What a joy! This book was a delight from start to finish!

The story takes its time, moving slowly but with great atmosphere and nuance. The depictions of the relocated British children during WWII were very well-rendered, and this book struck all the right notes of sorrow and hope and fear and loss. The novel's plot is absolutely beautiful—sad but not bleak—with memorable characters on a quest for life and redemption. The author did a phenomenal job of imbuing the whole book with a fairy-tale-like quality, without ever once drawing on any supernatural element. The novel reads almost like a journey, taking its readers on a long adventure through dark and perilous places, and as the tale goes on, the tension grows and the drama unfolds, until finally the readers reach the journey's end and its thoroughly satisfying conclusion. ( )

What a joy! This book was a delight from start to finish!

The story takes its time, moving slowly but with great atmosphere and nuance. The depictions of the relocated British children during WWII were very well-rendered, and this book struck all the right notes of sorrow and hope and fear and loss. The novel's plot is absolutely beautiful—sad but not bleak—with memorable characters on a quest for life and redemption. The author did a phenomenal job of imbuing the whole book with a fairy-tale-like quality, without ever once drawing on any supernatural element. The novel reads almost like a journey, taking its readers on a long adventure through dark and perilous places, and as the tale goes on, the tension grows and the drama unfolds, until finally the readers reach the journey's end and its thoroughly satisfying conclusion. ( )

This historical novel takes place in England in 1940 and 1960. As the Nazis threaten to start bombing, the government sets up Operation Pied Piper to evacuate London children to safer homes in the countryside. Hazel Linden (14) and her sister Flora (5) are sent to Binsey, a small rural town near Oxford. They are taken in by Bridie Aberdeen, a kindly single mother, and her teenaged son Harry. The girls enjoy the pristine countryside but still have fears: their father was killed early in the war, and, of course, they worry about their mother's safety an, in Flora's case, if she will ever come back for them. Hazel creates for a safe space called Whisperwood, a place in the woods with a starry river where they can become whatever they choose (owls, frogs, rabbits, etc.). The stories help to calm Flora's fear. They are the girls' secret. Hazel warns Flora that if she ever tells anyone about Whisperwood, it will disappear forever. Later, when Flora seems unusually attracted to the river in the woods near Bridie's cottage, she tells Flora never to go near the river because if she ever goes into it, she will never be able to come home.

In 1960, we see Hazel working in a rare book shop, in charge of logging and filing incoming books and documents. She opens a package of illustrations that look familiar: two sisters running hand-in-hand towards the woods and a river shining with stars. The illustrations link to a popular books about two sisters and their adventures in Whisperwood. She is convinced that someone has stolen her stories. But how could that be? She never told them to anyone but Flora--and Flora had disappeared in Binsey. The police believe that she drowned in the Thames, but Hazel and her mother Camellia hold out hope that she escaped this fate and is still alive; they have been looking for her for 20 years. Could this book, written by an American, be proof that Flora was still alive?

Thus kicks off the mystery at the center of The Secret Book of Flora Lea. But it is also an exploration of the effect of trauma on the Pied Piper children and of the guilt caused by the loss of her sister on Hazel. She has found herself unable to commit to a partner, although there is some hope that Barnaby, her current boyfriend, may be the one.

The author develops her story with lots of surprises, twists and turns. The alternating chapters is a good structure for the story. Details from the past (1940) are slowly revealed as Hazel tries to unlock the secret of the how the American Whisperwood books came into being (1960) and what connection they might have to Flora. Overall, I enjoyed the book, although I have to admit that it dragged a few times and that some events were too predictable and sometimes characters are a bit too precious. ( )

3

To keep her children safe from the dangers of war in London, a mother makes the difficult choice to send them out of the city. Hazel, 14, and Flora, 5, are taken in by a kind mother, Bridie, and her son, Harry. To calm her sister, Hazel makes up a magical place called Whisperwood, a land they can escape to when reality becomes too much to bear. But a tragic occurrence separates the sisters, and the locals believe the younger girl has drowned in the river. Two decades have passed, and Hazel has never given up on the belief that her sister is alive somewhere. And then, a parcel arrives at the bookshop where she works. It’s a book about a magical place called Whisperwood. Hazel is now sure that somehow this book will lead her to her sister, because her sister was the only one who knew about Whisperwood. This lovely and delightful tale is a story of determination and perseverance. Hazel is a strong character, even as a child. Peggy, whom Hazel meets, shows growth as the novel develops. The story is well thought out and well written. It describes the problems faced by the women and children during the war years quite accurately. It’s a different look at worn-torn England, focusing on the home front and the children, a story that will surely appeal to a wide audience. ( )

