I downloaded this ARC in January 2020 and have no idea why I am only reading this now.

In fact when I read it I had to go trawling through my shelf to find the link to post feedback which makes me think that the synopsis is far different from the novel I read.

A tragic death. A missing baby. This is a dual timeline novel and the death was in the earlier time line and the missing baby is in the current timeline.

What the synopsis does not say is this is a very twisty, family thriller that takes you through some terrifying secrets. The baby missing is in the current timeline and in trying to solve the problem of the missing baby (the mother as post nuptial psychosis), an historic mystery unravels (an earlier mother with post nuptial psychosis). But this also brings other threads. Mental health, psychosis and PTSD. The fact during the last century woman, regardless of class or money, were tied to their husbands with few rights of their own. And the author here ties them into a thoughtful dual timeline novel, told from many different angles, and of course the race to find the missing newborn, Elizabeth.

I really enjoyed this and once again my only regret was leaving this so long to read and review.

I really enjoyed this twisty plot line. The characters were great too. I couldn’t put it down.
I love when a twist comes out of the blue and this book has it.

Excellent storyline and I did not see the ending coming- which is always a sign of a good book. I liked the fact that it was told from two different perspectives. I have not read Emily Gunnis before but will certainly look out for her from now on. i would thoroughly recommend this book.
Thank you Emily, . Headline and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion.

What a story! It was complex, layered, and touches on mental health and psychosis, which felt brutal at times, but necessary. The story cusk you right in. There are patches of high-drama and this book was definitely a page-turner. This was a great book to get captivated by.

Utterly chilling, this book will pull on the heartstrings and nerves of any parent. Literally every parents worst nightmare. Fantastically written, I did not see the twists and turns coming. Edge of your seat, brilliant.

An all consuming, heartbreaking, heartwarming read with an ending that will both shock and possibly delight you!An all consuming, heartbreaking, heartwarming read with an ending that will both shock and possibly delight you!

Some families are more dysfunctional than others and this is a tale about a family divided, torn apart from a violent past, but pulling together when the chips were down!

Before the war, Harriet was a happily married woman to Jacob, a loving and caring man, but after the war, when the lucky ones made it home, the man she married had changed beyond recognition and suffering with chronic battle neurosis. A condition that will reverberate time affecting several generations of the family.

Jump forward to 2014 and Harriets daughter, Rebecca, is now a mother herself to two grown-up young ladies, Iris and Jessie. However, her relationship with her first born, Jessie is fractured, but now that Jessie is about to become a mum for the first time herself she reaches out to her mother to find out about her own birth and the postnatal psychosis her mother had suffered for fear of history repeating itself.

The story is told by alternating between the woman’s points of view as well as Rebecca’s ex husband and switches between ‘then’ and ‘now’, but it is really easy to follow, even for me and I am terrible remembering names and dates at the best of times!

All the characters are an engrossing read and even though he had physically violent outbursts toward his wife my heart still went out to him for everything he had witnessed in the war and the lasting, life changing effects it had on him. But out of all the characters I fell in love with Rebecca and was championing her all the way!

And all the while this family drama is unfolding, the past keeps battling forward, rearing its ugly head whilst delivering some long held secrets, along with a shock or two!

The whole book was an absolute dream to read, but the ending! OMG! Literally out loud making my own daughter jump 😂

Emily Gunnis is an author to look out for and after reading this she is now on my list of favourite authors!

The Lost Child is out now so go grab yourself a copy and I promise you will not be disappointed even slightly!

With the awful Covid-19 situation on going and whilst we are all staying home, staying save and helping the NHS by doing so, take this as a positive from the whole situation. Now is the perfect time to pick up a good book and get reading!
For a chance to win your very own copy of this book head on over to Twitter or Facebook for further details. But if you cannot wait then please grab a copy here now from the comfort of your house, or if your local book shop is still offering their services, please order from them as the local businesses need us all now more than ever!

Keep well and keep safe everyone.

A massive thank you to the author Emily Gunnis, publishers Headline, NetGalley and Anne Cater for my copy of this wonderful book as well as my spot on the blog tour! Sorry my review is a day late but I was to poorly to function properly yesterday! CFS and chronic pain are not fun!

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/the-lost-child-by-emily-gunnis/

Wow what a beautiful, emotional and important read this was. I absolutely loved this author’s first book so I was a little apprehensive about starting this one as it couldn’t possibly be as good, could it? Oh yes, yes it could!

