing times.