I definitely overlooked reading this book specifically because it centered around a war and I had tired of reading historical fiction for the reason there were so many books out there. I found it at the library and decided to give it a whirl and I'm glad I did. It was very well written and the plot kept things moving along. I really enjoyed the story. ( )

The story of two sisters, 14 yr. old Hazel and 5 yr. old Flora, evacuated from London during WWII to the safety of a village in Oxfordshire. Hazel makes up a fairy tale place to comfort her little sister. During their stay, Flora disappears when Hazel leaves her alone for a few minutes. The family never finds Flora, suspecting that she has fallen into the Thames and drowned. Twenty years later, Hazel finds a book about the exact fairy tale place she created for Flora, and the story takes flight.

The story is told in two timelines, one in 1940 in the days leading up to Flora's disappearance, and the other in 1960, where Hazel, in her mid-30s, is working in a rare bookstore. The chapters are short, and sometimes I felt like I had whiplash, going back and forth every few pages. It was, however, an effective way to tell the story. My only complaint was that the writing seemed a little amateur--way too many adjectives used to describe every little thing, no matter how unimportant the detail was to the story. I've often found the level of literary skill in historical fiction to be less than contemporary fiction. Not sure why that is so, but the story itself was worthwhile. ( )

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the actor Cynthia Erivo -- I really enjoyed her narration.

The story is told in two timelines: 1939 and then 20 years later and revolves around the children evacuated from London during WWII and a 20 year mystery about what happens to one of them.

The novel to me read like a fairytale and has many bookish references and parallels.

I guessed a part of the mystery's resolution early on, but the twist at the end was unexpected as the red herrings were well placed. All in all, I think it was a historical fiction mystery which I would recommend. ( )

Yet another beautiful read about children during the London Blitz. This author adds fairy tales and magical lands because that is the route 14 yr old Hazel creates to help her 5 yr old sister, Flora. A lovely read. ( )

Alternating between 1939 and 1960, mainly in England. Hazel's baby sister was missing during WWII, never found, presumed drowned. The stories Hazel would make up and tell her for them to escape their lonliness appeared in a book for publication. How did that happen? Who submitted them. An interesting story of the time. ( )

I don't even remember how I heard about this lovely book.... maybe in hunting around for (relatively) non-violent tales of Britain during the blitz, which somehow has become a topic of great interest to me.

In any case, it is wonderful. At first, probably because I seem to read SO many British authors, I couldn't help but notice tell-tale signs that the author is American. But the compelling stories, the shimmering-on-the-edges magic, the sadness that never got to be too much (but it surely could have), and the love that infuses each page were far more important.

For the past week or so I have neglected emails, house chores, and work tasks while obsessively reading this book night and day. And I wouldn't have it any other way. This is a treasure for anyone who loves the power of story and the beauty of words strung together with skill and care. ( )

Desperately trying to catch up on books I've read in 2023, before it turns 2024. Don't think I'll make it. Review (hopefully) to come later. ( )

There's something so enchanting about imagined worlds inhabited in childhood. The Hundred Acre Wood. Calvin and Hobbes. Narnia. Anne Shirley's fanciful stories about the landscape around her. These invented places are a comforting and happy place to be and a safe refuge when the world is too much. Patti Callahan Henry obviously understands the importance and charm of these worlds in her latest novel, The Secret Book of Flora Lea.

1939. Operation Pied Piper. Hazel is 14 and her little sister Flora is 5. Their father has been killed in the war so despite their grieving mother's despair at letting her children leave, she sends them away from London, away from the bombs, to rural England. Hazel and Flora end up being taken in by Bridie Aberdeen, a warm and loving woman who has a son Harry, who is the same age as Hazel. Much of their time in the countryside is idyllic aside from the backdrop of war and missing their mother. When the sisters need to escape even this cozy life with the Aberdeens, Hazel tells Flora their own special, made-up, private fairy tale set in the magical land of Whisperwood to help them cope with the uncertainty in their world.

