A God in Ruins

Synopsis: Kate Atkinson has written a novel she describes as a “companion piece” to her previous novel Life After Life. A God In Ruins focuses on the youngest son of the Todd family—would be poet, RAF bomber pilot in World War II, husband and father—as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. Teddy Todd is a decorated war hero, marries his childhood sweetheart and has one daughter, Viola, who despises him. The changes of the 20th century come at an alarming pace, as Teddy tries to keep up and live the life he never expected to have.

Review: I had a bit of trepidation starting this book. I adored Life After Life. It is probably one of my favorite books EVER. So I knew it was going to be hard to live up to that! A God in Ruins did not surpass it, but I still ended up liking it a lot. In this novel, Teddy survives WWII, which he didn’t expect. He has been given a gift, life, and he tries to figure out how to live it, which he does to a ripe old age. He is blessed with a wife, a deliciously obnoxious daughter, and ultimately two grandchildren who help to usher him into the new century. Viola, a self absorbed creature, manages to provide a lot of the humor, and the scene where she encounters a “hen-do” in York is one to read one and over if you need a laugh. The ending was a twist that I did NOT see coming, but on reflection, probably should have. Kate Atkinson is such a talented writer, I think I would read anything she writes.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: I love the way the English have curious names for things. Toad in the hole? Doesn’t necessarily sound like something you want to eat, but it’s a classic of crispy sausages in a Yorkshire pudding base. I believe it’s often served with onion gravy.

Ingredients:

8 sausage links

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups all purpose flour

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a 9 x 9 baking dish. Place the sausages in the dish in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes.

3) whisk flour, eggs and 1/2 cup milk in a medium bowl. Gradually add th rest of the milk and season with slat and pepper.

4) Take the sausages out of the oven and pour the batter over them, covering them 3/4 of the way. Place back in the oven and bake another 35 minutes until the center has risen and turned golden brown.