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When the World Was Young
Wally Baker is no ordinary girl. Living in her grandparents’ Brooklyn Heights brownstone, she doesn’t like dresses, needlepoint, or manners. Her love of Wonder Woman comics and ants makes her feel like a misfit—especially in the shadow of her dazzling but unstable mother, Stella.
Acclaimed author Elizabeth Gaffney’s irresistible novel captures postwar Brooklyn through Wally’s eyes, opening on V-J day, as she grows up with the rest of America. Reeling from her own unexpected wartime tragedy and navigating an increasingly fraught landscape, Wally is forced to confront painful truths about the world—its sorrows, its prejudices, its conflicts, its limitations. But Wally also finds hope and strength in the unlikeliest places.
With an unforgettable cast of characters, including the increasingly distant and distracted Stella; Loretta, the family’s black maid and Wally’s second mother; Ham, Loretta’s son, who shares Wally’s enthusiasm for ants and exploration; Rudy, Wally’s father, a naval officer, away serving in the Pacific; and Mr. Niederman, the family’s boarder, who never seems to answer Wally’s questions—and who she suspects may have something to hide—Elizabeth Gaffney crafts an immersive, beautifully realized novel about the truths that divide and the love that keeps us together.
Acclaimed author Elizabeth Gaffney’s irresistible novel captures postwar Brooklyn through Wally’s eyes, opening on V-J day, as she grows up with the rest of America. Reeling from her own unexpected wartime tragedy and navigating an increasingly fraught landscape, Wally is forced to confront painful truths about the world—its sorrows, its prejudices, its conflicts, its limitations. But Wally also finds hope and strength in the unlikeliest places.
With an unforgettable cast of characters, including the increasingly distant and distracted Stella; Loretta, the family’s black maid and Wally’s second mother; Ham, Loretta’s son, who shares Wally’s enthusiasm for ants and exploration; Rudy, Wally’s father, a naval officer, away serving in the Pacific; and Mr. Niederman, the family’s boarder, who never seems to answer Wally’s questions—and who she suspects may have something to hide—Elizabeth Gaffney crafts an immersive, beautifully realized novel about the truths that divide and the love that keeps us together.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
June 28, 2014
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
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I love reading a book where a character owns my heart right from the very beginning. This is how I felt about Wally Baker, as she marched the streets of Brooklyn Heights celebrating V-J day in 1945. Even at seven, Wally is smart and feisty and you begin to care about what is going to happen to this little girl as you learn of the loss that she will face that day.
This story touches on so many things : two wars, love, death, family, infidelity, prejudice, and the growing up of a little girl into an intelligent and caring woman in spite of everything. Mostly it’s Wally’s story as she tries to make sense of what happens around her and how to deal with what life brings her.
It’s sad and touching and ultimately uplifting. I would have given it 4 stars if there wasn’t so much time spent discussing the ants. Way too much time was spent discussing the ant colonies that bring Ham and Wally together as childhood friends and the research that Wally is involved in when she goes to college . Maybe I missed something if there was supposed to be some analogies drawn or maybe I’m just too squeamish when I think of ants or other crawly creatures. But it was a bit overboard for me.
Having said that, I liked the story and some of the characters, especially Wally and Loretta, the good wise maid to the family. It was a very quick read, and if you can get past the ant sections, it’s quite a good story. 3.5 stars
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I love reading a book where a character owns my heart right from the very beginning. This is how I felt about Wally Baker, as she marched the streets of Brooklyn Heights celebrating V-J day in 1945. Even at seven, Wally is smart and feisty and you begin to care about what is going to happen to this little girl as you learn of the loss that she will face that day.
This story touches on so many things : two wars, love, death, family, infidelity, prejudice, and the growing up of a little girl into an intelligent and caring woman in spite of everything. Mostly it’s Wally’s story as she tries to make sense of what happens around her and how to deal with what life brings her.
It’s sad and touching and ultimately uplifting. I would have given it 4 stars if there wasn’t so much time spent discussing the ants. Way too much time was spent discussing the ant colonies that bring Ham and Wally together as childhood friends and the research that Wally is involved in when she goes to college . Maybe I missed something if there was supposed to be some analogies drawn or maybe I’m just too squeamish when I think of ants or other crawly creatures. But it was a bit overboard for me.
