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The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

Historical fiction

The Secret Book of Flora Lea

by Patti Callahan Henry

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Quick Take

When a book bearing marks of her family’s WWII past falls into her hands, a rare bookseller goes searching for answers.

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    International

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    Siblings

Synopsis

When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed.

In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.

But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance. An astonishing twist ultimately reveals the truth in this transporting and refreshingly original novel about the bond between sisters, the complications of conflicted love, and the enduring magic of storytelling.

Why I love it

Here’s a little secret: I’ve known Patti for my entire writing career. We first met at a raucous book club weekend in East Texas (that’s a story all by itself). We’ve been friends ever since and I’ve been a fan, a cheerleader, and an admirer of her prodigious talents.

That said, Patti has outdone herself with this novel.

Seriously.

Picture yourself fleeing war-torn London, circa 1939. You’re in your teens, trying to protect your five-year-old sister, so you create a sanctuary of story. A magical place called Whisperwood, where the horrors of war are kept at bay by the power of your imaginations. But when tragedy befalls your dear sister, you blame yourself and carry that agonizing loss and secret guilt with you for the rest of your life.

Until decades later, when a book arrives at your door entitled Whisperwood and the River of Stars. The only other person who knew about this secret place was your long-lost sibling. Is she still alive? Has someone else stumbled upon your shared story? Or is this merely a breathtaking coincidence?

I’m dying to tell you. But I won’t. Because like that book arriving in the mail, I have a feeling The Secret Book of Flora Lea will soon be arriving on your doorstep ready to touch your heart.

Historical fiction
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Historical fiction
View all
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern
The Women
The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye
The Briar Club
Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade
Spitting Gold
The Singer Sisters
The Great Divide
The Storm We Made
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard
What We Kept to Ourselves
The River We Remember
The House Is On Fire
Magic Lessons
The People We Keep
The Attic Child
Hester
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
The Nightingale
The Secret Book of Flora Lea
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?
Peach Blossom Spring
Hang the Moon
Sisters in Arms
The Postmistress of Paris
Summer of '69
All the Light We Cannot See
The Four Winds
Independence
The Library of Legends
The Night Tiger
Queen of Thieves
Pachinko
The Glittering Hour
The Summer Wives
The Great Alone
The Age of Light
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Paris Hours
The Golden Hour
Manhattan Beach
The Wonder
The Japanese Lover
The Witches
Saint Mazie
The Marriage of Opposites
Church of Marvels
The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
Jacqueline in Paris
Don't Cry for Me
The Christie Affair
Bloomsbury Girls
Bronze Drum