I want to thank you first for allowing me to review this book! I requested it because the premise of the book peaked my interest! I love historical fiction books I love the emotion and feelings that are applied to them. They are the most realistic fiction and usually have me in tears by the end of it.
We Must Be Brave was very slow burning and didn’t have the emotional elements that keep my interest in this genre. This book goes between Ellen as an adult and her as a child and it was a bit confusing to put the puzzle together.
Pamela was very annoying from the get-go. She was an unlikable child character and I’ve never been in that position before while reading. I feel guilty for writing that but I promised my most honest review. Please forgive me.
I just didn’t care for this book as much as I was hoping. I really wanted to feel the emotional elements from the mother-daughter relationship but I didn’t get any of it. Maybe this book just wasn’t for me but it could definitely be for someone else.

This was a good story. It was very different reading for me and was not what I expected. I still recommend it.

When Ellen Parr finds a sleeping child on a bus after an air raid, she’s sure the girl’s mom is among the survivors. But she’s not; so Ellen convinces her husband to foster the four-year-old. Three years later the girl’s father arrives and Ellen returns the daughter of her heart. A lyrical portrayal of maternal love’s endurance.

Because I enjoy historical novels set during wartime, especially World War II, I was anxious to read We Must Be Brave, by Frances Liardet. The novel opens in December 1940, in the small village of Upton, England, about 10 miles north of Southampton. The city of Southampton has just been bombed, and chaos ensues as residents are evacuated.

Several busloads of evacuees arrive in Upton. Ellen Parr, a newlywed woman who has resigned herself to never having children, discovers a little girl alone and asleep on the backseat of a bus. But where are her parents?

Ellen soon learns that young Pamela’s mother has died in the bombing and that her father has abandoned them. With no one remaining to raise the child, Ellen takes Pamela into her home and into her heart. Before long, this motherless child and this childless mother are inseparable.

Years pass and Pamela’s absentee father returns, taking his daughter from Ellen and placing her with family in Ireland. Devastated, Ellen now must learn to live without her beloved child. But how?

Although I enjoyed the evolving relationship between Ellen and Pamela as well as some of the quirky characters, occasionally, I found the dialogue disjointed and the timing rushed, especially in the first few chapters. Perhaps this was purposely done to embody the bedlam after the bombing and the ensuing search for Pamela’s parents? At other times, the pace felt lethargic, and I found myself skimming pages and skipping sections of Ellen’s inner thoughts just to get back to the main story.

A story with so much potential, We Must Be Brave fell just shy of my expectations.

***
I received a complimentary copy of this book, We Must Be Brave, from Penguin Group, G. P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

We Must Be Brave
By: Frances Liardet
Penguin Group Putman
G.P Putman's Son
Historical Fiction
Pub. Date 26 February 2019
#WeMustBeBrave#NetGalley
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I was so happy that I got approved for this book. The book started out great but then slowed down greatly. I was disappointed by the end. I did give this 2.5 stars.
The book is suppose to be about the World War Two and does have mention the war a little.
The book starts out as a little girl is found a sleep in a bus. This little girl is named Pamela and she was put on the bus some elderly ladies as Southhampton is being bombed. She thought her mom was on the other bus. Ellen is the one who finds her and is trying to find who she belongs too. Ellen is a young women who is helping these refugees on her first anniversary. They do try to find her family but keep her until they can be found.
Then this story talks about Ellen's life before her marriage. This is where the story slows way down. I did enjoy reading about Ellen's early life but it took up almost half the book.
Then it goes back to the present but three years later. They still have Pamela but for how long. After somethings happen it goes into letters being written and then Ellen finds another girl, Penny, to take care of.
I just found that this book was to slow paced for me. It was also based in England. I just had a hard time connecting. What happens to Pamela? Who is Penny? Why does Ellen feel like she needs to raise these girls?
I was hoping for a good historical fiction book and this one just didn't do it me.

