I DNFed. I just couldn’t get into it. I must have picked it up and put it back down several times before I just had to DNF.

We Must Be Brave is the story of one woman's love for a child set against the backdrop of WWII. This book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

I love WWII fiction, but sadly this one did not work for me. I found it very hard to stay interested in the storyline and was not attached to the characters. I think others may love it, but I've read so much WWII fiction at this point that a story needs to be pretty unique for me to stay interested. I DNF this book.

Historical fiction and WW2 based novels are my favorite. This book was amazing and kept me intrigued the entire time. I couldn’t put it down!

I really enjoyed this book, but it was SO SAD. I think that anyone with young children or who wants young children and might be sensitive should definitely avoid this book. I kept crying and crying.

Other than the amount of crying, it really was a good story, and the characters were likable.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When a small child is left sleeping on the bus bringing evacuees to the center, her mother is nowhere to be found.
Ellen and her husband take the child into their home and attempt to find her mother. They discover that the child’s mother was killed in the bombing of a hotel in London. The story begins during World War 2. For three years they have searched, halfheartedly , for the child’s father. They come to love little Pamela like their own. One day her father shows up with his plans to take Pam back to Ireland where his sister and her family will care for her. Sadly, the small family is torn apart as Pam leaves with her father. Ellen’s life goes on with its ups and downs, gains and losses. She never forgets the little girl she loved but never expects to have the opportunity to see her again. Sometimes, someone intervenes on your behalf and you receive an unexpected gift.

This book was just not for me. I struggled to finish. It wasn't until Ellen is older and meets Selwyn, that I was finally able to slightly like the book and not hate it. I wanted to love the story. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, especially stories about WWII, but the war was just a minor part of the book. I hate to say it, but I didn't really like Pamela. Even adult Pamela didn't grow on me, I ended up liking her even less. I don't think she realized how much Ellen loved her and suffered because of her love for Pamela. I ended up enjoying parts of the book, especially the friendship/relationships Ellen had with Selwyn, Lucy, William and Lady Brock.

I recommend people give the book a try, it might be the perfect book for someone else.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The cover of this book drew me in. After reading that the setting is in England during World War II told me this was a must read for me. I love good historical fiction.

I started out really enjoying the story. I know the author put her heart into this emotional story. But at some point, I just kind of lost interest. When a book starts dragging, I start skimming which I did.

Honestly, the book was good through I expected more. The slowness of the story is 3 stars.

* I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. It was my own decision to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I love historical fictions, books that take you into another time period. Loved the author showed the way some characters were affected by WWI & the relationships between the characters. . It is a little slow to get started,. It kept my attention and was a solid book in my opinion.

We must be brave is a heartfelt and compelling story about love in all its representations. Told in Ellen´s POV in different stages of her life, we piece together her story, the story or her family, her marriage, and her friends.
I must admit that I found the book a little slow at first and it took some time to get into the story. Some parts felt unnecessary and were too long and I even had some trouble with some words and expressions.
However, the characters in the story are deep and well developed and they are amazing; I really liked Ellen, William and Selwyn, and I liked Penny more than I liked Pamela but I liked them both. Sometimes, especially at the beginning, it was hard to understand Ellen’s feelings, but as you keep reading, you can see how she really feels about things and the people in her life. Some parts were heartbreaking.
The flashbacks and different stages of Ellen’s life threw me out a little at first, but then it was nice reading about different times. I wish we could have had more Pamela in her time.
It is a beautiful story and deals with difficult topics like war, life, family and love. I am really into historical fiction and it was nice reading this book, I really enjoyed it, especially the last parts, although the ending was not exactly what I was expecting. Unfortunately, there was something missing; I think I had very high expectations from all the good reviews I read but maybe I was expecting too much. It is a gripping and lovely story and I do recommend it.

Good Story! I like World War 2 books. I little slow, could have been less wordy. but overall a good read. You will like this book.

We Must Be Brave is an emotional historical novel about love and loss. Even though the book is a bit slow, I really liked the story and wouy read more from this author.

I really wanted to love this book, but I wound up not enjoying it and skimming through it after a certain point. Unfortunately, Frances Liardet's writing doesn't resonate with me, and while she came up with such a gripping concept, the execution of it comes across as unemotional and very rote. It reads a lot like, "I was sad. So was Pamela. Pamela was crying." I'm not quoting an exact line there, but that's how the style is: telling without showing and so simple it's boring and far too drawn out. Even though I didn't enjoy this, I'm glad to see that there are those who love it, and I'm happy to see so many positive ratings and reviews! Also, the cover art for the book is just beautiful and really catches the eye, drawing the reader in!

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

The story opens during WWII, as a young woman, newly wed to a much older man, finds an abandoned toddler on a bus of evacuees. They have been displaced by the most recent bombing in nearby Southampton on the southern coast of England. Despite their own childless marriage, the couple fosters two boys and takes in this little girl as well.

The title, <We Must be Brave/i>, accurately captures the theme of this book as well as the core of the main character, Ellen. She shows us the true meaning of bravery and personal strength in light of grief and loss as the result of war as well as personal loss over a lifetime. The author handles the use of an alternating timeline seamlessly as Ellen’s backstory is shared through flashbacks.

Heartwarming, poignant, and well told, I did have to push to finish as, for me, the pace slowed around the half way point. It was still a worthwhile read.


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story begins with a little lost girl named Pamela. Pamela is about 4 years old. She is placed on a bus during confusion after a bombing. She is found by a sweet lady, Ellen. Ellen and her husband have no children and they take Pamela into their home.

As most of you know, WWII is my favorite time period. The time period is what drew me to this book plus, the cover is very intriguing. But, that is where it ends for me. The story is extremely slow paced and actually was a real struggle for me to finish. I did not feel a real connection to the characters and the slowness of the story just did not maintain my interest. Now, this may be all because of me. There are lots of good reviews for this book out there. Give it a try…you just never know!

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

This is not your typical WWII historical fiction. While it does go into how some characters were affected by WWI and how WWII is responsible for how this story came to be, the bigger story is the relationships among the different characters. Yes, the action is slow, but the unique bonds shared by the characters were written so richly. I never found it to be boring, as some books with little action are, but it took me longer to read because of life getting in the way!

This was a great read. At times it moved a little slow, but it wasn't really supposed to be an action packed novel. Its a good story, and I loved the way it was written, and the ending was perfect!

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out very slow. Lots of details were given, and it wasn't until I hit the 50% mark that it actually started to peak my interest.

Ellen and her husband cannot have children; one day she comes across an orphaned girl, Pamela and takes her under her wing. Unbeknownst to her, her father is still alive and after 3 years, he comes to take her away to Ireland.

Ellen lets her go and does keep in touch, until Pamela's aunt tells her not to contact her anymore.

Years go on and she ends up with another little girl to watch after, Penny. Penny isn't with Ellen very long either, but she ends up being the catalyst for the back half of this story.

Set in the scene of WWII and the span of time 40+ years later, this is a good book, but could use some "cleaning up" of the first half to make/keep it interesting.

I was looking forward to reading We Must Be Brave as my preferred choice of genres is WW II historical fiction. First, I loved the cover! The book had the makings of a good read—an English woman , Ellen Parr, (no children) finds a little girl on the bus that has just arrived from Southampton. Southampton was bombed and people evacuated. This little girl arrived with no one. Both of these characters need each other. I thought this was a good premise for the story. There were moments that I liked, but it was just so slow. I think there needed to be some editing. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.