I loved The Berlin Zookeeper, so I was excited to read this. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the story and never really connected to the characters. Lorna still seemed like a mystery to me. Nancy's diary didn't have some shocking reveal in the end. Every time something happened at the Gamekeeper's cottage, Nancy's first instinct was to run away. She expected Ted and Betty to completely change their view overnight. The diary really doesn't go into much detail about the time Nancy and her friends spent as gunner girls. Nancy was so proud of her time as a gunner girl but never talked about with her son.

Definitely give the book a try, it just wasn't for me. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

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

A diary dating back to 1945 tells of Nancy Jones' hopes and struggles when the war ends and she goes to live with her husband and his family in the village of Langham. She is looking forward to becoming a gamekeeper, but she hadn't considered that her in-laws would be opposed to her wanting to work side by side with the men. Helping in the house was not what she expected to be doing, especially when her talents could be put to better use elsewhere.

Lorna, who found the diary, has recently lost her husband. The diary distracts her from her grief and she becomes engrossed and intrigued by what Nancy has written. She senses Nancy's frustration at being relegated to work deemed appropriate for women, and also that Nancy and the three other gunner girls in her unit had a secret. Does it relate to the fate of one of the gunner girls, or to where the money came from to fund expensive repairs to the cottage? Unfortunately, the last few pages of the diary are missing and Lorna resigns herself to never knowing the outcome. That is until a piece of information comes her way that will finally help solve the mystery.

The Secret Diary recounts the turning point in two women's lives. One, as she faces a life without her husband, grieving and coming to terms with her loss; the other, as she adjusts to married life in peace time after relinquishing a role both exhilarating and dangerous, only to have her wishes ignored.

I found the present day story appealing and particularly enjoyed the portrayal of modern family life, but it was the story of Nancy and her struggles that captivated me more - and, of course, the mystery element. Both Nancy and Lorna were surrounded by people that loved and supported them, although in Nancy's case she wasn't too sure. Her clashes with Ted, her father-in-law, certainly added to the drama.

The Secret Diary is perfect for World War II fiction lovers and those who like a well-handled, dual time frame narrative. Engaging characters, lots of historical detail and surprising revelations also make this a worthwhile read. If you've not read Anna Stuart before, this is an excellent novel with which to start.

3.5 stars

The Secret Diary is a dual-time story featuring recently bereaved Lorna and a diary that she finds which was written in 1945.

The diary was hidden in a secret compartment in the annex of her mother and step-father's home. The annex was preserved in the 1940s style from when stepfather David’s parents lived there after the war. Reading the diary written by David’s mother Nancy was a form of escapism for Lorna, as well as appealing to her interest in history.

Nancy talked about her war years spent as a 'gunner-girl', shooting down enemy aircraft and working with other women who became her life-long friends. Several times Nancy hinted of a big secret and, with the help of David and his daughter Tilly, Lorna attempts to unravel the mystery.

I found the gunner-girl element very interesting and the post war chapters were by far my favourite parts of this story. In fact I could quite happily have accepted the whole story written in the post-war era. On a personal note, I would have liked to have seen the story go a little darker with its storyline just to give it a more realistic feel; for me it was a little too feel-good for some of the subjects involved.

The Secret Diary tells of life for the Gunner Girls after the war ended. It merges with the story of Lorna, a history teacher, who has recently lost her husband, Matt. Lorna and her sons leave Norwich to spend time with her mother and stepfather in The Gameskeeper's Cottage near Langham. She and the boys will be staying in the annex of the cottage. It is a red leather covered diary with the introduction of "My name is Nancy Jones. ....and I have a secret." Throught the diary, we learn about Nancy and her three friends who were part of the ATS, known as Gunner Girls, or ack ack girls. It was their job to sight the guns to shoot down German bombers. These girls or women left their day to day jobs and life to protect their country and not that the war is over, they're not ready to be relegated back to the kitchen. Nancy knows that part of the world is not for her, and as she and her husband Joe return to the family's home, Nancy finds herself in a battle between new and old. The men in the village, especially her father-in-law, are against women doing anything perceived as men's work, especially using a gun. Nancy shares her thoughts and feelings in her diary and as the story progresses, we learn that these friends have a big secret. As Lorna reads the diary, she begins to deal with her grief and finds comfort in Nancy's story. Are any of the Gunner Girls still alive? What is their secret?