This story is about one remarkable person, you will fall in love with Ellen Parr, we begin in 1940, as the war is ramping up, then we flash back to when she was an orphan due to her mother’s death, plus we go as far forward as 2010 when she is in her 90’s. This is a wonderful life story, Ellen was a very special woman. Along the way we also fall in love with Selwyn, Pamela, Penny, and meet many of her friends and family, Lucy, William, and Althea among others. It is a wonderful historical fiction covering how lives were affected by the war and how people helped and depended upon each other. The writing is excellent, this is my first book by Ms. Liardet and I was very impressed.
This is one of those books that is like the ocean, we float on the waves, with lulls and crescendo’s and in several places, it’s like a new era opens up, starting in the 40’s, jump to the 70’s and zoom to 2010. All along the way the author pulls you into the story making you feel all the feelings and creating the visions of the scenery to go with it. I personally loved this book, some parts do get a little vague and hard to follow, but in the grand scheme of things, it is a beautiful story of a selfless woman that had so much love to give and the two children most affected by her gifts. The ending was excellent, have a tissue handy, it was a perfect way to end this beauty. It is one of the most touching books I have read for quite a while. I highly recommend.
I read this book in just a couple days listening with voiceview on my Kindle and was allowed an advanced copy from Penguin Group Putnam/G.P.Putnam’s Sons through Net Galley for my honest review, this one is a high 5****’s. Excellent read.

We Must Be Brave is sort of a World War II story, but only in the barest of ways. It opens so strongly, with young (early 20s) Ellen finding a child, Pamela, alone on a bus in London in the confusion off the bombings. She tries to find Pamela's mother, who Pamela is anxious to be reunited with, and--yes, you can guess how it goes.

There's a lot (a lot) of description of food--the scarcity of it, what can be created with what's available--but although I normally am crazy for this kind of thing, it left me cold here. I think Frances Liardet met to convey more emotion and meaning that comes through in the flat writing.

And now that things are settled on their predictable path, the reader is then taken back through Ellen's hard, tragic past, complete with those early 20th century class distinctions and how horrible they were. I so wanted to be engaged, but I never could connect with Ellen or all she endures and how it shapes her. The predictable end to her time with Pamela, again, didn't move me, nor did the Pamela narrated section (set in 2010) at the end, which (yet again) went in the supposed to be heart tugging direction it was supposed to.

I so wanted to love this book, but the writing is overly detailed and never manages to convey the emotions it wants to. I could read the sweep and scope, the love and despair and hope and loss and so on, but it was as if it was all under glass. I could observe it, but feel it? No.

Disappointing.

I initially thought that this was going to be an England during WW2 story. But this is not a WW2 story. This is a beautiful story of survival, love, and strength, which is centered around something that happens in WW2. I initially made a beeline for it because I thought it was a WW2 story, but as the story developed I found myself falling in love with the characters, and with village life in southern England.

On the night of a terrible German bombing campaign on Southampton in England, Ellen Parr finds a little girl sleeping on one of the evacuation bus seats. The child’s mother dies in the bombing and the rest of her family has disappeared or has no interest in her, so Ellen and her husband take her in to live with them in their small village. And then, three years later, little Pamela’s father comes to find her and take her away with him, leaving Ellen bereft.

The story starts during WW2 but skips back and forth between Ellen’s childhood (from riches to rags because of her father’s bad investments), and her meeting with her husband Selwyn Parr, and then moves forward to the 1970’s and then to now (or nowish). It’s a story steeped in hardships and sadness, but equally in love and friendships that last longer than generations. I fell in love with Ellen’s character, her inability to forget, and the love she bestows on those around her.

The story is beautifully written and reminds me of sweeping epic novels by the Bronte sisters, a little Jane Austenesque with a smidge of Dickens too. Frances Liardet’s style takes me back to a time when I used to devour classics and be amazed at how a writer could use descriptions of a place to describe a feeling, an emotion. This isn’t a fast-paced novel, but the slow rhythm is perfect for the story. Frances Liardet creates a world and opens the door for us to enter. It made me imagine my birth village on the cusp of war too, imagining a life spent living in the same place, with the same people who know you inside and out.

I wasn’t ready for this one to finish... I fell in love with the village of Upton, with the countryside, the people, and especially with Ellen, Lucy, and William. And I fell in love with the way Frances Liardet writes and creates: I’m so glad I picked this book to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

I started reading this book because I am interested in all books pertaining to the 1940’s and WWII.....I had a hard time getting into this book. I found the beginning to be very slow though it did get better as I read on. The story does pick up in the last part of the book.
I did not enjoy the writing style, it may just be me and others may like this dialogue type writing.
There is hardship, heartbreak and lots of emotion in the story.
Thank you to NetGallery for the opportunity to read the arc of “We Must Be Brave” in exchange for a honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and will certainly recommend it often. Many war novels appeal to a specific type of reader, but I think this one will find a much broader fan base. I thoroughly enjoyed Frances Liardet's style of writing; her character development is excellent.

