Blackout (2010) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

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• Merope Ward: A history student at Oxford, she is undertaking research about children evacuees during the Second World War. She does so as Eileen O'Reilly, a servant at a country house in Warwickshire.
• Michael Davies: A history student at Oxford who is traveling back to Dover in 1940 in the guise of an American reporter in order to study the heroism of ordinary people.
• Polly Churchill: A history student at Oxford traveling back to study London shopgirls during the Blitz. While in 1940 London, she goes by the name Polly Sebastian.
• Colin Templer: A 17-year-old student at Eton in 2060. An aspiring historian, he nurses a crush on Polly Churchill.
• James Dunworthy: A history professor at Oxford University in 2060. He is in charge of granting students their assignments and scheduling their trips into the past.
• Badri Chaudhuri: He is the main operator of the "Net" (Oxford's time-travel installation) in 2060.
• Linna: A technician in the Oxford lab from which students travel into the past.
• Alf Hodbin: A young boy from London's East End, he is one of the evacuees sent to Denewell Manor in Warwickshire.
• Binnie Hodbin: Alf Hodbin's 11-year-old sister, she has been evacuated along with her brother to Denewell Manor.
• Theodore Willett: One of the London evacuees staying at the manor in Warwickshire.
• Reverend Goode: A vicar in Warwickshire, he helps Merope/Eileen manage the wartime evacuees staying at Denewell Manor.
• Lady Caroline Denewell: The matriarch of Denewell Manor.
• Mr. Tooley: Stationmaster of the railway station in Backbury.
• Mrs. Bascombe: Parrot rescued during the blitz
• Una: The kitchen maid at Denewell Manor, Lady Caroline's country house.
• Samuels: An elderly gardener at Denewell Manor.
• Gerald Phipps: A historian from 2060 Oxford who is being set back in time to study the decoding effort at Bletchley Park.
• Daphne: A barmaid at a pub at Salton-on-Sea.
• Commander Harold: An elderly boat captain in 1940 who aids in the evacuation of the BEF from Dunkirk in 1940.
• Jonathan: Commander Harold's grandson.
• Lila: A shopgirl in 1940 London.
• Viv: A shopgirl in 1940 London.
• Mrs. Wyvern: Add a description of this character.
• Mr. Simms
• Floyd Norris: A reverend, he is the rector of the Church of St. George in Kensington.
• Mrs. Rickett: Operator of a boardinghouse in 1940 London.
• Mr. Humphreys: Verger at St. Paul's Cathedral in 1940 London.
• Mrs. Brightford: A resident of 1940 London, she is one of the regular occupants of Polly Churchill's shelter.
• Bess Brightford: Mrs. Brightford's eldest daughter.
• Irene Brightford: Mrs. Brightford's middle daughter.
• Deborah Brightford: Mrs. Brightford's youngest daughter, she is nicknamed "Trot" because of her quickness.
• Miss Hibbard: A spinster in 1940 London, she is a boarder at Mrs. Rickett's and one of the regular occupants of Polly Churchill's shelter.
• Miss Laburnum: A spinster in 1940 London, she is a boarder at Mrs. Rickett's and one of the regular occupants of Polly Churchill's shelter.
• Mr. Dorming: A middle-aged Londoner, he is a boarder at Mrs. Rickett's and one of the regular occupants of Polly Churchill's shelter.
• Godfrey Kingsman: A Shakespearean actor, he is one of the regular occupants of Polly Churchill's shelter.
• Hugh Tensing
• Marjorie Hayes: A shopgirl at Townsend Brothers, she is a friend and co-worker of Polly Churchill's.
• Paige Fairchild: A lieutenant in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry detachment stationed in Dulwich, Surrey.
• Louise Talbot: A FANY, she is an ambulance driver stationed in Surrey in 1944
• Sutcliffe-Hyde: A FANY stationed in Dulwich, Surrey.
• Maitland: A captain in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry detachment stationed in Dulwich, Surrey.
• "Jitters" Parrish: A FANY stationed in Dulwich, Surrey, she is nicknamed Jitters because of her fondness for jitterbugging.
• Diana Reed: A lieutenant in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry detachment stationed in Dulwich, Surrey.
• Cynthia Camberley: A lieutenant in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry detachment stationed in Dulwich, Surrey.
• Dr. Stuart: A doctor in Warwickshire in 1940.
• Cess: A member of the Fortitude South deception effort in 1944 England.
• Reardon: A member of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry.
• Miss Snelgrove: The manager of the lingerie department at Townsend Brothers, she is Polly Churchill's supervisor.
• Moncrieff
• Prism
• David Hardy: A private in the Royal Engineers.
• Doreen: A shopgirl working at Townsend Brothers in 1940 London.
• Mrs. Owens: Neighbor to the Willets in Stepney.
• Eileen O'Reilly: On her first time travel assignment to study the evacutation of the children from London during the Blitz, WWII. See Merope.
• Mary Kent: A lieutenant in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry detachment stationed in Dulwich, Surrey.
• Mrs. Ives
• Nelson
• Mrs. Sadler
• Mr. Powney
• Ernest: A spy working for the British
• Anderson

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Oxford: Home to Oxford University and the point of departure for time traveling history students in 2060.
• Backbury, Warwickshire
• Saltram-on-Sea: A port in southeastern England.
• London: capitol of the United Kingdom, bombed heavily in the London Blitz of WWII
• Dulwich: Home to Mary Kent's FANY detachment.
• Kent
• Dunkirk: French city, site of one of the largest military evacuations in history
• Dover
• England: country off of mainland Europe
• Stepney
• Selfridges
• Channel: the body of water separating England and France
• St. Paul's: large cathedral in London
• Kansas: state in the U.S.
• Kensington
• Austin
• St. George's
• France
• Lampden Road
• Holborn
• Notting Hill Gate
• Croydon
• Singapore: country in Southeastern Asia
• Scotland
• Egypt
• Bentley
• Bomb Alley
• Benares
• Piccadilly Circus
• Europe
• Trafalgar Square
• Emergency Hospital
• Normandy: site of Allied forces invasion of Europe
• Balliol
• Pearl Harbor: Hawaiian city and home to a large American Naval base, bombed by Japanese in WWII
• Northumbria

Organizations edit see section history

• First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY): volunteer British women's auxiliary during WWII
• Royal Air Force: Add a description of this organization.

First Sentence edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Contemps: People living in the time period being visited by the time travelers.
• Drop: A spot where the time travelers enter and exit the time they are traveling to

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• World War II: Describe this theme.
• Heroes

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by All Clear.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Connie Willis (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Nebula (2010: Best Novel, #1)
• Hugo (2011: Best Novel)
• Locus Science Fiction Award (2011, Winner)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813.54

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Authors, A-Z › ( W ) › Willis, Connie
• Books › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Science Fiction › Adventure

More Books Like This edit see section history

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history