The Forgotten Village is told in two time periods, the 1940s during WWII and in the present day. In the present, Melissa becomes intrigued by a photo of a lady taken in 1943 just as the village of Tyneham is requisitioned for troops during WWII.
I was disappointed by this book. The requisition of Tyneham was merely a setting for the Standish's and I felt they could have been anywhere. I would have liked to read more about Tyneham and the war effort. The present day characters of Melissa and Guy were likeable enough but their relationship was rushed and a bit cringeworthy.
An easy but forgettable read.

Told with two main narrators in two different points in time – the present day Melissa is in Dorset with her boyfriend Liam, enjoying a short holiday – or they would be if Liam wasn’t always somewhere else leaving Melissa to her own devices. Struggling for something to do, as she’s not included in Liam’s stuff – Melissa spots a notice for a grand reopening of a coastal village, requisitioned by the Ministry of Defense in World War II, and despite not being a ‘history’ person – off she goes. The tiny village of Tyneham has been uninhabited since 1943, people just left with some basic things, believing they’d return at the end of the war. For 75 years, the only growth was in dilapidation and mold. But, with a television-presenter historian giving a chat, and an intriguing photo in the church that has ‘before they left’ photos displayed, leaves Melissa intrigued, questioning and investigating.

Back in the 1943 timeframe we hear from Veronica, Lady of the ‘big house’ and wife of the miserable, drunken Bertie, Lord of the Manor. Here is a power-play of abuse and ill-treatment, petty jealousies and childhood anger that festered and found an easy puppet and outlet for unsavory urges in Veronica. Most importantly, it is the photo – where she appears frightened and desperate to get away from the man clutching her hand that speaks to Melissa – awaking some memories and issues in her own life.

I’ll be honest – the ‘forgotten village’ story is a solidly done one and brings up a situation unfamiliar to many of us in the US about the sacrifices and changes that came to ordinary Brits during the war – and the intrigue of a village stopped on a random day is just a free-for-all for the imagination. But here, Cook has used the past abuses and struggles of Veronica to inform a change in Melissa as she examines her own history with abuse and relationships, as well as introduces us to Guy, grandson of a maid in Veronica’s employ, abuse survivor, historian and intrigued with the newly-single Melissa.

Easy to read - light and entertaining even with the abuse, several twists lead to a satisfying conclusion for both Veronica and Melissa, even as the pathway through the muck isn’t always clear. Clear descriptions, solid, if not quite brilliant, characters and a sense of things forgotten or discarded over the years makes for an intriguing debut and promises good things for this author.

** Known as The Forgotten Village in the UK, Germany and Netherlands**

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-alS/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This is a good holiday read but it didn’t completely capture my attention.
This book was a disappointment

Light and easy to read, romantic dual time frame holiday read. Review to follow as part of blog tour.

An enjoyable read. Good story especially for those who enjoy this genre. The novel was very atmospheric and I really enjoyed the protagonist journey.

Having visited the village of Tyneham on several occasions, I had to read this book and I was not disappointed. This is a brilliant read, I loved it! Based on the evacuation of Tyneham village in Dorset during WW2, this is a fictional story of the residents and the upheaval of the War Department’s decision to take over the village in order to practise for the D-day landings. The book has a dual timeline of the modern day and 1943 and the last days before the villagers left. In 2018 Melissa is on holiday in Dorset with her boyfriend, on a day out alone she stumbles across Tyneham village and is enthralled by its history and those who lived there. She finds herself particularly interested in a photo of the owner and master of Tyneham House and his wife and sets out to find out what happened to them. With a dishy history tv presenter who helps, her research leads her into the last days of the village. The story told in 1943 is dark and desperate, an unhappy marriage and a bullying husband who enjoys inflicting pain on his beautiful wife. I couldn’t predict the ending of this story until right before the final denouement. Thoroughly recommended, absolutely brilliant!

Where to begin with this book??? I heard about the lost village before when I lived in England but this made it come alive. I felt strongly for the characters and admired their courage. Excellent book!

This is a book in two time periods. In the present we have Melissa who is having possibly her worst ever holiday with boyfriend, Liam. Alone again while he surfs, Melissa ends up at an open day for the lost village of Tyneham. Something strikes a chord with her in one of the pictures and she heads off on a historical hunt to find out the truth ably helped by Guy. In 1943 the village is due to be abandoned to the military and all is not well at the hall.