1960. Years after the war, Hazel is working for Hogan's Rare Book Shoppe in Bloomsbury. It's her last day on the job before moving over to Sotheby's when she finds a manuscript written by American author Peggy Andrews titled Whisperwood and the River of Stars. It is the story she always told little Flora, who went missing, presumed drowned, while they were billeted in the country. But neither she nor Flora ever told anyone else the story so she can't understand how this American author could possibly know it. Impulsively Hazel takes the valuable manuscript when she leaves Hogan's, and sets out on a quest to finally answer what happened to her little sister.

This story is an delightful look at imagination and the power of stories through the lens of the very real Operation Pied Piper and the specter of the "lost children" (those who were evacuated but never returned home) from that time. Hazel is a sympathetic character, trying to live her life but really still stuck back in 1939, feeling guilt and grief over Flora's disappearance. The manuscript is so similar to the story she used to tell her sister that it makes hope bloom in her, pushing her to uncover what happened back then. The book spills over with the enchantment of stories and shines with enduring love for family. Readers will themselves want to be invited into Bridie's welcoming country home and work in the back room of the rare book shop. Hazel seems to be a sweet, intelligent, fairly modern young woman and the reader winces when people around her encourage her to let go of her quest, cheering her at every turn as she continues on regardless. The end was the weakest part of the story as it was telegraphed with flares and predictable, but there were a few welcome twists and turns to get there, which helped make it less frustrating in the end. Obviously this is a WWII book but it's really more about the homefront than it is about the war. The mystery pacing starts off slowly and picks up speed as things start to come together for Hazel and the alternating time line helps to build anticipation. This is a endearing read, especially for those who spent a lot of time in books or other imagined worlds when they were young.

This book is one of the 2023 Women's National Book Association's Great Group Reads. ( )

A historical mystery that will remind you of childhood fantasy novels while explaining the reason a specific trope of them exists. ( )

This book is beautifully written and crafted. The language, the characters and the various settings of the book just pop out. as you read Patti Callahan is a skilled craftsman. Unfortunately, the plot of the book fell down a bit for me. I found it disjointed as it slipped back and forth out of 4 or 5 time zones. I also found the end rather rushed, and a few more coincidences than I wanted to accept. The story begins from a little-known era of WWII in England. In 1939, and during The Blitz, many children were sent out of London to the county in order to get them safely out of harm's way. Unfortunately not much research or time was taken with the placements for these displaced children. Some lucked out and lived in loving and caring homes, others were placed with less than acceptable people who used them as unpaid labour. Others were lost either through carelessness or neglect, or from wandering away, or some even at the bottom of the ocean when they were sent to America. Fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora were lucky because they were placed in a loving home with a caring mother and her son. Then tragedy strikes and Flora goes missing in the fall of 1940. Hazel and her mother spend years and years trying to find out what happened to Flora. Hazel appears to get some help in her search from a book, written about an imaginary world that she created and that no one but her and her sister knew about. This book sets in motion a search to find Flora twenty years after her disappearance. Hazel has to face some truths and residual guilt from what she thinks was her fault. This book will be enjoyed by those who love fairy tales and quiet, reflective stories. I did enjoy the book because of the beautiful language, but I felt it fell short in the plot and in the completion of the story.. ( )

"Not very long ago and not very far away, there once was and still is an invisible place right here with us. And if you are born knowing, you will find your way through the woodlands to the shimmering doors that lead to the land made just and exactly for you."

This is the start of The Secret Book of Flora Lea, a reminder that we are a myth-making people; it is how we make meaning of the meaningless and sense of senseless. It is why we tell stories.

- Author's Note, by Patti Callahan Henry

In The Secret Book of Flora Lea, Patti Callahan Henry skillfully weaves a moving and magical story. I really enjoy reading Callahan's books as she always has the perfect blend of historical accounts and a magical fairytale-like atmosphere which surely comes from her love of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Set in 1939 in England, war has been declared, and Hazel (14 yrs. old) and Flora (just 5 yrs. old) are whisked away with over three hundred other children in London, in the British dubbed Operation Pied Piper.

Operation Pied Piper was enacted to safeguard the city's children from looming bomb threats. Hazel shares stories from her made-up world, Whisperwood and the River of Stars, to help little Flora cope with being far away from home. While the girls are forced to live with strangers in the country to stay safe from war, the unthinkable happens, Flora vanishes. Hazel's world is turned upside down.