Having said that, I liked the story and some of the characters, especially Wally and Loretta, the good wise maid to the family. It was a very quick read, and if you can get past the ant sections, it’s quite a good story. 3.5 stars
May 15, 2014
Elizabeth Gaffney's "When the World Was Young," set for release in August 2014, is a novel that I wanted to like. The setting in 1940s and '50s Brooklyn Heights seemed interesting, and the advance praise seems to promise a meaty book about passion, secrets, prejudice, and the connections between upstairs and downstairs worlds. But unfortunately, I found the book rather flat, with lackluster characters and an often tedious plot.
The story centers on a girl named Wally growing up in Brooklyn during World War II. Wally is a rather unusual and interesting child, fascinated in equal measure by Wonder Woman comics and science; her closest childhood friend is Ham, the son of her grandparents' African American maid, Loretta. With her father away fighting in the Pacific, Wally's mother Stella returns to medical school, and takes in a mysterious boarder named Mr. Niederman. The boarder, whom we later learn worked on the Manhattan Project, becomes a sort of father figure for Wally. He and Stella embark upon an affair which leads, eventually, to tragedy. The rest of the novel follows Wally as she grows into adulthood, living with the aftermath of her mother's difficult choice and struggling to find her way in the world.
To be fair, the book captivated me in the opening scenes, particularly the celebrations of the community on VJ Day. The relationships between Wally's family members, and their complex ties with the family of their African American maid, hold some interest. But the plot begins to feel formulaic as the novel progresses.
Many of the characters are not fully developed, so it is difficult to feel an emotional connection with them. Wally's grandmother and Loretta are key figures in Wally's life, so I was disappointed that Gaffney drew them with such a broad brush. The character of Wally's mother, Stella, is particularly unconvincing. Gaffney tells us that Stella is a strong, educated, and unconventional woman who loves her daughter fiercely, so her bad decisions seem unlikely and out of character.
There were a few times that I almost gave up on the novel because Gaffney dwells so much on Wally and Ham's fascination with ants. Wally's entomological interest could have been conveyed in a sentence or two, but there are long passages about the queen, the workers, etc, that perhaps should have been cut in a round of tough-love editing.
"When the World Was Young" may garner an audience, especially from readers particularly interested in the time period or Brooklyn. But with so many other intriguing works of fiction slated for summer release, I would not make a special effort to recommend this novel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story centers on a girl named Wally growing up in Brooklyn during World War II. Wally is a rather unusual and interesting child, fascinated in equal measure by Wonder Woman comics and science; her closest childhood friend is Ham, the son of her grandparents' African American maid, Loretta. With her father away fighting in the Pacific, Wally's mother Stella returns to medical school, and takes in a mysterious boarder named Mr. Niederman. The boarder, whom we later learn worked on the Manhattan Project, becomes a sort of father figure for Wally. He and Stella embark upon an affair which leads, eventually, to tragedy. The rest of the novel follows Wally as she grows into adulthood, living with the aftermath of her mother's difficult choice and struggling to find her way in the world.
To be fair, the book captivated me in the opening scenes, particularly the celebrations of the community on VJ Day. The relationships between Wally's family members, and their complex ties with the family of their African American maid, hold some interest. But the plot begins to feel formulaic as the novel progresses.
Many of the characters are not fully developed, so it is difficult to feel an emotional connection with them. Wally's grandmother and Loretta are key figures in Wally's life, so I was disappointed that Gaffney drew them with such a broad brush. The character of Wally's mother, Stella, is particularly unconvincing. Gaffney tells us that Stella is a strong, educated, and unconventional woman who loves her daughter fiercely, so her bad decisions seem unlikely and out of character.
There were a few times that I almost gave up on the novel because Gaffney dwells so much on Wally and Ham's fascination with ants. Wally's entomological interest could have been conveyed in a sentence or two, but there are long passages about the queen, the workers, etc, that perhaps should have been cut in a round of tough-love editing.
"When the World Was Young" may garner an audience, especially from readers particularly interested in the time period or Brooklyn. But with so many other intriguing works of fiction slated for summer release, I would not make a special effort to recommend this novel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2016
What this book has: an interesting premise, a setting ripe for exploration, a diverse cast of characters and viewpoints.
What this book doesn't have: narrative tension, any sense of suspense or exploration of characters' motives.
