In this captivating tale spanning continents, Clara's journey unfolds from the London bombings in her childhood during World War I to the challenges of World War II. Now a nurse, she grapples with loss and prejudice while protecting her son.

While the title suggests a war-focused narrative, this is primarily a tale of love, betrayal, and resilience. Although some may find it repetitive and drawn out, many will cherish this epic, heartwarming story.

Another amazing book by Renita, the twists, the turns of the story and the emotions hooked me from page 1 has made this book another ride
It broke my heart to see what kind of mean situations she has to go through, the after effects of war
The secrets kept hidden
The situations that were forced
I'm glad to read the series 😊
Definitely recommend for history fiction lovers, wartime backstories
and for anyone who just want. a good time

A sweeping story encompassing two continents and starting when Clara is a child, losing her mother in the London bombings during the First World War, then through to the Second World War as those who previously lost parents and brothers now face the prospect of losing their partners, and beyond to modern times.

Now a nurse, Clara still mourns the loss of her family when she finds herself in an impossible position trying to protect her son against racial prejudice.

Despite the title, and although both World Wars are included, this is more a story of love, loss and betrayal and will appeal to a wide audience.

Ultimately an epic heartwarming story which I can see many people will absolutely love, it was just a bit too repetitive and drawn out for my taste.

Two women, two generations apart. In ‘The War Child’, Renita D‘Silva explores the connections between a mother and child, through danger and separation, self-sacrifice, unstoppable events and the pressures of modern life. D’Silva tells the dual timeline stories of Clara and Indira over many decades, setting the strength and promise of women across four decades against the twentieth century prejudices of chauvinism and racism.
In London, 1940, teenager Clara is woken by her mother as their home is bombed. Her mother presses into Clara’s hand a necklace, a St Christopher’s medal, with the promise that it will always protect her. Orphaned, Clara is taken in by her aunt and begins helping at a local hospital treating injured soldiers. When nurses and doctors ignore a wounded Indian soldier because of the colour of his skin, Clara nurses him to health. When the war ends, she decides to fulfil a long-held promise to herself. Inspired by sitting on her father’s knee and listening to his stories of India, Clara takes a job as nurse companion to a delicate boy whose parents are re-locating to India. And there, she falls in love.
In India, 1995, 33-year old Indira is chairing a board meeting when she gets a message to ‘go to the hospital’. Fearing her young son is dying – he is in hospital for a minor surgical procedure – she finds her husband and son both well. The message refers to Indira’s father who has had a heart attack. Indira returns home to her parents, somewhere she hasn’t been much of late as she seeks to avoid their simplistic boring life, resenting their dissatisfaction with her life choices.
Sometimes raw and painful, always emotionally complex with surprising twists that make you gasp, ‘The War Child’ is another brilliant book by my first-choice author for Indian historical romance. D’Silva is such a visual writer that India is a real place on the page, the colours and scents are both beautiful and challenging, her descriptions as full of contrasts as fresh guava sprinkled with chilli powder.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

This historical fiction is a beautiful and compelling read. It follows the life of WWI orphan, Clara, with excerpts from a hardworking CEO struggling with family life, Indira, in 1995. Their two stories delightfully merge at the end, in a delightful, yet unexpected way. The devastating reality of both World Wars and racism that Clara encounters is heartbreaking, yet really adds to the story. I thought the characters were interesting and well developed. The beginning chapters were pretty concise, but they seemed to grow longer through the book. I also found it fascinating how the story takes place in both London and India, so it provides a lot of insight on both countries and their contrasts. This is the first book I have read by Renita and I really loved it! It was both engaging and had a wonderful message.

‘She is beginning to understand that life is not a competition but a journey to be enjoyed.’

Renita’s books reliably provide great reading and a new one is always cause for celebration. With an intriguing dual time narrative, Renita once more offers a taste of India in her tales. How the two stories ultimately connect will keep the reader turning pages to the very end.

For me, Clara’s story is compelling, with the historical timeline proving the more captivating. Her story is one that is sure to touch your heart whilst tackling issues related to women and race set against the backdrop of war. The present day tale with Indira demonstrates a modern day take on struggles for women with a good character arc of realising what is important in life.

Clara is such a likeable character and you are swept away in the events she must live through. Indira’s is a more reflective tale with a focus on the cost of wealth and success. Then there is of course the setting and this is where Renita truly shines. She does such a fabulous job capturing not only the period but also the place with her words painting vivid images of a time long gone. I loved taking that journey with her tales of the Maharajas.

Renita has once again delivered an epic tale of love and sacrifice and I recommend lovers of this genre to certainly sample some of her writing. You won’t be disappointed.

‘Mother had taken Clara’s hand and placed it upon Clara’s heart. ‘He’s here. He’ll always be here. Look, you can feel it beating, once for him, once for you.’