This book is a multi generational story which focuses on how women were treated in the 1940’s and 50’s. It was truly eye-opening and emotional to see what women went through, particularly in the treatment of post natal depression. The lack of understanding and contempt made for hard reading at times especially as I suffered with post natal depression after my first child. I’m very grateful that attitudes have moved on.

The characters were all fabulous creations and I enjoyed following their stories throughout the book. The author manages to give each character an individual voice which I thought was clever and I found myself growing closer and closer to them as the book progressed. I started to feel like they were old friends of mine and found myself getting quite worked up over everything that goes on. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to them.

I thought this was a very absorbing book that features some important topics. The story follows three ladies who I guessed must be connected in some way but I wasn’t sure initially how. It was therefore very enjoyable to see the stories come together and all the secrets be revealed.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline for my copy of this book.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It is the first book by this author but I will definitely be looking out for more of Emily's books.
The book is told from many different angles, although it was not confusing. Rebecca finds her mother, Harriet has been killed by her father. The events of that night haunt Rebecca for the rest of her life, when her daughter goes missing with her new born daughter Rebecca must face the events of the past. This book was really well paced, definitely one to read if you like family mysteries.

Emily Gunnis is a new author for me so having come across THE LOST CHILD and after reading the premise, I had no idea what to expect. I needn't have worried because this superb novel had me hooked from the very first page. In fact, I would have finished it in under a day had it not been real life getting in the way and diverting my attention.

In 1945, Jacob Waterhouse returns from war having served in the D-Day landings at Normandy which has haunted him day and night ever since. He returns a shell of a man of who he was before the war, suffering constant nightmares and flashbacks and no clue how to deal with the horrors he saw there. His wife Harriet, looking forward to his return, doesn't recognise the man that is her husband and has no idea how to help him. They take up a position in service for the Bartons at their sprawling estate - he as a gardener and she as a lady's maid. Until fate intervenes and changes their lives forever.

In 1952, Harriet Waterhouse faces a dilemma when she receives word that her husband Jacob is to be released from the mental institution he has been in for the past five years. Having lived with his nightmares, anger and violence from the time he came back from the war till the day he was carted off to the institution, Harriet is unsure what to expect. But things are different now. Harriet has 5 year old Rebecca to think about and Jacob's violent outbursts have no place in their new found peace at Seaview Cottage.

In 1960, 13 year old Rebecca Waterhouse faces a tragedy and she witnesses the horrific murder of her mother at the hands of her father before shooting himself. She is taken into custody and questioned at length by police which bordered on badgering the young girl who had, in effect, now been left an orphan. Police are certain there is more to the incident than Rebecca is letting on and that she is hiding information paramount to the investigation. But Rebecca never wavers in her account. Police let her go and she returns to live at Seaview Farm with her neighbour Ted Roberts and his son Harvey.

In 2014, Jessie Roberts goes into labour and delivers a baby girl whom she names Elizabeth, after her deceased stepmother. But Jessie, who had been anxious prior to the birth, now becomes convinced that the doctors are trying to harm her newborn daughter and that the antibiotics given to her for a life-threatening infection are poison. She refuses to consent to the treatment and early the next morning she leaves the hospital, taking her sick newborn daughter with her. Her father Harvey is frantic with worry as he fears history repeating itself in the form of post natal psychosis which afflicted her mother Rebecca just after Jessie was born almost four decades ago. She displays all the same signs as Rebecca did and now that Jessie has fled with her sick daughter, if Elizabeth doesn't receive her antibiotics within 12 hours, her chances of survival are slim.

Iris Waterhouse is Jessie's half sister and a journalist. So when their mother Rebecca rings Iris pleading with her to help find her sister, Iris must use her contacts and her position as a journalist to delve into the past to discover why Jessie fled. Her mother never talks about her past, particularly the night of her parent's deaths, so Iris must use all her nous to uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, a mysterious patient arrives at the hospital to receive urgent care in the midst of Jessie's disappearance. We are privy to their confusing thoughts that border on the incoherent ramblings of a mental patient as we try to make sense of what their words mean and where their story fits into the one already unfolding.

Told in three main timelines - 1945 to 1952, 1960 and 2014 - everything comes back to Seaview Cottage. What role does Seaview play in a terrified mother's life? What links Seaview from the past to the present? And will the Cottage finally reveal the truth that has remained hidden for so long? As the individual stories unravel, we discover the link that ties them all together whilst gaining an understanding of post natal psychosis, guilt, secrets and the unbreakable love of a mother for her child.

There is so much pain, hurt and misunderstanding embedded deep within the story of this family but it is also heartbreakingly real. The complex nature of families is outlined with sensitivity and understanding as shocking secrets are ultimately revealed, bringing the story full circle.