The theme of forgotten or deserted villages has been used several times in fiction. “What Lies Beneath” by Sarah Rayne being a particularly good one. If you exclude the forgotten village part of the story then actually this is quite a well used storyline with obvious plot devices. This made it predictable from start to finish. The background setting made this slightly more unusual but all the same a well worn plot. I did, however, enjoy this book despite this. I found it light & easy to read with a story that flowed well. The two time periods are clearly different allowing for no confusion. The characters are reasonable but not brilliant.

I would class this as a good holiday read – easy to pick up and put down. It is easy to keep track of and flowed well. I enjoyed it for what it was but it won’t be one I shall bother revisting. I would consider reading more by this author but won’t be actively seeking them out.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Perfect for readers of Kate Morton or Lucinda Riley, a novel of romance and mystery as the characters try to unravel a twisted knot of history. Cook's characters were well developed and likable as they stumbled through their romantic leanings and the local mystery. Cook added an element of contemporary women's issues, which one reinforces that abuse is not new and that hiding abuse changes entire lives. She incorporated both the contemporary and historical look at these issues well and will make the reader realize not much has changed.

This story is set in Tyneham, one of several villages in England that were requisitioned by the army in WW2 with an expectation that villagers would be able to return at the cessation of hostilities, but this never happened. It moves between the time of requisition in 1940 and the present day when the deserted village is opened to visitors with exhibitions of old photos. One of these photos sparks curiosity in one of the visitors who is driven to try and find out more about the characters pictured. By the end of the story a shocking truth about some of the happenings in 1940 is revealed. A well crafted plot and an absorbing read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Not sure what to say about this book really as although I read it to the end it was a bit of a struggle to be honest.

This was a light enjoyable read, with cute characters and a good story line. This is the perfect BEACH read. I always enjoy this author's work.

This book was not what I expected. As I read the description I knew the village in question was going to be requisitioned for troops during WWII and the villagers had to find other towns to live. But I thought - misguidedly - that there would be more about WWII and the role the village in question played during it. I was sadly mistaken. This book had nothing at all to do with WWII and instead it was what I would call women's fiction. Domestic abuse takes center stage here so if you are squeamish about that you may want to give this a pas

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lorna Cook’s debut novel The Forgotten Village had me hooked from the very beginning. It is a dual timeline novel set in 1943 and the modern day. The historical narrative tells the story of Lady Veronica and Lord Albert Standish as they prepare to leave their home in Tyneham, known as the Great House, as the village is on the cusp of being given over to the army. The pair’s marriage is built upon lies and is fraught with physical and emotional abuse.

The contemporary narrative tells the story of the protagonist Melissa and her love interest, TV historian Guy Cameron, who join forces to uncover what happened to Lady Veronica and her husband after they were forced to leave Tyneham. Melissa’s need to know what happened to Lady Veronica is driven by Melissa’s mother’s treatment at the hands of a domestic abuser.

Given the domestic abuse theme, some scenes in the historical narrative are hard-hitting but are very sensitively handled and effectively paint a picture of the pain and heartache that domestic abuse causes, not only for the victim but also for those around them.

All of the threads are skilfully tied up and the ending is such fantastic, compulsive reading. I was really rooting for Melissa and Guy and so the epilogue left me smiling!

The author’s note provides a fascinating insight into the real events surrounding the requisition of Tyneham and is also well worth a read.

A must read for fans of Kate Morton. Can’t wait to see what Lorna Cook writes next after this amazing debut.

I love when a present day story line intertwines with the past, and this book is exactly that. The Forgotten Village was hard for me to put down as I absolutely loved reading it! I will be recommending this book to everyone I know that loves historical fiction.

I loved this book! Absolutely gripping. Couldn't put it down. Loved the dual narrative between modern day Melissa and the past village of Tynemouth. Great characters and a riveting plot. If you love Rachel Hore, this shouild be right up your street!

Based on the real English village of Tyneham, which was commandeered by the MOD during World War II for troop training, this story centers around modern-day Melissa, who’s struggling to revive a failing relationship. When she finds a photograph of a woman who once lived in Tyneham, Melissa is compelled to find out more about her story, not realizing she’s about to uncover a story of heartbreak and loss that stretches across time. An intriguing story about a village that was stolen away from its residents and never returned.