I have not read anything dealing with this time in history. After the end of WWII, I can only imagine the difficulty so many women would have had trying to reconcile the life they had lived and the one that was expected of them. It was interesting to read about Nancy's difficulties and the things she did to try and be happy. There is another theme dealing with hate, but I don't want to give that away. I liked all the characters in this story. The Ack Ack girls were wonderful, very different, but all courageous and caring. The characters in the present had all had some loss in their lives and I liked seeing how they supported each other. I enjoyed both timelines in this story, but it was Nancy's story in 1940 that really drove this book. This is a story of grief and loss, friendship, love, finding your place in the world, family, courage and secrets. Anna Stuart does a good job merging the past with the present with a bit of mystery and suspense. If you are interested in women's rights and their fight for equality, you will really enjoy this book. I recommend it to lovers of Historical Fiction, especially those who like a dual timeline.

This was a fabulous read that se t me back to times of WW2. I felt completely as one with the characters and loved learning about about Nancy and her gunner girls through the eyes of the diary reader.

I was saddened when the book came to the end as I felt like there could’ve been more to this journey and I secretly wanted it to continue.
Praise to the author of a beautiful read; and I will definitely be reading more from this author

Favorite Quotes:

Why can’t a woman operate outside the kitchen? Why can’t a wife work? She thought that when the war ended, the fighting would be over, but it seems that for her, and so many women like her, it’s only just starting… peace hasn’t turned out to be quite as simple as she’d hoped.

They were all set for me to go home and swan around with Mother, waiting for the season to start so I could put on a ridiculous extravagance of a white dress and catch myself a husband. Their main ambition was for me to get someone “with all their limbs”.

I sometimes think that so many of us gunner girls –and all the other servicewomen and factory workers and land girls –fought harder after the war than we did during it. Society wanted to slot us conveniently back into our kitchen-shaped holes, but we’d grown and we weren’t going to shrink ourselves to fit back inside. ‘It was the same all over Europe. We think of feminism as starting with the bra-burnings in the seventies but, let me tell you, it was the second half of the forties that got things moving.


My Review:

This was dual-timeline and historical fiction done right, and the feminist in me cheered. The storylines were thoughtfully layered and shrewdly paced with family drama, an intriguing mystery, romance, and insightful bits of history while it entertained and hit all the feels. The overall premise was eye-opening, as silly me, I had not stopped to think about the women of WWII this way.

The book drove home the realization that the post-WWII era was actually the kick-off of women finding their voice and value outside of domesticity on a larger scale across the globe. While the women may not have been all that interested in taking on the vacant jobs and roles of their men at war, they felt differently about themselves for having stepped up and into the fray, yet the returning men and peacetime societies weren’t receptive to women’s efforts to continue moving forward. While the end of the war was a good thing for the world, the war ending had ignited the beginning of women’s personal battles to get out of the kitchen, stay relevant, and hang on to their jobs and self-worth.

Needless to say, this book took me much longer to read as the story threads led me down a rabbit hole of Googling which was ignited by the inspiration of these endearing Ack-Ack characters, with Ack-Ack girls actually being my first inquiry. Anna Stuart was a new name for me when I picked up this book and I now have the deepest respect for her craft and appreciate the lessons learned from her endless hours of research and preparation.

Historian and school teacher Lorna Haynes and her two young children, Charlie and Stan arrived at the Gameskeeper Cottage in Latham, where Lorna’s mother lived with her new husband, David. Lorna had recently lost her beloved husband Matt to a horrible accident and when her best friend suggested she and the children spend the holidays with Lorna’s mother, she agreed. The Cottage was beautiful and stepping inside was like stepping back in time. The annex where Lorna and the children would sleep was still the same as it had been back in the 1940s, with the garish pink wallpaper immediately taking the eye. When Lorna spied an old desk in the corner, she wondered… and yes, a click and a secret drawer was there with a small book inside.

Nancy Jones began writing in her little diary in June 1945, talking of Joe, her beloved husband, of the war and the ‘gunner girls’ of which Nancy was one. She talked of nursing up at the big house as the soldiers returned, injured and frail. She also spoke of her in-laws, Joe’s parents, Bette and Ted, who owned the Gameskeeper Cottage, and her frustration at not being able to help around the farm. She had been a strong, independent woman with her three friends, Connie, Dot and Peggy, as they shot the German planes out of the sky, but now she was expected to cook, clean, and work in the kitchen. But the gunner girls had a secret, one they wouldn’t tell a soul. Would Nancy write about it in her diary?