An intriguing mystery combined with historical fiction and a touch of chick lit, THE LOST CHILD is a compelling tale of mothers and daughters and of love and forgiveness. Heartwrenching and emotional, this story is utterly absorbing that you will not want to put down.

As the combined narratives unfold to weave the three storylines together, readers will gain an insight into mental health issues such as post natal psychosis and the effect war has on returning soldiers. THE LOST CHILD is, at times, heartbreaking but above all it is a beautiful and touching story that will have you reaching for the Kleenex by the story's end.

So if you enjoy books in dual timeline format with a touch of mystery and a touch of history, I highly recommend this beautiful story that is heartbreaking, emotional, intriguing, compelling and suspenseful right up to the very last page with one final twist that is so shockingly good I wasn't expecting it.

I have not yet read "The Girl in the Letter" but after reading this gem I am looking forward to losing myself to it!

I would like to thank #EmilyGunnis, #NetGalley and #Headline for an ARC of #TheLostChild in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t a fan of this story. Felt challenging going from one part to another. Didn’t have the flow I enjoy. But, some parts we’re good. I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange of an honest review.

A couple of years ago I read the debut novel "The Girl in the Letter" by Emily Gunnis and fell in love with the heart-wrenching story and Emily’s writing. So, when she began talking about her second novel on social media I was thrilled and counting down the days until it’s release. Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to get my hands on an e-book copy of it and I was not disappointed; once again Gunnis crafted a wonderful story that is intriguing and captivating.

Switching through points of view and time, this is a complex, endearing, heart wrenching, and extremely well-researched novel. Flipping between post-WWII, 1960, and 2014, it follows a line of women who are doing their best in their given situations and men who have their issues and are seemingly trying to help but tend to fumble it more often than not. The timeframe switches had me confused a bit at first, but once I got a handle on that it wasn’t too bad. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found the plot twists and turns to be fantastic and well thought out.

Given some of the topics covered, I was cautiously optimistic as I went along, but like "The Girl in the Letter", the sheer amount of research that had to have gone into this book was shown through her writing. Not only did Emily tackle the intricacies of familial relationships in a realistic manner, she also tackled mental health issues (specifically postpartum psychosis and the after-effects of war on men; both issues that I have rarely seen written about in detail outside of a non-fiction book) realistically and did so in a way that wasn’t disrespectful or only there to be used as an explanation of why characters do things. Additionally, while I didn’t like all the characters, as more and more about them was revealed, I found them to be well written and thought out and portrayed in a realistically flawed manner that humans are.

If you couldn’t tell, realistic is a word that I feel describes the themes and writing in this book, there was one scene where realism doesn’t quite apply, but other than that I would say it does. The relationships and mirrored commonalities between the women especially were both interesting and gutting to read. I didn't know much about post-partum psychosis before this story, and it’s had me looking it up and reading about just what occurs to women who suffer from it. Once again Emily wrote a story that hits on topics not normally discussed and had me gripped to the last page. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next, I love how she mixes history and truth with fiction and brings to life stories that are enrapturing and educational.

THE LOST CHILD takes the reader on a convoluted journey along a road filled with twists, turns and many destructive ruts and detours. The troubled relationships among the various characters adds to the tension and raw emotion making this twisted tale of conspiracy and culpability difficult to put down as the multitude of hidden layers are slowly peeled back to reveal how the various story lines are intertwined.

The author, Emily Gunnis definitely has a talent for creating complex and compelling characters and situations. She presents the various elements in the lives of her characters in small segments (sort of like eating sections of an orange) and, as with the orange, with each section consumed the reader is left longing for another taste …and then another…..and another.

Perhaps the title of the book should have been THE LOST AND SEEKING since most of the characters, as well as the reader, are searching for answers and resolution to formidable and often horrific events. Ultimately, perseverance pays off and all are satisfied.

1n 1952, Harriet Waterhouse faces an untenable choice as her husband is released from the mental institution where he has lived for the past five years.

In 1960, thirteen-year-old Rebecca Waterhouse faces a tragedy that takes her away from Seaview Cottage and changes her life forever.

In 2014, journalist Iris Waterhouse covers the story of a mother and her newborn daughter, missing from the hospital.

The Lost Child is a well written novel that explores three timelines and deals with the issues of mental health, the effects of war on returning soldiers, and the effects of postpartum depression on women. The constant in this story is Seaview Cottage and the families who lived there. The timelines change back and forth, and the story is told from five different points of view. If you enjoy multigenerational stories, you will enjoy this book.