It's essentially a catalog of events in the life of one family from the end of World War II till well into the Korean War. This thing happened, then this thing happened, and only the briefest of explanations is given for why, with nearly zero look at the feelings or reasoning of those involved. It was both pedestrian and oddly juvenile. There was the occasional passage of dazzling prose, but overall it was a maddening book: you could see where it held so much promise but just refused to live up to it.
God, seriously, no tension or suspense. No sense of urgency or of anything really mattering. Which is fine for an existential tract, but not for a family saga. What an oddly, boringly written book.
What this book doesn't have: narrative tension, any sense of suspense or exploration of characters' motives.
It's essentially a catalog of events in the life of one family from the end of World War II till well into the Korean War. This thing happened, then this thing happened, and only the briefest of explanations is given for why, with nearly zero look at the feelings or reasoning of those involved. It was both pedestrian and oddly juvenile. There was the occasional passage of dazzling prose, but overall it was a maddening book: you could see where it held so much promise but just refused to live up to it.
God, seriously, no tension or suspense. No sense of urgency or of anything really mattering. Which is fine for an existential tract, but not for a family saga. What an oddly, boringly written book.
June 25, 2014
I've just finished an advance copy of Gaffney's When the World was Young and find myself marveling at Gaffney's ability to weave intricate details into huge and historical events. Gaffney employs weighty subjects -- including race, the atom bomb, war, suicide, disillusionment, love -- into When the World was Young. She manipulates time in interesting ways and juggles varied character plots seamlessly. These characters have heft and history and blood. They aren't cliche cardboard cutouts. This is a great end-of-summer book for readers who want to relive the moments surrounding the end of WWII through the lives of an amazing cast of characters.
January 10, 2015
I got quite frustrated with this book. It was all over the place, jumping from time to time and from pov to pov, most times within the same chapter. At first I hardly figured out what was going on, and then when I got the hang of all the jumping around, it still didn't get less than annoying. I think some re-ordering of paragraphs and sentences within those paragraphs would help this book a lot. It still wouldn't be a great book (see below for more of its issues), but it would at least be a coherent one.
The main character, Wally Baker, a tomboy with a penchant for ants and Wonder Woman, gets abandoned by her mother who . Her father is a navy man, and doesn't have the time to look after her, so she gets left with her grandparents and their black maid, Loretta. Loretta's son, Ham, is Wally's boyhood companion. Much happens, placed together all pell-mell, with scarcely any depth. There is, for example, an interracial romance, woven into the many issues the book handles. Instead of actually exploring what that would mean in 1960s America, the couple break it off just as soon as they get it on, for the reason that they grew up together. They decide this in one half-hearted conversation. In the same sitting, there is some foray into drug abuse by returning veterans of the (Korean) war, and the PTSD involved, but that one is dropped without it even being mentioned again, because of course, there's another issue to be addressed (and dropped just as quickly).
I just couldn't take this book seriously. It was sloppily organized, and there were far too many issues for it to have any kind of focus. Everything gets tied up with a neat little bow at the end of it, in a completely unbelievable sequence. And there were too many ants. 1 star.
The main character, Wally Baker, a tomboy with a penchant for ants and Wonder Woman, gets abandoned by her mother who . Her father is a navy man, and doesn't have the time to look after her, so she gets left with her grandparents and their black maid, Loretta. Loretta's son, Ham, is Wally's boyhood companion. Much happens, placed together all pell-mell, with scarcely any depth. There is, for example, an interracial romance, woven into the many issues the book handles. Instead of actually exploring what that would mean in 1960s America, the couple break it off just as soon as they get it on, for the reason that they grew up together. They decide this in one half-hearted conversation. In the same sitting, there is some foray into drug abuse by returning veterans of the (Korean) war, and the PTSD involved, but that one is dropped without it even being mentioned again, because of course, there's another issue to be addressed (and dropped just as quickly).
I just couldn't take this book seriously. It was sloppily organized, and there were far too many issues for it to have any kind of focus. Everything gets tied up with a neat little bow at the end of it, in a completely unbelievable sequence. And there were too many ants. 1 star.
August 13, 2014
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
I was really excited about reading this book when I read the plot summary for When the World was Young. But, when I started reading, I was sadly disappointed.
