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All Clear
All Clear | Connie Willis
19 posts | 42 read | 21 to read
Winner of the Nebula AwardTraveling back in time, from Oxford circa 2060 into the thick of World War II, was a routine excursion for three British historians eager to study firsthand the heroism and horrors of the Dunkirk evacuation and the London Blitz. But getting marooned in war-torn 1940 England has turned Michael Davies, Merope Ward, and Polly Churchill from temporal tourists into besieged citizens struggling to survive Hitlers devastating onslaught. And now theres more to worry about than just getting back home: The impossibility of altering past events has always been a core belief of time-travel theorybut it may be tragically wrong. When discrepancies in the historical record begin cropping up, it suggests that one or all of the future visitors have somehow changed the pastand, ultimately, the outcome of the war. Meanwhile, in 2060 Oxford, the stranded historians supervisor, Mr. Dunworthy, frantically confronts the seemingly impossible task of rescuing his studentsthree missing needles in the haystack of history. The thrilling time-tripping adventure that began withBlackoutnow hurtles to its stunning resolution inAll Clear.
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review
SaunteringVaguelyDownwards
All Clear | Connie Willis
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Pickpick

Fascinating to see how the question of the time travel “slippage“ gets resolved, although it locks the time travel into a particular trope that I'm not always fond of. The characters were well realized, and you can understand their motivations even when they make decisions you think are unwise.

Spoiler-y question for other readers in the comment below!

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards Granted, I was finishing this book in the early morning hours while fighting insomnia, but was the ending trying to suggest that Eileen/Merope and the vicar had kids who became the ancestors of Colin and/or Polly? There was the repetition of Eileen's line “we'll always be close“, and I was just kind of confused as to what Polly's big realization was. 3y
6 likes1 comment
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Centique
All Clear | Connie Willis
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Gawd I loved this. It‘s hard to review the final book in a series - so I‘ll just describe the series. In the 2060s scientists discovered time travel but only allow it for historians to study the past. Willis concentrates on making the past come alive for the reader - in this one The Blitz - so these feel more historic fiction than sci Fi, (if you can handle the notion of time travel) There are lots of little details, a focus on the small events ⬇️

Centique No book has ever made me understand sleeping in a bomb shelter or disrupted train travel or air raid sirens as well as this one did. I am firmly a Connie Willis fan! But be prepared for some chunksters - this one alone is 642pp 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 4y
Texreader Sounds like a serious version of the Jodi Taylor books I‘m reading (hers are very humorous). What‘s the name of this series? 4y
Centique @Texreader it‘s called the Oxford Time Travel series - but the first two can be read as stand alones. Tagging the first one. I‘ll have to check out Jodi Taylor! 4y
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Texreader @Centique Very cool I already have it marked tbr! Thanks! I got the first 8 of Taylor‘s books for Christmas having read a ton of her short stories for winter games. They make me laugh out loud. It‘s the St Mary‘s Chronicles series. 4y
CaitZ @Centique @Texreader I love both Jody Taylor and Connie Willis. Their books are very similar - time traveling historians with humor. If you like one, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy the other. 4y
Centique @CaitZ @Texreader oh that‘s excellent to hear! I definitely need more time travelling historians in my life 😍 4y
Texreader @Centique @CaitZ Me too! Thanks!! 4y
BookNAround I didn‘t know she had more after The Doomsday Book. I thoroughly enjoyed that one so I‘ll have to add the next in the series to my list! 4y
Cathythoughts Great review... I must look her up & find the first one ❤️❤️ 4y
Centique @BookNAround oh wow, you have a treat in store! The second one is humorous/satirical. I really liked it but If it doesn‘t suit you, you can always jump to the third book and you won‘t miss anything. 👍 4y
Centique @Cathythoughts I think you‘d quite like it as long as you don‘t mind the time travel element. 🤞 4y
Cathythoughts I see it‘s Doomsday Book 👍🏻I don‘t mind time travel , I enjoyed it in Stephen Kings 11/22/63 .... ❤️ 4y
Centique @Cathythoughts I need to get to that Stephen King book - it sounds brilliant! 4y
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Centique
All Clear | Connie Willis
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My #bookreport Lots of short things and a chunkster in progress 😂
Finished Ayoade on Top and Convenience Store Woman 👍👍
Listened to Where Angels Fear to Tread - only audiobook immediately available at my library with Stephen Fry narrating. Made me think of A Room with a View
Halfway through A Tudor Christmas which is really interesting.
And completely besotted with All Clear (on 342 of 641) I‘m a bit confused but still LOVING it 💕💕