I feel emotionally wrung out. There is a lot to this story. There are different time lines which all interconnect. There is a lot of raw emotion and a lot of pain and love. PTSD caused by World War 2 and postpartum depression are a large part of this story but there also secrets and lies that have had a huge effect as well.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

War is hell. Devastating for those who lose loved ones, but what of those soldiers who return home irrevocably damaged? The story deals with this sad issue that destroys families and has consequences for generations to come. This story was well researched and written. I felt it was too long, hanging on to multiple story lines for too long. Perhaps better editing? Especially with the placement of a body that does not jive with cause of death. This book also deals with the serious issue of post delivery psychosis in the late 1940’s -1960’s.

This book has many layers and stories, woven together with varying amounts of success.

The central character is Rebecca and the whole book stems from her story.

The characters seemed to be split into 2 distinct camps: Women with a predisposition for postpartum psychosis and incapable but well-meaning men. It made the whole book rather bland as you had an idea of how each character would react.

I enjoyed it, but it isn’t as insightful as the author’s first novel. It’s an interesting idea, but the execution doesn’t quite work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

An interesting and gripping novel which moves between characters and timeframe and drew me in from the first few pages. I did however, find the movement between timeframes and characters required a lot of concentration at times, thus it was easier to follow in several large chunks rather than little and often. The author deals with some serious and harrowing issues including the impact of the second world war on men returning to their wives and families, many unable to forget the torment and left suffering from mental health issues.
Alongside all of this threads a story of postnatal psychosis which connects the female characters in the various timeframes. The historical treatment of this condition was interesting and the stigma and treatment saddened me but contrasted well against modern approaches.
The opening pages find us with 13 year old Rebecca, being interrogated by the police in 1960 following the horrific and brutal murder of her mother Harriet. Moving forward to 2014 we meet characters linked to Rebecca's past and discover another story plot focussing on Harvey's daughter, Jessie delivering her baby and ultimately suffering from postnatal psychosis and postpartum depression.
We also slide back to 1945, where we meet Harriet at the end of WW2 wondering how life will transpire as she prepares for her husband to return from serving at the front. Each character has a story to tell and would have made standalone stories in themselves, which makes tying them altogether somewhat of an achievement for Gunnis.

A convoluted novel about postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, in which all of the women--save a saintly, conveniently dead one--are unstable and dangerous to their children, and in which the men are either complete brutes or gentle but slightly confused and not terribly capable of thought. The book is written in a naive style and is over-full of cliches, neither of which make the story, characters, or issues compelling. A further rewrite and some editing would have made this a much stronger book.

The seemingly difficult second book following an outstanding début novel has not materialised at all for Emily Gunnis. Instead she has once again written an astonishing, engrossing read that captures you in its spell right from the opening line. I had such high expectations for The Lost Child as Emily's début The Girl in the Letter was one of my favourite reads from 2018 and she easily established herself as an author to watch out for in the future. This new book was every bit as good if not slightly better than her first and it is a story that you will readily lose yourself in as the characters and story come alive on the pages. It's tense, powerful and a read that becomes insanely gripping the further you delve into Rebecca's story as the race to unearth the secrets of what happened one night when she was only 13 intensifies with each chapter.

The story was inspired by a picture of a lunatic asylum which the author saw. She then visited said place and what she observed and heard there provided plenty of food for thought. Out of this visit sprung The Lost Child and what a story it proved to be. I can't believe seeing a photograph could spark such an incredible story full of jaw dropping moments, lots of surprises and twists and turns and of course that mind blowing twist that you never see coming unless you are very eagle eyed and can spot and connect all the subtle hints and clues. I noticed a few things but never fully joined all the dots together but that didn't bother me in the slightest because I love to be taken totally by surprise when the big shocking reveal does make itself known.

The book opens on the 19th November 1960 as Rebecca Waterhouse is being interviewed by police and immediately there is tension, suspicion, anger and upset in the air. The blood of her mother is on her hands and she is trying to recollect just what happened at Seaview Cottage that night which has turned her life upside down yet in some ways it has offered some relief. She is of course devastated that her mother has died but not so her father who was nothing but a brute, a bully and a man who ruled by his fist. Yet no one believes Rebecca when she says she heard a different noise downstairs apart from her parents arguing and soon the police come to the conclusion that Jacob killed his wife. Rebecca has faced trauma in her life but she must move on but how can she do this knowing she has suspicions as to actually what happened lingering on in her mind. She is taken in by her friend and neighbour Ted and his son Harvey with whom she feels more than a close connection and bond to.