The book lacked organization in a big way. For the first five chapters or so, I couldn’t figure out who was the main character, Wally or her mother, Stella. It did become clear shortly thereafter but the skipping around of whose point of view within the chapters made it confusing to keep up with who was the narrator. I’m all for the different points of view. But, the author should at least make it clear to the reader who is speaking. In When the World was Young, the narrator was changing within the chapter and with no real transition as to who was narrating.
Also, the characters never developed. It was almost like Wally was stuck in childhood. When she finally decided to confront Bill Niederman, she didn’t end things well. She could have ended things without him feeling more terrible than he was already feeling and had felt for the past 10+ years.
I found the book depressing and boring. The fact that everyone kept dying or abandoning Wally was just so incredibly sad. The poor child was basically raised by her maid, Loretta. I loved Loretta, though. She was one of the only good characters in the book.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. It was lacked cohesiveness and character development. It was truly a disappointment.
1.5 stars out of 5
I was really excited about reading this book when I read the plot summary for When the World was Young. But, when I started reading, I was sadly disappointed.
The book lacked organization in a big way. For the first five chapters or so, I couldn’t figure out who was the main character, Wally or her mother, Stella. It did become clear shortly thereafter but the skipping around of whose point of view within the chapters made it confusing to keep up with who was the narrator. I’m all for the different points of view. But, the author should at least make it clear to the reader who is speaking. In When the World was Young, the narrator was changing within the chapter and with no real transition as to who was narrating.
Also, the characters never developed. It was almost like Wally was stuck in childhood. When she finally decided to confront Bill Niederman, she didn’t end things well. She could have ended things without him feeling more terrible than he was already feeling and had felt for the past 10+ years.
I found the book depressing and boring. The fact that everyone kept dying or abandoning Wally was just so incredibly sad. The poor child was basically raised by her maid, Loretta. I loved Loretta, though. She was one of the only good characters in the book.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. It was lacked cohesiveness and character development. It was truly a disappointment.
1.5 stars out of 5
August 14, 2014
Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Random House via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is August 5, 2014.
This is not going to be a long review because I feel this is one of those stories that needs to tell itself rather than me sharing my thoughts about it. It was a wonderful story that follows Wally from the time of her childhood until young adulthood. It tells the tale of how the decisions that people make have impacts to others that form their future relationships and paths.
This story has a great cast of characters. Wally was an inquisitive and interesting child. Ham and Loretta were wonderful support and their side story equally interesting. The story of Stella was sad yet I couldn't get enough.
Add to this the time-frame of the story starting at the end of WW11 and the Korean war and racial inequalities it created a rather compelling story. This is not a book of adventure or where a lot happens. Instead it is a well written coming of age story with a strong female character. It is about the emotional growth of characters as they attempt to conquer the world when they have questions about where they came from and what happened in the past.
I really really liked this book
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Random House via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is August 5, 2014.
This is not going to be a long review because I feel this is one of those stories that needs to tell itself rather than me sharing my thoughts about it. It was a wonderful story that follows Wally from the time of her childhood until young adulthood. It tells the tale of how the decisions that people make have impacts to others that form their future relationships and paths.
This story has a great cast of characters. Wally was an inquisitive and interesting child. Ham and Loretta were wonderful support and their side story equally interesting. The story of Stella was sad yet I couldn't get enough.
Add to this the time-frame of the story starting at the end of WW11 and the Korean war and racial inequalities it created a rather compelling story. This is not a book of adventure or where a lot happens. Instead it is a well written coming of age story with a strong female character. It is about the emotional growth of characters as they attempt to conquer the world when they have questions about where they came from and what happened in the past.
I really really liked this book
April 24, 2020
This book had so much promise but left so many things undeveloped - except the descriptions of ants. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for a nice escape from the current world events + good (virtual) book club discussion.
February 26, 2015
I'm torn. I certainly enjoyed reading this book. At times I had trouble putting it down. I really did like Wally- she is a clever, complex, curious person who I would be happy to know in real-life. Had the narrative been perhaps edited better- maybe if it hadn't forced the inclusion of practically every issue in the country from 1945 to 1960 (war! atom bombs! polio! class struggles! racism! babies out of wedlock! animal cruelty! suicide! female scientists!... the downsides of highway construction?!) it would have actually made a better impact.