Flora’s disappearance shapes and haunts Hazel’s adult life.
Hazel never gives up hope that one day she will find her sister, and when a book with a very familiar title comes across her desk at work, she is reignited by that objective alone. She must find out what happened to her sister, even if it means risking the life and love she has pieced together in the wake of her sister's disappearance.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long while. The Secret Book of Flora Lea has captured my heart ❤️, filled with profound joy, deep sadness, and everything in between.

Five stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for an extraordinary story that beautifully combines reality, fantasy, love, and hope.

Here are some more of my favorite quotes;

"Telling stories is one of the greatest powers that we possess. It's like a dream you can fill with what you want. And the knight doesn't always have to save the princess; sometimes she saves herself."

"Of course the story could never be exact; no story ever retold was perfectly told. But it would be true.
Her pen moved across the paper, her heart opened, her breath evened out, and she returned to her first love, the love she'd once left in fear and guilt: story."

"A choice to make? Therein was freedom, she thought, the ability to make a choice she never thought she'd have the opportunity to make. But she had to be careful. Freedom, for all its claims of wonder, also had its price." ( )

Fiction is oversaturated with WWII stories, but this one is well worth the read. I love anything that showcases the power of stories. ( )

*Happy Publication Day!*
May 2, 2023

4.5⭐️

In 1939, as WWII rages on, sisters fourteen-year-old Hazel Mersey Linden and five-year-old Flora Lea Linden are evacuated from London as a part of Operation Pied Piper along with other children to protect them from German aerial bombings. They end up in Binsey, Oxfordshire in the home of the Aberdeens - Bridie and her son Harry, who welcome them and treat them with kindness and compassion. But their time in the safe idyllic countryside comes to a tragic end in 1940 when six-year-old Flora disappears from the banks of the River Thames, where she had been napping on a blanket. The pain and guilt for having not been able to protect Flora from harm haunt Hazel for years to come and resulting in her cutting all ties with the Aberdeens.

Fast forward to 1960 and we find Hazel in the middle of her last day at Hogan’s Rare Book Shoppe in Bloomsbury where she has been employed for the last fifteen years and is now moving on to her dream job in Sotheby’s. When she opens a parcel from America with the first edition and a set of original illustrations from a children’s book named "Whisperwood and the River of Stars" written by American author Peggy Andrews, shocks her to her core. After all these years, the secret world she created for her sister was in the pages of a book, written by a stranger. How did Peggy Andrews know about Whisperwood- the imaginary haven created by Hazel for Flora? Could Peggy be Flora? How else could she know about Whisperwood? What really happened to Flora all those years ago?

“We’re always safe in Whisperwood.”

Hazel's attempts to contact Peggy result in a hostile telephone call, following which Hazel embarks on her search for answers. In the course of her quest, she tries to contact people from her past who knew Hazel and Flora when they were in Binsey revisiting the painful memories she had left behind twenty years ago all the while studiously avoiding a journalist who wants to write about Flora's story as a part of her series on children who were lost during The Blitz. Hazel resents anyone sensationalizing her family’s tragedy. While she has support from her best friend Kelty (a fellow evacuee during Operation Pied Piper who became her lifelong friend) and others including her ex-employer, her actions are met with concern and skepticism from her boyfriend Barnaby, causing a rift in their relationship. But Hazel is not deterred and nothing will diminish her resolve to find out what happened to Flora twenty years ago.

On the other side of the world in Cape Cod, Massachusetts Peggy Andrews is astonished when a stranger from London calls her claiming that the concept of Whisperwood and its magical elements was conceptualized by her for her sister. How did Peggy find out about Whisperwood? How is her story tied to Hazel’s and Flora’s?

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry is an exquisitely written novel that combines elements of historical fact and fiction with an element of mystery and fairy tales and touches upon themes of war, grief, love and family, the indestructible bond between siblings, hope and healing. The author creates an immersive world around the magic of storytelling and the role books and stories can play in our lives, especially in difficult moments. I enjoyed the literary references interspersed throughout the narrative.

