"Holger consumed the meal with appetite and afterward thought wistfully of coffee and a smoke. But wartime shortages had somewhat weaned him from those pleasant vices." (CHAPTER THREE, pp. 23-24)
We have noticed the absence of coffee in other times and realms here but have not previously mentioned wartime shortages. Holger is not the only fictional character to depart for another world during World War II. See also CS Lewis':
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
Perelandra
The Great Divorce
The Lion... mentions the Blitz. Perelandra mentions blackout restrictions. The Great Divorce ends with an air raid siren. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters is also set during WWII.
Poul Anderson's Time Patrolman, Manse Everard, visits London during the Blitz.
Holger:
"...had never gone in for reading romances, scientific or otherwise..." (CHAPTER TWO, p. 20)
Scientific romances are what Lewis knew as "scientifiction" and what we call science fiction.
In an early edition of a novel by HG Wells, the list of other titles by the same author included not the heading "Science Fiction" but the sentence, "Mr. Wells has also written the following fantastic and imaginative romances."
John Buchan wrote not "The King liked my books" but "He did me the honour to be amused by my romances."
Three Hearts... is a romance, scientific or otherwise...
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