Some specific issues:
-Stella's suicide seemed very out of character, totally over the top. She had just had a long internal monologue about how even if she and Bill couldn't marry they would still have a totally awesome modern family and everything would be fine because of all her trust fund money. Then she gets a telegram and is like, "never mind, I'll just kill myself and let my daughter find my lifeless body. Also I'll burn this vague telegram but not the actual incriminating letter I didn't quite mail to Bill." And then Gaffney makes us wait until the very very end of the book to discover the content of these letters which by then really wasn't a mystery.
-The pages and pages about the ants. So yeah I get that Wally was present when pheromones were discovered and that her liking bugs makes her totally weird and awesome- which is cool. And I get tht the ants are a metaphor for family and long term goals and tiny things doing powerful work and girl power, but honestly I had to just start skimming because I could not read another sentence about ants.
-Also for a book with pages and pages about the complexities of ant chemistry, a lot of interesting conversations and events happen off-screen and are just casually mentioned in the next paragraph. I kept having to go back and be like 'wait, when did that happen? when did we talk about that?' oh, never. it just happened..off screen.
-The male characters were not believable to me. I get that this is a very woman-centered book and that as a woman I should not be complaining about a novel in which there are four well-developed and complex female characters. But.. I can't help but think that Gaffney didn't try very hard with her male characters. Ham was rudderless, his actions and opinions seemingly random, and then there's Leo: the nicest artist on the planet who is just fine with all sorts of crazy happening around him. And they both adore Wally- conveniently, in complementary, non-competitive way which just ties up the end of the book in a nice little bow. And there is Wally's father, the deadbeat Navy admiral who abandons her and then shows back up later in the book with a new-found fondness for rice and a totally normal relationship with his daughter. Even the baby, Georgie was the nicest, most helpful, cheerfullest, coolest four year old. Anyone who has been around a four year old for any length of time (particularly the older sister of that child) knows that this is not possible.
Waldo though- Waldo I get. I liked him.
Some specific issues:
-Stella's suicide seemed very out of character, totally over the top. She had just had a long internal monologue about how even if she and Bill couldn't marry they would still have a totally awesome modern family and everything would be fine because of all her trust fund money. Then she gets a telegram and is like, "never mind, I'll just kill myself and let my daughter find my lifeless body. Also I'll burn this vague telegram but not the actual incriminating letter I didn't quite mail to Bill." And then Gaffney makes us wait until the very very end of the book to discover the content of these letters which by then really wasn't a mystery.
-The pages and pages about the ants. So yeah I get that Wally was present when pheromones were discovered and that her liking bugs makes her totally weird and awesome- which is cool. And I get tht the ants are a metaphor for family and long term goals and tiny things doing powerful work and girl power, but honestly I had to just start skimming because I could not read another sentence about ants.
-Also for a book with pages and pages about the complexities of ant chemistry, a lot of interesting conversations and events happen off-screen and are just casually mentioned in the next paragraph. I kept having to go back and be like 'wait, when did that happen? when did we talk about that?' oh, never. it just happened..off screen.
-The male characters were not believable to me. I get that this is a very woman-centered book and that as a woman I should not be complaining about a novel in which there are four well-developed and complex female characters. But.. I can't help but think that Gaffney didn't try very hard with her male characters. Ham was rudderless, his actions and opinions seemingly random, and then there's Leo: the nicest artist on the planet who is just fine with all sorts of crazy happening around him. And they both adore Wally- conveniently, in complementary, non-competitive way which just ties up the end of the book in a nice little bow. And there is Wally's father, the deadbeat Navy admiral who abandons her and then shows back up later in the book with a new-found fondness for rice and a totally normal relationship with his daughter. Even the baby, Georgie was the nicest, most helpful, cheerfullest, coolest four year old. Anyone who has been around a four year old for any length of time (particularly the older sister of that child) knows that this is not possible.
Waldo though- Waldo I get. I liked him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2014
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
So, I do like historical fiction, but I'm picky about it. WWII is so overdone that I tend to be leery of it, but the blurb for this book intrigued me. Who wouldn't want to read about a tomboy intellectual little girl growing up in the fascinating city of New York just as the war comes to an end? A time of transition, a time to grow up.
And I'm willing to say that it might just be me this time. The book got off to a rocky start, switching viewpoints willy-nilly. It also likes a good random flashback. So we're given a hint at tragedy in the first chapter. It takes half of the book to actually rewind and get back to where the book began, when we find out what happened.
