It's been a while since I have read a book set in the time of war and I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed them. Although this book has a lot of sadness weaved into the story it's also a story of hope and love. The book is about twins Molly and Jacob who find themselves being evacuated out of their home town, away from their mother so they will be safe, this is the story of how they survive living with strangers.

Saga fans will find much to enjoy in Shirley Dickson’s poignant new historical tale of hardship, courage and survival: The Lost Children.

In 1943, the Second World War still had the world in its grip. The suffering and hardship seemed endless and this terrible conflict showed absolutely no signs of slowing down. Nowhere was safe and with there being no end in sight, a desperate mother was ready to do absolutely anything to protect her children decided to make the ultimate sacrifice for them. As the bombs and planes hovered over rooftops and caused unlimited destruction and despair, a tearful Martha decided to send her beloved twins, Molly and Jacob to the countryside. As evacuees she hopes they will be spared further horrors, but fearful that she might never see them again she hands Jacob a letter telling him that it must only be opened if he or Molly are in acute danger.

Life in the country might be safe for the twins, but it was also hard and heart-breaking. Wrenched from their mother’s tender embrace, Molly and Jacob had to learn to deal with strangers and adapt to living a life as far removed from their old one as it was possible to get. It was only the thought that one day they will be reunited with their mother that kept them going – until the unthinkable happened and Martha was killed in an explosion. The twins were now all alone in the world save for one another. Having lost everything and with nobody to turn to, Molly and Jacob needed to grow up fast as a lonely future loomed ahead of them.

Motherless and destitute, the twins faced the terrifying prospect of spending the rest of their childhood in an orphanage. Remembering their mother’s words about the letter she had given them the last time they saw her, Molly and Jacob decide the time has come to open this letter. But what shocking secrets and terrifying revelations will it contain? With their current circumstances set to get even worse, could the letter hold the key to their salvation? Or will it tear them asunder once and for all and cause them even more heartache and despair?

If Shirley Dickson’s The Lost Children doesn’t tug at your heartstrings and make you cry, I don’t know what will. A beautifully written and wonderfully moving tale, The Lost Children is a tale of resilience, the ties that bind and triumphing over adversity that is good old-fashioned storytelling at its absolute best. Shirley Dickson is a talented writer who writes with heart and sensitivity and despite the many tragedies which befall Molly and Jacob, The Lost Children is not a sad book, but a richly woven historical tale that celebrates endurance, fortitude and love.

An evocative historical novel saga readers will love, The Lost Children is the latest terrific novel by Shirley Dickson.

I love reading historical fiction books that take place during WWII. This is an emotional read. From an out of wedlock pregnancy, difficult relationships, loss of life due to bombings in WWII, and physical disabilities, the characters in this story will tug at your heart. Jacob and Molly are twins and you will find yourself amazed at what they must endure. Their strength and determination, and the willingness of Jacob to assume the role of caregiver for his sister, is admirable. The storyline is well written and engaging and the characters so richly developed that you will be absorbed in the story until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

I loved this book and shed many tears throughout. It was heartbreaking at times but very written and portrayed wonderfully the hurt and turmoil suffered buy the children and their loved ones who were sent away, for their own safety, during World War 2. I became invested in the lead characters of this book, both Molly and Jacob, and truly cared about how their lives would pan out. Historical fiction is my favourite genre and this book is up there with the very best, I truly enjoyed it.

An excellent book. This story takes place in England in 1943, a time when the lives of all English people were hung by a thin thread. For twins Molly and Jacob, their home is no longer safe. Every night they listen to the bombs dropped by Nazi planes. Marta, their mother makes the difficult decision to send them to the rural area, where they will be safer. In the rural area, the little ones try to adapt but they also promise to always be together to maintain the ideal of their family. This book made her worry about the twins. Sometimes she forgot that they were children because of the attitudes that Jacob especially took. I think some situations force you to grow up, the war caused that in Molly and Jacob. I liked that the author also recounted the situation of those people who interacted with the twins because it helped me understand their entire environment. It is the perfect book to learn the great love that two brothers can have. I thank NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book "The Lost Children" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. This book was a bit predictable for me. Parts of the book were good and parts were boring and dragging. The end was rushed. Overall an okay book.