The story then moves back and forth between Iris in 2016 and we soon see how she is connected to Rebecca and from 1945 onwards focusing on Harriet, Rebecca's mother, and the years following the war. Also there are chapters with no headings or dates which appear every now and again. We have no idea as to who is speaking, only that it is a woman and that she appears lost and cold. These scenes really won't make sense until near the end but I thought their inclusion was brilliant as it only fuelled many more questions and scenarios to add to the various strands of the story. They were like pieces of a puzzle but more like the ones you leave until last to slot in because you have no idea where they go or even if they are relevant. The various aspects to the story were easy to follow and moving back and forth between the past and the present worked seamlessly. The entire flow and pace of the novel was perfect throughout. Uncertainty and apprehension at certain times and then at others a sense of calm as various things were being explored.

In 2016, Rebecca is very different from the person we first met as a teenager. She trained as a doctor specialising in psychosis and had two daughters Jessie and Iris. She has no semblance of a relationship with Jessie but now that she is pregnant Jessie has made an attempt to connect with her mother. But maybe there is more behind it than just re-establishing the mother/daughter bond. Jessie came seeking answers and perhaps what she heard or suspected has caused something to trigger inside her which leads to a main plot within the book. The effects of what happened to Rebecca's parents still have a lasting impact on her and it has shaped how she views the world and the interactions she has with people. A shadow hangs over a broken family which will only grow further if Iris can't get to the root cause of exactly what went on and in doing so she must try and help Jessie too in her desperate time of need.

There is so much pain, hurt and misunderstanding embedded deep within the family and things are never up for discussion or to be broached out loud. But when time becomes of the essence Iris knows she is the one that has to bring these things to the surface. Things are very complicated with nothing straight forward and easy to decipher and I loved the sense of mystery that was unfolding. You never knew whom to believe and it was only as we neared the final chapters that you fully understood what a remarkable story Emily Gunnis had woven. She has such skill and talent in writing stories that capture your imagination and have you rooting for the main character the entire time. She is an expert at bringing the past to life to connect with the present in the most surprising and earth shattering of ways and I was riveted from beginning to end.

As for the chapters set during 1945 and onwards, they really helped connect what was happening in 2016 and also the reader the more they story developed really came to understand what the bigger picture was. That there were many serious issues at play and the stakes were high in terms of reaching the core of what had happened in the past. The truth needed to come to light and it did so in a truly tense and strained manner. Harriet is glad that the war has been declared over but she fears the changes in her husband will not led to the happy life she envisaged occurring once the war had ended. There are diary entries detailing her time with Jacob and they make for a fascinating and very insightful read. We come to know more about her life and the situation she finds herself in and how she was forced to keep Jacob's true nature and the reasons for it under wraps. She did her best to remain in the job she had during the war but the actions of her husband mean she is forced to leave.

New employment is found and the source of this new income will have a profound affect on the overall novel as various plot lines start to come to the fore. I couldn't make sense of everything or always decipher its relevance but with such clever writing Emily knew where she wanted to take the story and it proved to be brilliant when everything started to come together. Only as I neared the end did I truly understand that every character, scene and event were all relevant and needed and they all helped to form a powerful and highly impressive story. Both the scenes set in the 1940's and in 2016 were equally as strong as the other as often the case can be with a dual time line story one dominates the other but I was glad this did not occur here.

Without doubt The Lost Child is one of my reading highlights of the year and it has only made me more eager to read many more books from Emily Gunnis. I hope she can write as quick as possible and bring book three to us without delay as I am keen to see what thrilling story and journey she will take us on next.

Review of uncorrected eBook proof

1n 1952, Harriet Waterhouse faces an untenable choice as her husband is released from the mental institution where he has lived for the past five years.

In 1960, thirteen-year-old Rebecca Waterhouse faces a tragedy that takes her away from Seaview Cottage and changes her life forever.

In 2014, journalist Iris Waterhouse covers the story of a mother and her newborn daughter, missing from the hospital.

What role does Seaview Cottage play in the terrified young mother’s life? And will Seaview Cottage finally reveal the truth it has kept hidden for so long?

Believable characters, an intriguing premise, and some unexpected reveals combine to make this a compelling tale of mothers and daughters, of love and forgiveness. Heartrending and emotional, the absorbing story uncovers despair and courage, betrayals and lies, secrets and tragedy. As the unfolding narrative weaves the three storylines together, astute readers will easily discern the final twist long before its reveal. Ultimately satisfying and, at the same time, haunting, readers are likely to have difficulty setting this one aside before turning the final page.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Headline Publishing Group and NetGalley
#TheLostChild #NetGalley