Mister God, This is Anna

Title: Mister God, This is Anna
Author: Fynn
Major Themes: Memoir, Curiosity, Philosophy
Synopsis: When Fynn found four-year-old Anna roaming the docks in London in the years leading up to World War II, he had no idea that his life would be turned upside-down by a pint-sized girl with a craving to understand her world and everything she saw in it.

I remember Mom recommending Mister God, This is Anna to me years ago, but even though it was a slim book (and therefore a fast read), I never picked it up. Recently, when I was looking for a book to fit the bill for a reading challenge I was doing, I saw it again, and realized it would work perfectly for what I needed! It still took a while to pick this one up, but I’m glad I did—it’s the kind of story that is well worth hearing at least once, and I have a feeling Anna’s story is the kind that sticks with you long after you reach “the end”.

Fynn, a nineteen-year-old in London just before World War II, discovered little four-year-old Anna alone on the street one night. He bought some food and shared it with her, and before too long, they were fast friends. But when he tried to work out where she came from, she flatly refused to let him know. According to her, her home life was terrible, and she wanted out—which was why she was making a go of it on the streets for herself. Fynn did the only thing he could do that night—take Anna home to his mother. And just like that, Anna became a member of their family. Over the next few years, she proved herself to be a deep thinker, never accepting what she was told at face value, but turning it around and around in her mind and making certain that what she saw and heard was, in fact, true. If it wasn’t, she proved it. Fynn and Anna had many deep conversations—as well as some hilarious ones—and spent a great deal of time discovering the beauties and intricacies of creation around them.

I don’t agree with all of the conclusions Anna came to; for example, a couple of times, the topic of God and other religions comes up, and the way it comes across almost seems to imply that all religions lead to God. I don’t believe that is the case; Jesus is the only way to God. In general, though, I loved the way she thought and the methods she had of expressing herself—she was a one-of-a-kind girl!

Mister God, This is Anna is a delightful deep-dive into the life of a peculiar and much-too-grown-up-for-her-age girl. There are many nuances to the story that I’m sure I missed, but what I got out of this most of all was that life is beautiful, it’s meant to be lived to the hilt, and the more you explore, the more joy, excitement, and beauty you find. If you enjoy true stories about people who have touched the world and left it better for their presence in it, this could be an excellent choice.

WARNING: See the second-last paragraph. Bleeding or bloody are used in ch. 1, 2, 4, 7, and 8 (twice); bastard is used in ch. 1; Christ is used as a swear word in ch. 1 and 11; goodness is used in ch. 2 and 8; damn or a variation is used in ch. 2, 3 (twice), and 10; blast is used in ch. 2 and 3, heck is used in ch. 3, 4, and 5 (twice); cussing is mentioned in ch. 4; darn or a variant is used in ch. 5, 6, 7, and 9; “wait a blessed minute” is used in ch. 5 and 6; “to hell” or a variant (sometimes just ’ell) is used in ch. 5 (twice), 6 (twice), 8 (twice), 9, and 11; blimey is used in ch. 6 and 9; flippin’ is used in ch. 6 twice; “bleedin’ ’ell” and bloomin’ are used in ch. 8; someone swears in ch. 8 and 10; “please God” is used in ch. 9; “Lord” is used in ch. 10; “hell’s bells” and “holy cow” are used in ch. 10; and “God knows” is used in ch. 11. “Mister God ain’t got no bum!” is announced in ch. 8, and arses are mentioned later in the chapter. Smoking and social drinking (generally not to excess) are mentioned fairly frequently. Someone dies, and someone gets drunk in ch. 11. Occasionally, there are mentions of a girl crawling into bed with a guy, so they could talk more freely (nothing improper happens). Characters briefly talk about human anatomy in ch. 4, and there is some discussion about sex.

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