Midnight on the Marne - Sarah Adlakha

Author: Sarah Adlakha

Genre: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction.

Rating: 3.5 stars. (Only because of the audiobook.)

In a Nutshell: An alternate history set around WWI. I liked the complicated and innovative storyline. But I think I would have adored this book had I read it instead of heard it. (The audiobook narrators are fabulous, nothing against them.)

Story Synopsis:

1918. The final battle of WWI begins on the banks of the River Marne. If the American soldiers don’t stop the Germans, the latter might take over the valley and proceed to Paris. Unfortunately, the Germans do win and thus starts a history different from the one we’ve heard. Life under the Germans, and later the Russians, isn’t easy, and we get to see this from the viewpoint of a French family comprising twins Marcelle and Rosalie and their found family, which includes two American soldiers George and Philip. How does this version of history end?

The story is written as an indirect flashback, with the current time being 1991, where an aged Marcelle has received some journals from George, which narrate events that she can’t remember. Most of the story comes from the WWI time period.

Where the book worked for me:

😍 In a saturated historical fiction market where most authors want to write about WWII, reading about WWI was a refreshing experience. I hadn’t heard of this second battle of Marne, so learning about it was a plus.

😍 Even better was the alternate take, which reveals how different circumstances would have been for a German-occupied France. The reason for the ‘sliding door’ scenario wasn’t very convincing to my ears, but it was still a novel idea, and implemented very well.

😍 The author has done her research excellently, and it shows! Don’t miss her note at the end of the book.

😍 All the characters are well-sketched and have layered personalities. The women aren’t pushovers but have strong personalities and an independent voice.

😍 I love how realistic the author makes a complex concept of going back in time for a redo of events. When a change in one event can affect so many outcomes, how do you take a call on implementing the variation? It offered plenty of food for thought.

Where the book didn’t work for me:

😔 The Goodreads blurb reveals too much. I didn’t understand why it had to mention a certain event that doesn’t happen until the final 10-12% of the book. All the while, I kept waiting for that version of 'Groundhog day' to begin. It spoiled my fun. Secondly, there was a certain mystery as to why the 1991 Louise couldn’t remember the events from George’s journal. The blurb killed this suspense as well. The ‘going back in time’ angle should have been in the blurb without mentioning character names.

😔 The audio format reduced my satisfaction. I am left with many questions, some of which might have been answered had I read this. (Details below.)

The audiobook experience:

The audiobook, clocking at 10 hrs 45 min, is narrated excellently by John Pirhalla (voicing George) and Saskia Maarleveld (voicing Marcelle.) I can’t praise the narrators enough! For a book that has characters from so many nationalities, voicing them distinctively had to be a tough experience. But both the narrators imbue the characters with a genuine accent that enhances the experience.

Despite this, I will not recommend the audiobook to anyone except the most focussed of listeners. The timeline of the story is very complicated, and there are plenty of characters with important roles to play. If you can’t pay attention throughout, you will find yourself lost. And for an almost 11 hour book, having 100% concentration isn’t easy.

Furthermore, there are some books for which you feel like flipping back a few pages to search for some reference or reread a specific part. This book made me want to do that many times, but there are no flip-backs possible in audios. The 30 second loop-back button simply isn’t a good enough substitute.

Overall, I did enjoy this unusual look at a fictitious variant of the post-WWI era. But if I ever have a chance to reread this book, it will be through a physical or digital copy.

I had read the author’s debut novel, “She Wouldn't Change a Thing” exactly a year ago in August 2021. That too was an unusual time-travel story with an outstanding ending but with some pacing and plot development issues. I was glad to see that her second foray into fiction no longer contains those issues, and will keep an eye out for her future works as well.

Strongly recommended to those looking for an unusual historical fiction with some magical second chances thrown in. Do note that as a story of war and post-war experiences, there are some brutal scenes in the narrative.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “Midnight on the Marne”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.