The Secret Diary is another excellent historical novel by Anna Stuart which I thoroughly enjoyed. This is my second by this author, and it won’t be my last. Moving between the mid 1940s to current day, Nancy and Lorna gelled as one and as Lorna learned more about Nancy, she, along with David and her mother, knew they needed to know it all. I found both ‘leading ladies’ to be strong, decisive and independent young women and filled their roles well. Highly recommended.

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

The story is told through dual timelines starting post WWII, 1945 to present day.  In books with dual timelines, I usually like one timeline better than the other, but Anna Stuart did a terrific job of  keeping me interested in both stories throughout the book. 

Two women. One house. And a secret that spans decades…

Learn of the struggles Nancy faced during the transition from gunner girl to everyday life.  The WWII gunner girls played such a vital role in the war and returning to a “normal” life where a women’s place was in the home, was difficult. 

A second story, taking place 76 years later, where Lorna, a grieving widow struggling to find her new normal, decides to returns home with her children to gain comfort from her mother.  Lorna, getting comfortable in her temporary residence, enters the bedroom she will be staying in.  While examining the room, she uncovers a diary in a hidden compartment of a desk and the first entry states ‘My name is Nancy Jones. And I have a secret…’

I always have more than one book going at a time, and one genre you can always find me reading is Historical Fiction!  I love that every time I read a well-researched story, I learn something new.  The Secret Diary delivered a most interesting and unknown story to me that I really enjoyed!  I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn something new through a heartwarming tale.

The Secret Diary by Anna Stuart is a dual timeline novel that switches between post war 1945 and modern day 2019. Set in Norfolk, it tells the story of two very different women living a lifetime apart in the same Gamekeepers Cottage. Devastated by the sudden loss of her husband, Lorna escapes with her two children to her mother and stepfather’s home in Norfolk. There she is shown into an annex that is like stepping back in time. Everything is exactly as it would have been back in 1945 and, as a history teacher, Lorna is instantly transfixed by it. It is here that she finds a red, leather bound diary in a hidden compartment at the back of a desk drawer. Seeking comfort from within its pages, Lorna finds herself drawn into the post war world of Nancy, a former gunner girl who is the keeper of a shocking wartime secret that will change the course of Lorna’s own life in the present.

In 1945 Nancy is struggling to adjust to life as a gamekeepers wife after her thrilling experiences as a gunner girl during the war. Nancy is deeply in love with her husband Joe, who she married after a whirlwind romance, but there is still so much they don’t know about each other. Unwilling to leave her war years behind and settle back into a life of domesticity, Nancy urges her new husband to teach her the skills he promised to when they got married, much to the chagrin of her very traditional in-laws. But then a terrible secret from Nancy’s war years threatens to resurface, putting her newfound happiness into even more jeopardy…

The Secret Diary is a book richly steeped in wartime history, focussing on the bravery of the gunner girls, a fascinating element of World War 2 that I knew very little about. Women like Nancy and her fellow ‘Ack Ack girls’ played such an important role in the war that returning to the life they had before is unimaginable, their hard won independence not something they’re willing to give up lightly.

I love a book with a dual timeline and this one works incredibly well, moving seamlessly between the two as the story from the past is slowly revealed as Lorna progresses through the long hidden diary of the newlywed Nancy. Both stories stand up in their own right, with Lorna’s grief at the loss of her husband every bit as palpable as the secrets from the past.

Anna Stuart’s writing is gorgeous, bringing the lives of these two very different women vividly to life as they try to overcome the hurdles life has thrown their way. Touching on themes of love, loss and courage, this poignant tale captivated me from the very first page and I did not want this fantastic book to end!

A heartwarming and emotional read that I would highly recommend, especially to those readers who are as fascinated by the historical aspect of this story as I was.

Superb!

I love historical Fiction and this one ticked all the right boxes.

It's a dual timeline from present to the 1940s. It shows the strength, courage and resilient of what ladies are capable of and I really admire that in books.

It normally takes the past part of the story to get going but I was pleasantly surprised when it started alongside the present so I got two sides of the story together and that made the reading experience even better.

Loved this book and I highly recommend this to anyone who likes historical Fiction

“Two women. One house. And a secret that spans decades…”


Whoa! Don’t take those tissues away, I’m not quite cried out just yet!

