Life: An Exploded Diagram

By Mal Peet

Can love endure when the world teeters on the brink of war?

3.8/5 Goodreads · 1,846 ratings

416 pages

$17.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

In the shadow of the Cold War, Clem Ackroyd, a young man from a modest background, falls for Frankie Mortimer, the daughter of a wealthy landowner. As the Cuban Missile Crisis looms, their love faces the ultimate test. With the threat of bombs hanging over the English countryside, Clem must navigate a world where survival is uncertain. This gripping tale weaves through three generations, exploring the enduring power of love amidst the chaos of history. Will Clem and Frankie’s love withstand the storm, or will the past repeat itself?

From the publisher

Carnegie Medalist Mal Peet ignites an epic tale of young love against the dramatic backdrop of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Can love survive a lifetime? When working-class Clem Ackroyd falls for Frankie Mortimer, the gorgeous daughter of a wealthy local landowner, he has no hope that it can. After all, the world teeters on the brink of war, and bombs could rain down any minute over the bleak English countryside – just as they did seventeen years ago as his mother, pregnant with him, tended her garden. This time, Clem may not survive. Told in cinematic style by acclaimed writer Mal Peet, this brilliant coming-of-age novel is a gripping family portrait that interweaves the stories of three generations and the terrifying crises that define them. With its urgent sense of history, sweeping emotion, and winning young narrator, Mal Peet’s latest is an unforgettable, timely exploration of life during wartime.