elkeOriginal I keep meaning to read All Clear (& Blackout) - it‘s exciting to see that you are loving it! 4y
Centique @elkeo_TheBookDragon i sure am 😍I saw that you loved To Say Nothing of the Dog. These two are like that one in that they‘re quite complicated with multiple historians in different times - not as funny as TSNOTD but lighter than Doomsday for sure 👍 4y
68 likes2 comments
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LibraryCin
All Clear | Connie Willis
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The first 1/3 of the book wasn‘t as interesting as it got to be later in the book. For how much I disliked Alf and Binnie, they were some good comic relief, at times! Loved Sir Godfrey. I liked how the book wrapped up, though I was still left with one question from one hint of something at the very end, so I‘m not quite sure I understood that one little bit. Didn‘t like this one quite as much as the first, though. Still, overall, really liked it.

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EastWind76
All Clear | Connie Willis
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This author is brilliant, absolutely brilliant! I now want to read every book she has ever written. ❤

31 likes1 stack add
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ATB
All Clear | Connie Willis
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Part 2 of a 2 book series. Black Out #1 All Clear #2. I‘ve seen reviews that are harsh on the editing of both but I still enjoyed it. Rumor has it it was supposed to be one book but got too lengthy. I was sad and happy at the end. Also I thought I got the Blitz... I had no clue (probably still don‘t) until I read these two books.

bookishkai Love love love these books! I don‘t know why people harsh on the endings, I quite liked them. 5y
5 likes1 comment
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MKbookworm
All Clear | Connie Willis
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My view for the next week. All those years of watching Downton Abbey I couldn‘t turn down a chance to go on a Viking River Cruise

mabell How cool! I've looked into those, and they sound neat. I hope you have a great time! 6y
LiteraryinLawrence Oh my gosh! Have a wonderful trip! 6y
15 likes2 comments
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MKbookworm
All Clear | Connie Willis
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A little reading and whiskey before bed. Good night, everyone #readinginbed

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JuliaTheBookNerd
All Clear | Connie Willis
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#Page29 2️⃣9️⃣ #ThatsRidiculous!
#MarchInBooks 🍀📖

#BookNerd 📚💙

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Crinoline_Laphroaig
All Clear | Connie Willis
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Took me awhile to read this. I had to stop from time to time a just to let my head wrap around the time travel. LOVED it. Extra special because we walked area around St Paul's in September. Sad part is we were there on a Sunday so no tours.

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Crinoline_Laphroaig
All Clear | Connie Willis
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If I had read this book before our trip to UK, I would have channeled Merope and wore my green coat. 🤓
#stpauls #london #bookwardrobe

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Amandajoy
All Clear | Connie Willis
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Things I need to do: pack. Things I also need to do: find out what happens in the last 100 pages of this book. What's a girl to do?

51 likes2 stack adds
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Amandajoy
All Clear | Connie Willis
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So I like to keep Wednesdays interesting. Last week was the dog bite, this week was a burst pipe in my apartment. Never fear! I had a neighbor who saw the water running out of the house early, got the water turned off, & notified me. Only ONE book was lost!! Now I'm going to settle in with this fabulous book at my parents' nice, dry house.

AmandaL Oh no! 7y
Lcsmcat 😮 7y
readinginthedark Oh goodness! 😱 7y
44 likes3 comments
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cdreincarnate
All Clear | Connie Willis
Pickpick

Best. Theory. Of time travel. EVER! Seriously, I'll never think about it the same way again.😮

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cdreincarnate
All Clear | Connie Willis
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Tanner
All Clear | Connie Willis
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Day 7 #blackandwhitecovers #maybookflowers Here are a few samples from my newly-neatened shelves.

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brandymuses
All Clear | Connie Willis
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Day 6: Black and White Covers
Love these two books, all the characters, the twisty complexities of the time travel, and the human perspective on World War 2 from so many angles. #maybookflowers

elkeOriginal Yes! I have these on my TBR shelf because I love Connie Willis! I forgot about them when looking for b/w covers today 👍 7y
brandymuses @elkeo They are so good!!!! Have you read Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog? 7y
elkeOriginal Yes! To Say Nothing was my entryway into the drug that is Connie Willis! 7y
brandymuses @elkeo Mine too! 7y
6 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Tanner
All Clear | Connie Willis
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For @Liberty & Fun Friday. I'm not at home so don't have access to my library - I hope a screen shot will do! I loved Blackout and All Clear. I cried at the end of All Clear - I love books that make me do that. Anything Connie Willis comes out with, I will read. ❤️