This book starts with a young mother being fired from her job because she is pregnant, with her boss' children. She considers adoption, but takes a job in a bomb factory while her mother watches over twins Jacob and Molly. When something happens to grandma, the mother sends her kids to strangers out in the country, away from the city life and the bombings. This is their story of how they find where they belong.
I hated how everyone treated Molly having a disability, but the reality is people will always be cruel and judgemental about what they do not understand. You could say my review contains spoilers, but the cover is the spoiler as it mentions "orphans". I give this book only 4 stars as where it was quite enjoyable, it was also quite predictable.

This is the first book I have read by Shirley Dickson, but it won't be my last. This is a heartbreaking story set during WWII. This story is not about the war itself, but how it affects those left behind. In this story we meet eight year old twins, Molly and Jacob. They were born out of wedlock and after war breaks out, their mother leaves them with their granny while she goes to work in a munitions factory. A bombing in their hometown kills their granny and their mother finally decides to evacuate them to the countryside. Jacob and Molly face unimaginable hardships that are only worsened by Molly’s disability caused by cerebral palsy. This is their story.

The Lost Children is very well written and seemed well researched. The characters are well developed. I loved reading about the love and support that Jacob and Molly gave each other. I just wanted to reach into the pages and hug them both and bring them home with me. The secondary characters were also wonderful. Seeing the relationships between the various residents and the twins grow was beautiful. This story was full of ups and downs. It seemed like things were going well, then there was another situation that knocked them for a loop. I can't believe how strong they were. This story had my emotions all over the place. I felt sympathy, love, disdain, anger, excitement and satisfaction. The setting and descriptions were well written and allowed me to visualize what what was happening. This is a story that will engage you from start to finish. One that lovers of Historical Fiction will certainly enjoy. I recommend this one.

I love historical WWII fiction and this heart wrenching novel is a tear jerking new favorite. Molly and Jacob are orphans whose Mother is killed during the Blitz. Molly is disabled and Jacob has to take care of both of them. Their coming of age journey and the people they meet along the way are fascinating. Highly recommend. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

A sweet story. Dragged a little to start with but soon picked up and kept you engaged. . .

Beautifully sad story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson is a historical fiction novel set in World War 2. As with other books set during this period it is a hearbreaking read,but it is so much more than just that.It is also a story of resilience, love and kindness. Twins Jacob and Molly are sent away by their mother, Molly as a last resort to Leadham in the country.In the day of their departure Molly hands a letter to Jacob which she tells him not to open unless they have no other options.They settle and adjust to their lives with Aunt Brigit to the point where they feel she is just an older version of their mother. One day she breaks her hip and can't come home.They end up in a temporary home with a bit of a grumpy Mr.Joe until they can be permanently placed. Then Molly overhears a conversation that shakes her to the core, their mam is dead, and they are heading to an orphanage! The twins hatch a plan to escape so they can stay together.
Jacob is reminded of the letter their mam gave him and is in a quandary, what do they do? Open it? Give it to an adult to open? Or what? All I can say they are never going to be ready for what informatiom that letter holds.
An absolutely heartbreaking story. I know so many children were evacuated during this time and my heart goes out to everyone of them. I could never imagine being put on a train by my mother and going to a strange place with a bunch of strangers. This story highlights the resilience of these children. Molly is a disabled child so Jacob has to be strong for them both during these times. I admired Jacob for all he does for her. My heart went out to Molly with the struggles she has anyway, never mind the evacuation and what follows for them. An author I have not previously read anything from. I shall certainly be reading more of her work, for sure.
In conclusion, this is a beautiful, heartbreaking but also uplifting read, Make sure you have a hankie or tissues, you may need them! Big thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the copy of The Lost Children to write my review today.

Jacob and Molly are 8 year old twins of an unmarried mother in England during WW2. After their grandmother is killed in a bombing raid, they are sent to billet in rural England. They constantly fear being separated. Molly has weakness on one side of her body and has difficulty walking and with fine motor movement. They are first placed with a caring, older woman who suffers a fall breaking her hip. This is unfortunate as she was working with Molly to strengthen her leg and hand. They are moved to a farm owned by an older grieving widower. These children brighten his life in ways he can’t imagine.
Their Mam gave Jacob a letter to use in case of emergency when she went off to work in a munitions factory. That letter revealed the identity of their father. Will they end up with the family they desire?
I love reading about this time in history, when children in English cities were sent to rural England during the war. The love of families, the openness of families housing the children and the trust that has to exist is remarkable. Such a wonderful, heart-warming story. Don’t miss this one!