I'll agree with another reviewer that Stella, Wally's mom, is portrayed as strong, intelligent, educated, and unconventional, so I found her decision unlikely. I did stop reading at this point, so maybe there's yet another twist to come.
I couldn't quite fall in love with the characters, and the storyline wasn't smooth. So, not for me.
So, I do like historical fiction, but I'm picky about it. WWII is so overdone that I tend to be leery of it, but the blurb for this book intrigued me. Who wouldn't want to read about a tomboy intellectual little girl growing up in the fascinating city of New York just as the war comes to an end? A time of transition, a time to grow up.
And I'm willing to say that it might just be me this time. The book got off to a rocky start, switching viewpoints willy-nilly. It also likes a good random flashback. So we're given a hint at tragedy in the first chapter. It takes half of the book to actually rewind and get back to where the book began, when we find out what happened.
I'll agree with another reviewer that Stella, Wally's mom, is portrayed as strong, intelligent, educated, and unconventional, so I found her decision unlikely. I did stop reading at this point, so maybe there's yet another twist to come.
I couldn't quite fall in love with the characters, and the storyline wasn't smooth. So, not for me.
August 29, 2014
This book was a big disappointment. I'd read a couple of good reviews, it's set in a period I'm interested in, and I loved the cover. But the first part lost my interest because of all the junior entomology, the second part because the mother was an idiot, and the third because they were all under-developed, one-dimensional characters that just don't generate much interest or sympathy. The period element is never realized either. The writing is pedestrian and you can follow the whole rather predictable narrative by skimming rather than close reading.
September 25, 2016
This was a solid book! I liked the generational storyline. And of course, the fact that it was set in and around my neighborhood- I felt at times that the author tried a little too hard with metaphors, and the ending was a bit unbelievable- I actually think the better storyline might have been to pick up at the book's end. But all in all, it was a fast read that I don't at all regret!
April 29, 2014
I'm still all for Wally and Ham. Hamly? Wallam?
August 17, 2014
5++++ A WONDERFUL READ.
August 15, 2020
This book is difficult to rate based on my polarizing views, but I think I’ve settled somewhere in the middle.
"They even have names — scapus, funicula, and clava just to begin — but before you name them, you must see them, so look!"
This tale is a intensely focused tale on the family of Wallace (Wally) Baker and her obsession with ants. Her and her childhood best friend, Hamilton (Ham), grew up together and found their passions in very different places than what was expected of them. At the same time there is an underlying secrecy about Wally’s mother’s relationship with a man who lodged in their home before WWII’s end. I’m also not joking about the ants obsession - it accounts for a large portion of Wally’s life and musings.
It’s a messy tale full of imperfect humans. I particularly enjoy that type of historical or literary fiction, but at the same time this book felt so slow to get into initially. The last third of this book was incredibly enjoyable and faster paced, but I don’t know how many people would be willing to march through the opening and watching two children grow up! I wish the whole book had contained the latter section’s pacing.
I also found myself disgruntled at the amount of times Wally is commented on for her tomboyish nature in a way that is more disparaging. So often she was described as “like a boy” or “just a girl” and I wanted to lay down. This author really weaved in good discussions on racism from that time period, yet seems to uphold the weird expectations for women back then? It didn’t line up right.
However, my favorite character was Dr. Somersby, an entomologist working in the zoology department of a museum. We see him the least but every time he was on the page, I adored him and his eccentricity. He’s the type of character whose passions make you understand why some people end up in such specific career paths. Much love for him.
In the end, I don’t regret picking this book up! If you’re interested I still would recommend it but I don’t think I’ll be returning to it anytime soon. If Gaffney has written other historical fiction pieces, I’m inclined to check them out.
"They even have names — scapus, funicula, and clava just to begin — but before you name them, you must see them, so look!"
This tale is a intensely focused tale on the family of Wallace (Wally) Baker and her obsession with ants. Her and her childhood best friend, Hamilton (Ham), grew up together and found their passions in very different places than what was expected of them. At the same time there is an underlying secrecy about Wally’s mother’s relationship with a man who lodged in their home before WWII’s end. I’m also not joking about the ants obsession - it accounts for a large portion of Wally’s life and musings.
It’s a messy tale full of imperfect humans. I particularly enjoy that type of historical or literary fiction, but at the same time this book felt so slow to get into initially. The last third of this book was incredibly enjoyable and faster paced, but I don’t know how many people would be willing to march through the opening and watching two children grow up! I wish the whole book had contained the latter section’s pacing.
