Review of "The Mystery from Way Back When" by Carolyn Summer Quinn

Score: 92+/100 (9.2+ out of 10)

The Mystery from Way Back When is a charming and intriguing historical-fiction novel by Carolyn Summer Quinn!

Like many of Quinn's novels, such as Until the Stars Align and To Bloom Like a Tulip, this book reflects upon and revolves around the time-period of World War II and the Holocaust—the darkest and most violent period in human history. With that serving as the historical backdrop, these novels explore much more than violence, persecution, and war (as you might otherwise expect). In fact, Quinn's WWII-era novels tend to focus on individuals trying their best to live relatively normal lives in the midst of the chaos and uncertainty happening in their world.

Indeed, despite the fact that a lot of the attention of WWII fiction tends to focus on the bombs, guns, planes, warships, and soldiers, civilians still had to make a living and survive. They still had to run stores and do their jobs. They still had to take care of babies and children. Hospitals still had to operate along with train lines and more. Just because a war is happening doesn't mean that society freezes to a hault. People do everything they can to adapt and survive despite these harsh realities and circumstances.

And that's one of the things that Quinn does best in these WWII novels: showing the humanity that remains despite an ongoing war.

The Mystery from Way Back When follows Benedict (Ben/Benny) Finnegan, a nostalgic and kind-hearted man revisiting his childhood neighborhood, Keighry Head in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1983. It should be briefly noted that the author had once lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey, bringing personal experience and realism to this novel. Finnegan is there to attend the final Mass at Sacred Heart Church before it transitions to a new parish and becomes Our Lady of Fatima Church, something that historically happened. This bittersweet event serves as a reunion for old community members and a chance for Ben to reconnect with his past.

And that brings us to the other major character in the book: Antonia.

Antonia March is a poised woman on a journey to uncover the truth about her mysterious origins.

Her story intertwines with Ben’s when she arrives at the final Mass, hoping to meet the man who played a pivotal role in her life decades earlier. As a newborn, Antonia was abandoned on the steps of Sacred Heart Church and discovered by young Ben and his brothers, an event that became a defining moment in the Finnegan family’s story. In the note left with the newborn Antonia—who was still covered in amniotic fluid with her umbilical cord still attached—a request/demand is made to "Raise her a Catholic!"

Now, as an adult, Antonia seeks answers about her past, including the identity of the mother who left her and the circumstances that led to her abandonment. Her quest is both personal and urgent, driving the narrative forward.

Ben's wife, Imogene, chimes in quite a bit, serving as one of the book's most vocal characters.

The book also follows Tara, Ben’s curious teenage daughter who bridges generational gaps and connects with her family’s past. Together, they navigate themes of family, identity, and belonging as they unravel secrets tied to the Keighry Head community and Sacred Heart Church. At the same time, they reflect on Ben's memories of living during the frightening and uncertain time of World War II.

In reflecting on his personal story (and what he knows about Antonia), Benny discusses how he experienced and remembered the war. What's especially interesting is that Benny, being young and relatively naive, couldn't understand a lot of what was happening in the world at the time, just that a big war was happening with two "theaters" (the Pacific and European). There's actually a time when he mixes up Hirohito (from Japan) and Hitler (from Germany) because he conflates them as both being the enemy. It really says a lot about the innocence and naivity of children who are impacted by war—they have little to no say in the matter, often barely understanding why war is happening at all.

Speaking of being impacted by war, Joseph Finnegan, Benedict (Ben) Finnegan's father, was sent to the Pacific theater of the war, leaving his wife, Claire Finnegan, to care for their children and household in his absence. Joseph's deployment deeply impacted the family, shaping the dynamics within the Finnegan household and leaving Ben and his brothers to navigate life under their mother's care and the guidance of their grandfather, Patrick Finnegan. Joseph's absence during the war serves as a backdrop for much of the story's exploration of resilience, familial bonds, and the challenges faced by families on the home front.

Nancy O'Connell also deserves some attention as the one who was physically seen leaving Baby Antonia, leading her to be pursued as a suspect by Benny and others who are eager to solve the mystery.

Molly is depicted as a practical and nurturing mother to Nancy. She has a sharp wit and strong moral compass. She plays a key role in the neighborhood by providing guidance and emotional support, often acting as a voice of reason during pivotal moments in the story.

All of that comes into play later in uncovering the secret parentage of Antonia.
And, gosh, is it a cobweb—a Gordian knot of who is who and what is what.

It's strange how this book is actually shorter and flies a lot faster than it physically appears. 184 pages looks and sounds like a lot, but we managed to get through it in about 3-4 hours. With that said, we also had to reread it a few times because we missed and mixed up a few things. Similar to a lot of Quinn's novels, the family dynamics and relationships are so much more complicated than they need to be. In The Mystery from Way Back When and To Bloom Like a Tulip, in particular, we found ourselves constantly trying to figure out who was related/connected to who and how. You could insert an "Uncle's-Sister's-Nephew's-Neighbor" joke here because that's often how this feels.

Even going back to Until the Stars Align, Quinn always seems to want to have these huge, sprawling casts of characters. There's a point to which that becomes a bit too much to follow. Like, in Cans of Cola Just Don't Cry, the author also felt the need to include the veterinarian's family in the mix. Even one of the villains had to have a crazy girlfriend join in.

Actually, The Mystery from Way Back When shares a lot in common with these other books by Quinn. Like Cans of Cola Just Don't Cry, the protagonist discovers an abandoned baby (human baby or baby chimp) and needs to uncover the mystery behind who left them there and why they were left there. Like Until the Stars Align and To Bloom Like a Tulip, we get a child's perspective of World War II. There's something beautifully metatextual about that. For example, we imagined all of these child characters in these three WWII books celebrating on Liberation Day, which is naturally a big deal in all three.

Lastly, we wanted to talk about a subplot that explores a more subtle theme: the theme of why it's wrong to judge people based on their race or nationality. There's a character in here named Hans
Breckenbauer who is German. Characters constantly suspect that Hans is a German spy and is up to no good (simply because of his race and nationality). However, as you might expect, the truth is never so straight-forward and simple, and it's wrong to judge people just based on those things.

With that said, this is yet another example of a periphery/side character and subplot being packed into this already-packed novel, further complicating it.

Anyway, through this book, Quinn weaves a poignant tale of family, identity, and resilience, leaving readers with a profound appreciation for the enduring power of compassion and community.

Check it out on Amazon!