Warlight, a 2018 novel by author Michael Ondaatje, tells the captivating story of a young man's journey of self-discovery and his connection with a mysterious past. At its core, it's a coming-of-age tale that explores themes of family, identity, and love.
We begin the story in 1945 in London, just after the end of World War II. The story follows the lead character Nathaniel Williams, who, at the age of fourteen, is taken in by a family of strangers--Rose and her two adult sons, Thomas and John. His ill mother had left him in their care before departing with her lover, and she never returned. They make a makeshift home in their 'Folly', a large old house located in the centre of a secret garden near the Thames.
Nathaniel is instructed to keep the family a secret and is given some strange tasks by Rose. He follows these instructions, never quite certain of who these people are and why he is with them. All he knows is that it is his duty to protect them--such as when he helps Rose dispose of nighttime visitors to the Folly who, he begins to suspect as the story progresses, could be connected to her secret work as a spy.
As Nathaniel grows older, he starts to interrogate his past and what brought him to the Folly. He is accepted into Oxford and follows his newfound friend, Maud, who helps him piece together memories of his mother and what her life was like before she left him.
When Maud discovers a clue in her father's past, it triggers a series of events that forces Nathaniel to confront his own secrets. He learns that after his mother's disappearance, Rose and John, and possibly even Thomas, had possibly been actively involved in a conspiracy that spanned three countries. Mysteries of his past and of his parents’ past slowly unfold as the novel progresses.
As the narrative nears its conclusion, the reader watches Nathaniel reach adulthood and gain a better understanding of who he is and where he came from. The truth of his family’s past slowly slowly comes to light as Nathaniel finally accepts Rose, John, and Thomas as members of his family.
Warlight is a gripping and powerful story about love, loss, identity, and secrets. Michael Ondaatje skillfully blends past and present throughout the novel, allowing readers to explore what it means to truly know someone, both between individuals and within nations. With his vivid and captivating characters, Ondaatje creates a haunting and deeply moving experience for the reader. Warlight is a masterful work of fiction that speaks to the power of memory, identity, and love.