Happy tears, sad tears, who knows where one ends and the other begins!

I read for five make that six, good reasons, all the ‘e’s: Enjoyment, Entertainment, Escapism, Emotion, Education and Engagement. Seldom does a single book meet all of these criteria in equal proportions, leave me wanting more and sad to have closed that final page – until now! Add to that: Beautiful, Heart-breaking, Heart-warming, Uplifting and Inspirational and you are getting close to describing the emotions this lovely story evoked.

Wonderful dual timeline tales, told in the voices of Nancy from 1945/6 and Lorna from the present day, both set in the lovely Norfolk countryside, with a quintessentially English ‘chocolate-box’ cottage at their heart. Nancy’s diaries, hidden for decades, help to tell her side of the story, through the capable voice of Lorna, for whom they are a healing and cathartic release from her own recent sense of loss and desolation. The unfolding saga is an important piece of cultural and societal history, an evolving love story which transcends time and generations, and a rich sense of family which held me close, welcomed me in and which I didn’t want to leave.

After a devastating loss, which has left Lorna a lone parent to her two young sons, they have gone to recover and begin the healing process, at the home of her mother and her new husband in rural Norfolk. The cottage has been in step-father David’s family since back before WWII (Nancy, it transpires, was his mother), and in fact, the separate annex where Lorna and the boys are to stay, hasn’t been decorated since then and still boasts all its original fixtures from Nancy’s day. History teacher Lorna discovers a secret drawer, in which she finds Nancy’s post-war diary. The ensuing journey of enlightenment for the entire family, is what forms the basis of this truly engaging storyline, with all its twists and turns and long-buried secrets. The complexities of the investigations help to begin the healing process for Lorna, as she learns that Nancy’s homecoming from her wartime service duties, as she tries to fit back into a woman’s role in peacetime, is every bit as fraught as her own journey of loss. But as two strong, resourceful and resilient women, divided by time alone, Nancy and Lorna prevail in spectacular fashion.

This complex multi-layered story, is beautifully structured and richly textured, yet written with the lightest of touches and guiding hands by an author who knows exactly where she is leading her readers on their journey and just how many tears most of them are likely to shed along the way! Rich in atmosphere and offering a genuine sense of time and place, this is a real story to escape into. Anna is an author who is undoubtedly also a consummate storyteller, whose lovely way with words adds a unique depth and range to her work and keeps the dual timeline changes, clean and seamless. At the same time, she has an assured ease and confidence in her writing style and narrative, which makes the reading experience profoundly touching, visually descriptive and captures the emotion of those ‘heart and humour’ moments wonderfully.

Anna has created an engaging, multi-faceted cast of characters, from both time zones, who are completely relatable, well defined and developed, and in whom I was totally invested. They have been afforded a strong voice to tell their own story, which they do with some genuinely believable dialogue and in an addictive style, keeping true to the era. Anna has not been afraid to expose their individual emotional complexities and vulnerabilities, and their divergent family dynamics, which are dealt with sympathetically and with some excellent interpersonal interactions.

The promise of renewed hope going forwards, for those who dare to dream – thanks to those who have dreamed and been brave before us!

Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Stuart, and Bookouture for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Diary by Anna Stuart is a dual timeline (present day and 1940s), suspenseful, historical fiction adventure that pulled me in from the very first page. While the two main characters are separated by decades, they are more similar then we may realize at first blush. Both are very strong females and were able to triumph over their own issues. Several pages of the secret diary were found to be missing ... And Lorna and her family begin a quest to learn more about Nancy and her life as a gunner during WWII. The story line was very emotional and holds you in so you find out more about both characters in their quest for fulfillment. I recommend this book for fans of historical fiction and for those people that love a good book about WW2.

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It’s Norfolk in 1945 and only a few months before Nancy Jones was a gunner in World War Two, fighting for her country. Nancy and her husband had a whirlwind romance and are soon married. But there is so much that they don’t know about each other. Things that occurred during the war begin to come to light. Norfolk, 2019, Lorna Haynes looses her husband and is on the verge of loosing her home, Gamekeeper’s Cottage. While at the Cottage she finds a locked room that she never knew about. When she enters the room, Lorna finds a red diary in a desk drawer. As Lorena reads through the diary, she learns about the woman who lived in the cottage decades before her. But reading through the diary, she reads the very secrets that were so desperately meant to be kept quiet. The secrets that change her life. This time slip historical fiction is an absolute must read. I devoured this book in its entirety. It is filled with suspense, romance, and plot twist and turns, that will have you flying through the pages. I enjoyed this book so much, that I am almost speechless. This is a definite must read, however, a box of Kleenex is mandatory. I absolutely loved this book…historical fiction at its best!