The characterizations are superb and I found the narrative in both timelines equally absorbing. The “Whisperwood” sections were enchanting and I felt myself being transported to that magical place along with the sisters. The Author’s Note is informative and provides perspective into the historical context of the story and details the true events that inspired (and in a few instances are mentioned) parts of this novel. She also highlights the significance of fairy tales in the lives of children, quoting Tolkien that fairy tales offer children “the consolation of a happy ending.” Overall, I could not put this book down and was immersed in the world of WWII London /post-WWII London and the fantastical world of Whisperwood.

Heartbreaking in parts, enchanting and hopeful in others, The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a beautiful story – one that should be read with your heart! Patti Callahan Henry is a masterful storyteller and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )

I liked the way the book when from 1939 to 1960, to explain what had happened when Hazel and Flora were sent to live in the countryside during WW2. Flora dissapears when they are there and Hazel never believed she is dead. The story is about what happened to her sister Flora. ( )

I wanted to like this one more than I did, but Hazel was exhausting. The true history behind the premise is heartbreaking. Operation Pied Piper sent children away from their families during the WWII London blitz. In this novel, Hazel’s sister goes missing during that time. I read because I wanted to know what happened, but it was almost a DNF. The ending made up for the frustrating bits, but I still wished for so much more. ( )

I enjoyed this book a lot. It read and ended a lot like a Hallmark movie, but it was just right for me at the time. ( )

I told myself that I would not obtain any more books featuring World War II (I had read so many featuring that era that I needed a break). The blurb for The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry sounded intriguing, so I decided to take a chance. I liked the basic premise with Hazel searching for her lost sister. A children’s book is the best clue Hazel has had in twenty years. The author’s long winded yet flowery, detail-oriented writing style along with the three timelines and the alternating point of views (there are at least five POVs) makes it a challenging story to read. The author is overly descriptive which leads to a slow (snails move faster) pace. I did not connect with any of the characters, not even Hazel. I was sympathetic toward Hazel considering what she experienced and her struggle to find her lost sister. It had to be difficult to be sent away from your mother during the war. You do not know here you are going. You are living with strangers. Thankfully, Hazel and Flora lived with a kind lady in a cozy cottage. But it had to be heartbreaking to lose her sister. The war was long for those living in the United Kingdom with severe rationing and frequent bombings. The Secret Book of Flora Lea has family drama, a touch of romance, and a mystery. The best part of the book is the last twenty percent. That is when things became interesting. I had guessed most of the mystery (I love to read mysteries). I can tell the author does not write mysteries. She did not leave those little details that would help readers solve the crime or would lead to the twist (or readers would think back on later and go “oh, now I get it”). The ending was rushed but it will leave readers happy. The story does contain foul language (which did not fit the story and there was too much of it) and intimate relations (the bedroom scenes were not needed). There is a love triangle as well (one of my biggest pet peeves). The Secret Book of Flora Lea was not a hit with me (as you can tell). The flowery prose, repetition, and the long, drawn-out story (it is one long book—feels longer than 364 pages) are a great cure for insomnia. If the premise of The Secret Book of Flora Lea sounds interesting to you, I suggest you download a sample to judge the story for yourself. I appreciated the author’s note at the end. The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a lyrical tale with a missing sister, a special tale, a purloined novel, a lost love, a resolute reporter, and a star-studded river. ( )

Take if two sisters who were evacuated outside of London for safety Fromm bombingvraids during WW II. One is idnapped and believed drowned, however the sister left behind believes she could still be alive for twenty years. Then she reads a book telling of Whisperwood where two sisters have adventures and realizes that her sister must be still alive as this was the same a story she’d told her. ( )

The historical basis for the book is the Pied Piper program run by the British government to evacuate children from the bombing zone in London in 1939. The alternate timeline takes place in 1960. The story revolves around a missing girl and her family’s efforts to find her over the years since her disappearance. I found the story compelling, and the characters well drawn. There are many compelling issues for discussion including who is the real person--- the first or the longest lived? Would you have sent your children out of harm’s way? Is there an ethical theft? How long to stick with a relationship, trying to make it work? I was in the mood for a well-told story and this one worked for me right now. Note: some are critical of anachronistic references. I ran across several, but it didn’t spoil the book for me. ( )

I love this author and I loved this book! Again, a subject that I knew very little about. England decided to move their children out of the cities and into the countryside to keep them safe during World War Ii calling it Pied Piper. We follow the story of Hazel, 14 years old and her sister, Flora, 5 years old as they are evacuated from their home to a rural village. ( )