This was one of my favorite historical fiction books this year.

First, thank you to the publisher and author for gifting me a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love historical fiction and was drawn in by the summary of this title as well as by the beautiful cover. I skipped others on my to read list to jump right in to this one. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my excitement and my expectations. I found myself bored and tired of the characters. It took along time before the story came together into an enjoyable story for me. I just couldn't hold my interest. The writing was a little jumpy. I wanted to really like this, but I never did get to a point where I was excited by it or wanted to read more. Good enough that I think some will enjoy it, but it just missed the mark for me personally.

This novel just didn't grab me. The pace is positively plodding, and the plot was agonizingly slow. The subject matter had potential - a five year old child mysteriously left on a bus in England during WWII - but I just wasn't engaged.

As an American reader, I needed more description of the settings, characters, and context from this novel. I frequently read British novels, but I wasn't able to picture the people or the places in this novel.

I generally enjoy historical fiction but We Must Be Brave moved at an incredibly slow pace. It was difficult for me to get into the story, stay invested, and enjoy it.

The setting is England during WWII. Ellen finds a little girl, Pamela, alone on a bus. Ellen does not have children of her own but takes Pamela in and becomes close with her. Pamela leaves Ellen’s home later in the story, which is tough on both her and Ellen. The story follows Ellen later in life (post-Pamela’s departure) and also includes flashbacks to her own childhood and earlier adult years. I found the flashbacks to be more dull than the current timeline and they didn’t really keep my interest.

Ellen was a kind and caring main character, always willing to do what needed to be done to help others. I admired her care and compassion for people yet still had a hard time connecting with her, other characters, and the overall story. I did, however, enjoy the book’s ending. I thought it was a nice way to conclude this story that spanned several years.

Touching, personal, and memorable novel about the people we make our family when the real ones fall short. Loved the characters and enjoyed the setting with just a touch of WWII in the background. Highly recommend!!

A great historical novel filled with love and loss. Some characters you will love and some not so much.
Pamela is a spunky girl and I just adored her.
A lot of great detail and loved the family aspect!!
Thank you NetGalley.

Ellen Parr is a young newly wed who finds a small child alone on a bus of people fleeing the bombings of Southampton in December of 1940. Although she has professed to her husband to not want children, she falls deeply for Pamela. Ellen quickly finds out that Pamela's mother died during the raid and there is no father to speak of. The next three years pass blissfully until the day Pamela is taken away. This story is slow moving but engaging with a lovable cast of characters. If you enjoy books with a slow pace and lots of description set in small towns of yesteryear you will be charmed by We Must Be Brave.

This is a beautifully written and poignant historical novel. There are many facets to this story--a young woman, an older husband, an orphaned child , the horrible WWII bombings and life afterwards. I thought the author did a fine job exploring the back stories which explained all the characters actions. I truly enjoyed this and hope to read more by this author.

Boo to the naysayers- this is the lovely, heartfelt story of Ellen, a woman who loves and loses so much over the course of her life and yet persists with a positive spirit. Set in Upton UK during the period leading up to WWII, WWII, and after, it is a fine example of historical fiction. Ellen and her husband Selwyn have a marriage blanc but it is one filled with love. When a bus load of evacuees arrives after Southhampton is bombed, they take in Pamela, small girl whose mother has been killed and father is no where to be found. Pamela is galvanizing for Ellen. We learn Ellen's back story slowly and it's a sad one but also one filled with good supportive people in the village- William, Lucy, and Althea chief among them. It's no secret that Pamela will be taken away but what happens after is somewhat of a surprise; there's a twist near the end I didn't see coming. I liked the writing and felt the genuine affection Liardet had for her characters and the village.. This is one I'll recommend as it's a good read with a wonderful sense of place and time. (

This is yet another WWII historical fiction novel for me. I love them and they tend to be my "go to" books when I find myself in a slump. This book had so much potential, but just did not seem to deliver.

This is the story of Ellen finding a child, Pamela, asleep on a bus. Ellen takes her home and the story begins. I wanted more even as I completed the last page. I'm still thinking about Ellen, her husband and Pamela. Because of that, I will give this a strong 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and GP Putnam for this advanced readers copy.

I found this book to be a bit slow. While the beginning of the book started off promising, there was far too much backstory on Ellen. I understand that to relate Ellen to Pamela there needed to be some look back into Ellen's own childhood I just felt it went too deep. If the book had skipped a large portion of Ellen's backstory, the book would have moved at a more decent clip.