Thank you Anna Stuart for yet another well written story. I loved the dual timeline as it made it a fast paced read. The characters were relatable and the storyline was phenomenal and heartbreaking. I loved it, this one can’t be surpassed. Definitely worth ten stars.

I’ve read and loved other historical fiction by the author so was really looking forward to The Secret Diary. Thankfully, this is just as good as I hope it would be. I’ve become a real fan of historical fiction recently especially set in or around WWII. I loved the way the book moves through time and gradually reveals the links between past, present, both women and the house. I love books that use this kind of non-linear narrative and the author does a fantastic job of weaving both stories and gradually pulling them together. This is the kind of book where I couldn’t stop turning the pages because I was so engrossed. I had a great time with this.

My Thoughts: Historical fiction isn’t a genre that I regularly reach for but the dual timeline of this story appealed to me straight away!

We’re following Lorna in the modern day timeline who has just lost her husband in a tragic accident, struggling to get her head around it and angry with him for leaving her with 2 young boys to now raise on her own, she’s struggling to keep her head above water so on the advice of her best friend she goes away to stay with her mum and id’d whilst she’s there that she finds Nancy’s diary in a hidden compartment within the furniture!

In the second timeline it’s 1945, we’re following Nancy who was a gunner girl during the war and is struggling to find her feet now she’s living with her husband and his parents, who are old fashioned and expect her to help keep house, a bit of an adjustment when you’ve spent the last few years with a gun in your hand helping to defend your country!

Both timelines had hard hitting moments that made me want to cry but also had equally joyous moments too.

It was heartwarming to experience Lorna coming to terms with her husbands death, not only learning to let other people in, but also learning that it’s ok to put yourself first sometimes and let someone else shoulder your responsibilities.

Next time I’m feeling a little low and struggling I will be taking the advice of her mum and speaking to the worms, apparently they’re good listeners! 🪱

The diary held a lot of secrets to the past that I really enjoyed discovering, the camaraderie between the “Gunner Girls” was really something special and they appeared to stay friends for life, but when Lorna speaks to the family’s of the girls, why has nobody heard of Connie when she is such a big part of the group, the diary hints towards a big secret that they promised to take to their graves. Could it all be linked?

This book took me on a journey that I never wanted to end and it’s made me want to give into more historical fiction in the future.

🐧❤️

Poignant. Engaging. Heart breaking. Beautiful. I loved this wonderfully written, brilliantly researched, amazing book. A story that will stay with me for a long time. Just lovely.

Told from two timelines, present day and 1940s, this is a fascinating story of the strength and resilient of women and all they are capable of.
Lorna has recently lost her husband in an accident m so she goes back with her 2 boys to stay with her mother for the summer to try and deal with their loss. Their mother has recently married David, and they live in the house he inherited called the Gameskeepers Cottage. One day Lorna finds a diary hidden in a secret compartment of a desk in the annex of the cottage, and the diary begins with “My name is Nancy Jones and I have a secret.”
The diary contains the life story of Nancy and her friends, former gunner girls, who were required to shoot down he Nazi planes that flew over their town. It was a job that was usually given to men, but since they were all out at war, the job fell to the women and the women were awesome at it and loved it! However once they had to go back to normal life when the war was ending, they struggled with adapting to real life situations like relationships, and trying to deal with mean trying to keep them in “traditional roles” after accomplishing so much during the war. Nancy feels uncomfortable at her husband’s family home because they expect her to maintain traditional women’s work, but she knows she could be much more valuable to them in many other ways if they would just open their minds and see what she has to offer.
As we get firmly entrenched in both women’s lives in both timelines, we see Nancy and her friends moving forward and Lorna and her family learning to cope with their loss and Lorna getting further into the diary, she realizes that David is Nancy’s son, and in building a relationship with him through sharing the diary, she comes to terms with her loss and learns to move on.
This was gripping and emotional and I loved how strong the women were!
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

