One Year, One Night by S.L. Roman
One Year, One Night is a beautifully written and captivating Young Adult novel by S.L. Roman. The story recounts the trials and triumphs of a young girl growing up in England, Britain, during World War II. The narration shifts between the diary entries of 16-year-old Annie Corbett and the reflection of her 36-year-old self.
In the present, Annie is 36 years old and back in her home village, Millside, a place filled with bitter-sweet memories of events that happened just after she turned 16. She will be attending a ceremonial commemoration of a bombing that happened in her village 20 years earlier. As she revisits her old bedroom, she retrieves an old diary and is taken down memory lane to her teenage years.
Love, Duty, and Unexpected Friendships
It’s December 16, 1939 when Annie receives a notebook as a birthday present from her dad. He tells her to record her life so he does not miss out on it while away at war. After her dad leaves, Annie struggles with his absence, especially since she has been closer to him than she has been to her mother, who is close to her younger brother, Robert. As if her dad’s absence wasn’t enough of a challenge, Annie must also manage her family’s hardware shop (with very little help from her mom and brother) and must also put up with meddlesome Aunty Betty.
Fortunately, the arrival of evacuee children from high-risk bombing areas and dashing soldiers brings new faces and energy to the village. These include Remy Russell, a charming English-French soldier with a smile Annie “could really fall for”, and Ben, a fragile-looking kid with a rough upbringing. Remy and Ben capture Annie’s heart right away. Amidst her blossoming romance with the handsome soldier and her budding sibling bond with Ben, Annie also struggles to maintain her relationship with her best friend, Peg, which is slowly straining due to Peg’s romantic troubles. Then, everything falls apart when a tragedy strikes in May 1940, leaving a profound impact on Annie’s life, her family, and all of Millside.
Reflecting on War’s Impact and Personal Growth
One Year, One Night is inspired by real events that happened during World War II. It centers around themes of love and family, friendship, duty, personal growth, and the impact of war on children and small communities. Through this short yet captivating tale, Roman shows her talent for creating beautiful and multi-dimensional characters who resonate with authenticity. Annie, the protagonist, is a compassionate and resilient girl with a strong sense of duty. Her compassion toward others, especially towards Ben, will tag at your heart. Robert, Annie’s brother, surprised me with his growth, as he developed from a somewhat smug sibling to a helpful and protective figure. Auntie Betty, with her critical demeanor and meddlesome nature, is the kind of character you would want to yell at for getting her nose into everyone’s business, yet she also added a touch of humor and tension to the narrative.
I highly appreciated how flawlessly Roman switched between the narrations of the naïve sixteen-year-old Annie’ and that of her mature and insightful 36-year-old self. The diary entry narrations allow readers to experience the raw and unfiltered emotions, like the frustration of a 16-year-old girl living a rough life during World War II: “At sixteen it is not easy to be managing a shop, a distraught friend, a suspicious aunt and a scared little boy.”
On the other hand, the reflections of the older Annie added a layer of poignancy and wisdom to the story, like her acknowledgement of the regret she feels toward her strained friendship with Peg: “Our friendship was breaking under the strain of her disappointment and to this day I regret it. We were growing apart at the very moment when she most needed a friend’s help.”
In the words of Annie, reflecting on her father’s departure: “He left everything in good order before he went off to war… The place was pristine and all the paperwork was in good shape.” Similarly, Roman leaves readers with a story that is both meticulously crafted and profoundly impactful.
About S.L. Roman:
S.L. Roman is a pseudonym for Laura Meloni and Sarah Onions. With surnames of Meloni and Onions, they thought they sounded more like a vegetable market, so they came up with S.L. Roman (in homage to Laura’s native city, Rome). Both have been teachers at the high school level. Kevin Hopgood is a children’s illustrator and comic book artist. Past clients include Marvel comics, Oxford University Press, Barrington Stoke, and Franklin Watts.