I also found myself disgruntled at the amount of times Wally is commented on for her tomboyish nature in a way that is more disparaging. So often she was described as “like a boy” or “just a girl” and I wanted to lay down. This author really weaved in good discussions on racism from that time period, yet seems to uphold the weird expectations for women back then? It didn’t line up right.
However, my favorite character was Dr. Somersby, an entomologist working in the zoology department of a museum. We see him the least but every time he was on the page, I adored him and his eccentricity. He’s the type of character whose passions make you understand why some people end up in such specific career paths. Much love for him.
In the end, I don’t regret picking this book up! If you’re interested I still would recommend it but I don’t think I’ll be returning to it anytime soon. If Gaffney has written other historical fiction pieces, I’m inclined to check them out.
May 20, 2017
I listened to this book because I really liked the premise. I love reading about old New York, especially during World War II. I wound up being really disappointed in the book, though, because it was so nonlinear for the first half. The character of Stella Baker was portrayed as smart, strong, and loving of her daughter. Then something happens that contradicts all that. I also didn't care for the whole entomology plotline. I liked that Wally loved science, but hearing about the ants kind of made my stomach churn. I was also really disappointed in Wally at the end, for sleeping with two guys in so short of a time, and then getting pregnant. This story portrayed her as being strong and wanting to get a really good education, but not smart enough to avoid getting pregnant. Also, I had a hard time believing Leo would stay with her even though she was carrying another man's child. This novel had potential, but sadly, it didn't come to much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2017
Not sure how I feel overall about this book. It was interesting because it was historical fiction, but it dragged on. Also the main character was too perfect it was as if she had no faults. The author made her unique to the point that I felt like she wasn't a real person because there was no explanation for why she did certain things. One of the things that bothered me the most was her mothers suicide. It just wasn't believable. Her mother was a smart women, a doctor even who loved her daughter. I just don't believe she was the kind of women to take her own life. And if she committed suicide when she found out Bill couldn't be with her, what stopped her from committing suicide years ago when billy halt died? Why go through the misery of a marriage with Rudy? Also the whole random part where Ham and her start having a more intimate relationship was random? Why even include that if he doesn't end up with her? It just makes things awkward. Not to mention one day she finds Leo old and predictable and the next she realizes she loves him? Ehh an ok read...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2025
This book was suggested by an app after reading a different book. Now I wish I knew what that book was. This book is interesting and has interesting characters that made me want to know what happened to them. BUT it was exhausting to read because the timeline jumped around, it covered decades of time, it had so much scientific data about ants (yes, 🐜), and mainly you had to read the thoughts and actions of every character. It would have been less intensive and more enjoyable if there had maybe been only two characters that you had to hang out in their heads. Pros: strong women, thoughtful and real consequences of WWII and Korea, and families built on love not necessarily DNA.
Edited to add: I finally figured out why the story felt familiar or what I would compare it to: Visionary Women by Andrea Barnet in the part about Jane Goodall.
Edited to add: I finally figured out why the story felt familiar or what I would compare it to: Visionary Women by Andrea Barnet in the part about Jane Goodall.
June 7, 2020
It was a quick, pleasant read but I was disappointed on a number of levels. At start, the book appears to be about a woman liberated ahead of her time. As a child during WW II, she grows up a tomboy, with her mother and grandmother both physicians. Her best friend is the son of her African American housekeeper. She reads Wonder Woman and wants to become an entomologist. But the liberated mothers are also depicted as cold and neglectful of their children. (To be fair, so are the fathers...). The girl herself, as she grows to be a woman, never accomplishes her goal but instead her greatest accomplishment is having a baby.
The other problematic thing is the point of view shifts randomly and rapidly from one character to another. This prevents any deep character development.
The other problematic thing is the point of view shifts randomly and rapidly from one character to another. This prevents any deep character development.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2020
Elizabeth Gaffney's When the World Was Young defies easy categorization. Essentially, it is the coming of age of Wally Baker. After the death of her glamorous mother, Stella, Wally, lives with her grandparents, but is largely raised by their black maid, Loretta, in the years after World War II. Gradually, Wally comes to see the complexities unfairness of life in a gradual stripping away of innocence.
