Rosemary Gresham, a London street urchin grown up, supported the other orphans she called family by taking on assignments from Mr. V. Once she ‘liberated’ an old manuscript from the British Museum. At other times she, like Robin Hood, relieved wealthy women of their jewellery. But on the eve of World War I she was assigned a trickier task—to determine whether a distinguished gentleman, Peter Holstein, was loyal to Britain or to Germany.
Peter Holstein, descended from a family of literary pack rats, desperately needed help organizing his library. Not for the books themselves, really, but to find a few old journals, proof that his family’s loyalties lay with Britain rather than Germany, as people in high places were beginning to suggest. Rosemary, disguised in spectacles and with a real knowledge of German (learned for the British Museum job), got herself hired by Mr. Holstein and set about her task.
She had a few questions, though. Why all this this writing about God? And what did Mr. Holstein do in his office all day, typing madly and refusing to open the door? Why was she becoming more and more eager to defend him though her job was to destroy him? And would she give up her family for the truth?
Fun, fast-paced (I forgot about supper and let the soup cook an hour longer than it needed to), and faith-filled, this book was a great read most of the way through. Near the end it seemed to unravel a bit, but even so, I enjoyed it and recommend it.
A few days earlier I had watched The King’s Speech (language warning) which takes place during the same years and involves some of the same people as well as a similar stammering problem. That added a whole extra aspect to reading A Name Unknown.
This summer I am reading a lot of Miss 14’s style of books, hoping to be able to enjoy and discuss them together. Perhaps this will even be an opportunity to compare styles of writing and discuss both literary and biblical standards of excellence.
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This is yet another book in the in the 2017 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge and is also linked to Saturday Reviews, Booknificent Thursdays, Literacy Musings Monday, and The Book Nook.
Disclosure: This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and is available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.