Strangers in Time

In Strangers in Time, World War II throws Charlie, Molly, and Ignatius together, and despite their divergent backgrounds, they find solace in one another as they endure the hardships of war. Molly is immediately drawn to Charlie because of his kindness and his evident suffering. As they become closer, Charlie and Molly offer one another care and emotional support through their tragedies. Molly holds Charlie’s hand through Gran’s viewing and funeral to protect him while he’s emotionally vulnerable. In turn, Molly talks openly about her familial problems with Charlie, which helps to alleviate her confusion and anger. As the only adult of the group, Ignatius offers the children both emotional and material support, and the three characters become a found-family unit. Even before Charlie and Molly move in, they seek Ignatius out for wisdom. For example, Molly asks Ignatius for help understanding the Beneficial Institute’s letters, since the contents both confuse and frighten her. Over the course of the novel, Ignatius takes on the role of Charlie and Molly’s father, and he willingly assumes the responsibility of housing and feeding the children. Ignatius’s adult perspective dispels the children’s fears and brings them comfort during a tumultuous time in their lives. With the intimate relationship of these three characters, the novel explores the devastating effects of war but also highlights the importance of community.

The novel also illustrates the importance of Charlie, Molly, and Ignatius’s found family by showing the negativity these characters experience in isolation. Before Charlie and Molly enter his life, Ignatius is completely grief-stricken and spends his time alone in his late wife’s study. He credits the children with teaching him that he “had more to give, additional friendships to form” (329). Similarly, Charlie’s mental health deteriorates considerably when he lives by himself. In his loneliness, Charlie’s internal voice becomes increasingly self-critical, like when he says, “You ain’t even worth a farthin’, Charlie. Honorable? You’re no better than you ought to be. You’re not better than Lonzo. You steal and get folks killed. You deserve the rope” (263). Charlie’s physical isolation from his support system prevents him from seeing how much his friends value him. Only when Charlie reunites with Molly and Ignatius does his optimism return. These three characters constantly express their good fortune for having found one another and healing parts of themselves that were broken.

The narrative also features moments of the larger community coming together to ease shared sufferings, emphasizing the importance of an extended network of relationships. For example, following Gran’s death, Charlie’s neighbors help the young boy out in any way they can. They understand that Charlie now has no family, so they offer him food, logistical help, and simple condolences to show that he’s not alone. Charlie also describes how the community comes together in the bomb shelters to make the experience less frightening: “Someone had set up a piano in the station, and the crowd would engage in singalongs each night. The Women’s Voluntary Service, the WVS, would also provide tea and sandwiches […] And libraries donated books” (129). Small moments like these illustrate the community-minded outlook during the war, where people thought not only of themselves, but of the greater good. With these examples of a tight-knit community, found family, and the negative effects of isolation, the novel illustrates how in difficult times, human connection and relationships are essential.