This is a Historical Fiction with dual timelines (one present day that follows Lorna and one post WWII that is told from a diary that Nancy wrote). I have to say this book pulled me in from the beginning, and it kept me wanting to keep reading. I found that normally when Historical Fiction books has dual timelines I will like one of the storylines better then the other, but I loved both of this books timelines. I really love all the characters, but I think Nancy was my favorite character. Great book that will take you on a wild heartwarming story of friendship and moving on. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Bookouture) or author (Anna Stuart) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

The secret diary follows Lorna and her two children as they move to her moms house after her husbands death. There she realizes that the house was owned by an gunner-woman and Lorna ends up finding the woman’s diary. Throughout the summer she discovers everything about Nancy and gets her life back.
I sadly did not like this book very much. The sad thing is I don’t know what was missing. I loved how women during the war was presented and loved the friendship. I fell in love with the relationship between Nancy and Joe.

Whenever I read a really well-told story with a dual timeline, I feel compelled to say that it’s always something I particularly enjoy – and my goodness, I certainly enjoyed this one.

Devastated by the loss of husband Matt, Lorna and her two young sons decide to leave Norwich and all its difficult reminders behind for a while, and spend the summer with her mother – now married to ex-GP David, they live at Latham in a beautiful gamekeeper’s cottage with an annex where the young family will be able to have a little space when they need it. The annex is a wonderful surprise – frozen in time, furnished in 1940s style complete with original radio on the fireplace and blousy wallpaper in the bedroom, and with all its original furnishings. Lorna has a bit of a passion for old furniture, and finds the hidden drawer within the dressing table that she knows to be a common feature – but she doesn’t expect to find a hidden diary from 1945, and exploring its fascinating story (along with the loving attention of David and her mother) is what sustains her as she follows her journey to heal herself.

The diary is written by Nancy, newly married and having moved in with her in-laws after her wartime life as a gunner girl, a time fraught with danger as she worked as part of a group of four women who spotted enemy aircraft and prepared the guns that the men would fire to bring them down. Her husband promised that she could join him as a gamekeeper, but his family have other ideas about an appropriate life for a woman, and instead she finds herself frustratingly tied to the chores around the cottage and the more interesting life she’d hoped for out of her grasp. Her wartime years were a time of strong friendships, and all but one the girls have kept in touch – and there’s a mystery to be uncovered about the fate of the missing member of the team, and it’s something Nancy chose to conceal by tearing out and hiding the final pages of the diary, feeling it was a story that wasn’t hers to share.

When I say how much I enjoy a dual timeline, it does rather depend on both stories being equally strong – and I was very happy about the balance within this book. Laura’s grief is palpable and very real, and I loved her relationships both with her young sons and with her mother and David – her pursuit of the full story behind the diary and her path to healing drives the story, and I really enjoyed her involvement in the restoration of Langham Dome, where the practising wartime gunners were able to hone their skills. Nancy’s story is compelling, a wonderful slice of social history I’m not sure I’ve come across in a book before – I’d never given much thought to how very difficult women must have found it to slip back into their expected roles as wives and mothers, stepping aside to let the men pick up their former roles, and that struggle between more traditional views and the thirst for freedom is exceptionally well handled.

The characters are excellent – Nancy has a wonderful feistiness about her as she attempts to kick against convention, and there are some lovely moments where you find yourself cheering and urging her on when she makes her stands. Another one I particularly loved was David – his care for Lorna and the boys earns him the titles of “Dad” and “grandad”, the love with which he envelops them in rather sharp contrast to the austerity of the family joined by Nancy. The book’s emotional content really is beautifully handled – Lorna’s sense of loss is never far below the surface and makes your heart ache at times, but Nancy’s frustration with her lot and thwarted dreams for the future are equally palpable.

This is by no means the only book I’ve read that hinges on the finding of a diary, but the device is particularly well employed – the links between the two storylines are cleverly done, the transitions between the stories smooth and easy, the storytelling quite excellent, and the read compelling as we hope for a resolution to the remaining mystery behind the diary’s missing pages. And it’s one of those books that amply shows the depth of the author’s research, but wears it lightly as she recreates a very authentic slice of social history – the historical notes that end the book are simply fascinating, and every bit as readable as the story itself.

This a story that focuses on transitions – Lorna’s journey to recovery and future happiness, Nancy’s to a life that matches her post-war expectations – but all wrapped up in two engrossing stories. Highly recommended – I loved it.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)