"The possibility of changing the course of the war runs through Francis Spufford's radiant new novel, set in London leading up to and during the Blitz. Here, however, the would-be history fixer is a sleek blond fascist sympathizer named Lady Lalage Cunningham, a character who seems to have been inspired by the equally blond and upper-class British Hitler fan Unity Mitford."
"Iris works as a secretary for a stockbroker in the city, aka the Square Mile, the venerable financial district in London. She harbors mighty ambitions that are hindered by both her gender and her class. Not only are women barred from managerial positions in British brokerage firms, but anyone can tell from her accent that she hails from Watford, a lower-middle-class suburb of the city."
"The relentless pressures of the English class system are a persistent theme in the novel, and Iris feels them to an exquisite degree. She bides her time, socking away as much cash as she can, running a sketchy side hustle peddling information to one of her firm's competitors and studying up on how the markets work."
Francis Spufford's novel Nonesuch is set in London during the Blitz and explores the possibility of altering World War II's outcome through time travel. The story centers on Lady Lalage Cunningham, an upper-class fascist sympathizer inspired by historical figure Unity Mitford, who schemes to travel back in time and prevent England's declaration of war on Germany. Iris Hawkins, a secretary working in London's financial district, discovers this plan accidentally. The tension between these two women, who despise each other, forms the emotional core of the narrative. Iris, hindered by her gender and lower-middle-class background from advancing in the male-dominated brokerage world, harbors ambitions to become wealthy enough to transcend the rigid English class system that constrains her opportunities.
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