Book Synopsis:
England, 1943: Home is no longer safe for eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob. Night after night wailing bombs and screeching planes skim the rooftops overhead. They cradle each other, shivering in terror, not knowing if they will live to see dawn. Their mother, Martha, has no choice but to evacuate them to the safety of the countryside.
At the train station, Martha bites back tears as she says goodbye to her precious children. Knowing she might never see them again, she gives Jacob a letter, pressing the envelope into his hands and telling him to only read it if they are in danger.
In the country, Molly and Jacob must adjust to life with strangers. Every night they dream of returning home to the arms of their beloved mother. But then the unimaginable happens. Martha is killed in an explosion, leaving the twins all alone in the world.
The war has robbed Molly and Jacob of everything – all they have left is one another. Motherless and destitute, they face the grim reality of life in an orphanage. The time has finally come for Jacob to open the letter. What secret does it hold, and could it change the course of their tragic fate? Because if they are together, they can survive anything – but what if they are torn apart?
From the bestselling author of The Orphan Sisters comes an utterly heartbreaking and unforgettable tale of two children who must lean on each other in a time of tragedy and learn the shocking truth of their past. Fans of Wives of War, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe will be swept away by this sublime World War Two novel.
The Lost Children is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
The Lost Children is a wonderful, though very emotional, piece of historical fiction that will stay with me for a long time.
Firstly it was great to have a book from a children’s point of view for a change and I so enjoyed following the twins on their journey. I loved the vivid descriptions of the northern village the twins find themselves in which made me feel like I was actually there, experiencing everything alongside them. The sense of community was beautiful to read about and I liked that everyone helped each other, often making sacrifices for other people. It was heartwarming to see the villagers include the twins into their lives and how they settled in so quickly.
This is a very emotional books which made me sob at times. The twins go through a lot of heartache throughout the story and I often found myself wishing I could put my arm round them. Having said that the book isn’t bogged down in sadness and the over all feeling I got from this book is actually an uplifting one.
Overall I really enjoyed this fast paced, easy read which was the first book I’ve read from this author. I’ll definitely be recommending this book to others and look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
About The Author:
Shirley says she is a prime example of ‘never give up on your dream.’ Shirley is an international bestseller. She signed with Bookouture in 2018 and has written to date three stirring World War Two historical novels. She lives under the big skies of Northumberland with her husband, family and lucky black cat. She wrote her first short story at the age of ten for a magazine competition. She didn’t win but was hooked on writing for a lifetime. For many years she wrote poetry and short stories and got many rejection slips. Success followed when Shirley decided to get serious about writing novels after she retired. Shirley would like to say a huge thank you to her readers, reviewers and book bloggers for their support. Follow Shirley on her Facebook ‘Shirley Dickson Author’ page.
The blog tour is finished now but do go back and check out these fantastic bloggers reviews!
Over The Rainbow Blog 