The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson is a heart wrenching historical novel set in the North East of England mainly during World War II.
The novel shows the bond of twins – a boy and a girl born in 1935. Theirs is a story of searching to belong as they are evacuated in 1943.
Shirley Dickson has created some marvellous and realistic characters. The twins will lodge in your heart as their self-sacrificing love and unbreakable bond shines through.
There is a community spirit in the village where everyone knows everyone’s business, and pulls together when there is a need. There is much warmth and some tough love when needed.
The reader witnesses how attitudes have changed since the 1930’s when unmarried mothers were frowned upon and encouraged to give up their babies for adoption. It was always the women who suffered and never the men who had taken advantage of them.
There are some truly horrifying attitudes towards disability too. Whilst many adults treat eight year old Mollie (who has cerebral palsy and wears a calliper) with kindness, there are some who just want to hide her away in a home. Bullies at school are unkind too. Mollie’s indomitable spirit and bravery really make the reader just want to pick her up and love her.
I absolutely adored The Lost Children. Shirley Dickson is a new author to me but I want to read more, more, more.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Lovely plot but sad in places too. Loved the ending. Very well written and great characters. Looking forward to more from the author!

The Lost Children is a wonderful, though very emotional, piece of historical fiction that will stay with me for a long time.

Firstly it was great to have a book from a children’s point of view for a change and I so enjoyed following the twins on their journey. I loved the vivid descriptions of the northern village the twins find themselves in which made me feel like I was actually there, experiencing everything alongside them. The sense of community was beautiful to read about and I liked that everyone helped each other, often making sacrifices for other people. It was heartwarming to see the villagers include the twins into their lives and how they settled in so quickly.

This is a very emotional books which made me sob at times. The twins go through a lot of heartache throughout the story and I often found myself wishing I could put my arm round them. Having said that the book isn’t bogged down in sadness and the over all feeling I got from this book is actually an uplifting one.

Overall I really enjoyed this fast paced, easy read which was the first book I’ve read from this author. I’ll definitely be recommending this book to others and look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

Eight year old twins Molly and Jacob really didn't have much luck at all. Their mother has them evacuated during the war and this lets her work in an explosives factory. She intends to save money to get them a place to live after the war is over.
Just by luck Molly and Jacob are given a nice place to stay with a lovely lady but circumstances change and Molly and Jacob are determined to stick together no matter what.
This was a roller coaster of a read. Just when you thought everyone was happy something would happen to disrupt things. I enjoyed this story and loved the characters and yes,I did shed some tears especially near the end. But no spoilers just read it.

When eight-year-old twins Jacob and Molly were to be evacuated to the country for the duration of the war, they farewelled their Mam with sorrow. Martha gave Jacob a letter that he wasn’t to open unless he felt they were in trouble, and he wasn’t to read it. Jacob and Molly had lost their gran to a bomb and Martha, although she didn’t want to be parted from them, knew she had to work for the family’s care. The munitions factory where she worked paid well, but they didn’t allow leave while they were so busy helping the war effort.

The twins missed their mother dreadfully, never a day went by that they didn’t think of her. They loved receiving her letters and wrote back straight away. But when more tragedy struck, Jacob and Molly weren’t sure what would happen. They were scared of the future; they had never been apart, and nothing would separate them – would it? What would be the outcome for these two children? They had had terrible misfortune throughout their young lives – would it ever get any better?

The Lost Children is another excellent historical novel from the pen of Shirley Dickson which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve loved all this author’s work to date; she never disappoints. Set during WWII England, the heartbreak and despair for so many was appalling. Our two main characters, Molly and Jacob, remained strong and resilient in the face of so much – brave, with their mam’s helpful words frequently in their heads. The Lost Children is one I highly recommend to fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, this book made me want to laugh and cry and sometimes both at the same time. I felt heartbreak but I also had laughter. The Lost Children was an emotional and heart tugging read but it was one of the best books I’ve read this year. It reminded me of many things that I needed to be reminded of. Like, sticking with family no matter if you are mad, either at them or the other people. Also, it reminded me to listen to my gut, like when Jacob knew Molly was at the building they saw on a trip with Sandra.

“This book was provided to me by Bookouture and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.”