When the World Was Young is beautifully written, with prose that transports the reader into Wally's world: Brooklyn, circa 1950. The characters, too, are distinct and sympathetic, even the wildly unstable Stella whose life has been marred by a series of disappointments and tragedies. This is a lovely read, a book that is hard to put down, and one that any lover of fiction should enjoy.
When the World Was Young is beautifully written, with prose that transports the reader into Wally's world: Brooklyn, circa 1950. The characters, too, are distinct and sympathetic, even the wildly unstable Stella whose life has been marred by a series of disappointments and tragedies. This is a lovely read, a book that is hard to put down, and one that any lover of fiction should enjoy.
May 22, 2020
A sweet historical fiction novel about the life of the female main character Wally Baker. It begins on V-J Day at the end of WWII, and is a coming of age story for both Wally and this country. This bittersweet novel explores Wally’s experiences and feelings while navigating the new landscape of America, all while enduring family tragedy. A moving read.
Check this book out from the Villa Park Public Library!
Check this book out from the Villa Park Public Library!
November 3, 2022
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The story is about a young girl who lives with her mother and grandmother, and loses some significant relationships as a young girl. She is not close with her father, and she has no father as he has been away at war. The family has a black housekeeper who has a son that also lives in the house the to become very friendly and both share of interest in insects. Well, Time goes by and these characters grow up, and we learn what happens between them and their relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was a quick read, and it kept my interest the entire time.
April 18, 2022
A very charming novel that begins with a nine year girl discovering ants and life. The novel starts on V-J day and takes through the Korean War. Wally, the young girl, moves between her mother and her grandmother, taken there by her Grandmother’s maid. Her closest friend is the African American son of her grandparents maid. Elizabeth Gaffney, a friend, deftly weaves the stories of ants with Wally’s growing up and going to college.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2017
This is a coming-of-age story set in post-World War II Brooklyn. It tells the story of Wally, who is 9 years old when the book opens in 1945 on V-J Day. Wally's father is serving in the Navy. Her little brother passed away tragically two years prior of illness. Her glamorous mother, Stella, has returned to doctoring and Wally misses spending time with her. She bonds with Mr. Niederman, a mathematician boarding with the family while he does war work for the government. Wally has mostly been raised by Loretta, her grandmother's black maid who also helped to raise Stella. Wally is not a typical girl, but a tomboy who is fascinated by ants. Her best friend is Loretta's son Ham, a few years Wally's senior. The book follows Wally from 1945 through college-age. A personal tragedy befalls Wally on V-J Day and the book revolves around the lead-up to that event and the repercussions on Wally and other's lives. We see Wally grow and mature as the novel moves forward in time and how political, racial, and world events of the time deeply impact her life and decisions, as well as other central characters in the book. A powerful and realistic family drama with strong characters set in a fascinating time in American history.
April 22, 2018
A sweet historical fiction novel about the life of the female main character Wally Baker. It begins on V-J Day at the end of WWII, and is a coming of age story for both Wally and this country. This bittersweet novel explores Wally’s experiences and feelings while navigating the new landscape of America, all while enduring family tragedy. A moving read.
March 27, 2022
Enjoyed this book. The study of ants fascinated me. I was glad that Wally followed her dream rather than allowing her grandmother to change her mind. I was sad that her grandmother deceived her all those years. My heart hurt for her as she suffered all of her losses silently. What kind of father abandons his child at such a time? How selfish.
April 26, 2024
There was a lot good about this book - the style was very readable, the plot excellent and the characters both well drawn and believable. The time period of the end of WWII was presented vividly. What I didn't like was that I skimmed through parts of the book because the foreshadowing made me want to find out what happened without having to read all the parts in between. So I did.
July 1, 2025
This was like the first draft of the book, it needed work. The first part was excruciatingly detailed and the last part was skipping ahead like there weren’t enough pages left. I didn’t care about any of the characters and wanted to know more about some things and much less about others. Unsatisfactory
February 8, 2018
A seemingly predictable plot with great character development in the first half of the book. However, the last few chapters seemed rushed with the addition of many characters last minute that didn't seem necessary.
March 23, 2019
At times this book was enjoyable. Wally is a great character and I'd love to see her in a strong plot. Unfortunately the story felt too much like a mere list of events and the other characters were like cardboard . It was okay, but not as gret as I know it could have been.
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