Clara is an orphan during WWI. She finds her calling as a nurse. One day, an Indian man is brought to the clinic she works in, every one else refuses to help heal the man due to his skin color. Clara decides to nurse him back to health and saves his life. A few years later, Clara arrives in India as a personal nurse and nanny to a young English boy. She is reacquainted with Anand, the Indian man she helped. She befriends him, his wife becomes a close and dear friend. As WW2 begins, Clara finds herself in a predicament and has no choice but to send her only child, her reason for living, away.
In 1995, Indira is struggling to balance work and home life. She has spent her entire life proving that a woman can do anything and in the process, has sacrificed her family for her work. When her father falls ill, she is forced to realize what is truly important in life.
How these stories interconnect is the cusp of this book.
I absolutely love Renita DaSilva's novels, I am always excited to find a new one. This definitely did not disappoint, although it wasn't my favorite. You can't help but feel for Clara throughout the story, I just didn't feel the emotion or connect between her and Indira. I did wonder why Henry wasn't mentioned at the very end, but I suppose that wasn't important. Overall, I still love this author and look forward to more from her!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

1916: Clara is orphaned during WW1 and goes to live with her distant relatives. Desperate to escape, she begins work at the local hospital caring for injured soldiers. She saves the life of an Indian doctor, beginning a connection that lasts for decades. 1995: Indira has fought against the glass ceiling her whole life. She has become CEO of her company but at significant cost to her personal life and family. She is forced to reevaluate her life when a family member becomes very ill...
The War Child is a dual timeline novel set across the decades between and during the wars as well as the more modern 1995. The plot evolves across India and England and is narrated in the third person from two women's perspectives.
Clara experiences utter heartache as her family all die before the end of WW1. She is determined to travel to India to retrace her father's footsteps and make the journey her mother never made. Indira has fought her whole life and her ambition has led her to ignore her family. Now fear for them leads her to re-evaluate her priorites.
The majority of the book is written about Clara with only a single chapter now and then to update us on Indira's crisis. This gave me a greater knowledge of the older timeline but made me want to know more about Indira's life in 1995! The two timelines do eventually merge in a heartwarming yet heartbreaking conclusion.
This is a really emotional book with love and grief being the main themes in my opinion. Time has been squandered yet given gratefully. It makes a beautiful story about one's choices and priorities. I'm not sure that I could ever agree with either woman's choices but their bravery is undenaible.
The War Child is an engaging novel that had me feeling desperately for the two main characters

I love Renita’s books. Never found one that I didn’t like.

Clara Knight was a nurse during the first and second world wars. A chance encounter with a patient that nobody wanted to attend to, changed the course of her life. On the other hand, Indira is an Executive, one of the few female CEOs in India. She has risen up the corporate ladder and has a successful career. Unfortunately, she seems to have lost her family along the way. A health scare brings past and present together linking Clara and Indira and revealing old family secrets.

I was drawn to the two women. As usual, I always enjoy past timelines and this was no different. I was engrossed by Clara’s story during the war. It still shocks me to see how unwed mothers were treated in the olden days. This story also tackles the issue of racism. I can’t imagine what it was like having a mixed-race child in England in the 1940s.

Clara was a likeable character and I enjoyed following her story especially in the early years. Indira’s story was quite thought-provoking. It gave me a lot to think about especially about relationships lost in search of wealth and success. I am glad that I still have my parents and I pray that I will never be too busy for them or my child and husband, in pursuit of a career.

I love India as a setting and Renita does such a fabulous job with it in each story. I enjoyed another chance at learning about the people, culture and place. In this story, I came across the Maharajas for the first time. These were Indian Kings who lived quite a lavish life and were known to take many wives, Maharanis. I sympathized with these women but did appreciate learning about this part of India’s history. As usual Renita paints such vivid imagery with her words. I was completely immersed in the story and all the travel.

My only issue with this story is that Clara’s narrative felt rushed towards the end. The first chapters were covered in such detail that I felt like I knew her. However, decades of her life were then covered in a page. I guess this is because they weren’t really part of the main storyline though.

Nonetheless, this was a beautiful, well-written story about love, sacrifice and family. I enjoyed my journey with Clara and Indira. Thank you, Renita, for another epic read.

There is simply nothing more powerful than the bond between mother and child. This beautifully written WWII story will bring this home to you. Make sure that you have your tissues ready while reading.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced readers copy. This book released in August 2021.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I loved this book! The author's writing was lovely, the characters were memorable and the storyline was haunting. This is a war story that is from a different perspective from any other that I have read. I also really love dual timeline stories, this was really well told as well.

In the present, Indira, a young woman who has put business above her family again and again, as she tries to climb the corporate ladder, and comes to realize that maybe that is not what is important, when she gets word that her father, whom she has always tried to impress, is in hospital having heart surgery. I loved Indira's story and how strong yet vulnerable she is.

In the past, the story is about Clara, a young woman who loses her mother in a bombing attck in London, her mother places her Saint Christopher medal on Clara's neck and tells her it will keep her safe just before the bombs land and Clara is the only survivor. We follow Clara as she is sent to live with her aunt and has to contribute to the family, and is given a job nursing injured soldiers. Clara finds her true calling in life as a nurse and sets about to help s many as possible. When a man who has dark skin is admitted to the hospital, the head nurse wants to send him away as he should be at a different hospital, for people of colour; but when Clara sees him, she instantly thinks of the stories her father told of when he lived in India and she takes him on as her repsonsibility. When the man, who is also a physician, Dr. Goel, recovers, he calls her his angel, little does she know that this will not be the last she sees of this man. Clara is given the opportunity to travel to India as a nanny to a boy whom she has helped and takes this chance to live out the dream that her father had promised the family before his untimely death. Clara is so taken with India that she wishes to never leave; she has so many adventures and meets so many interesting people. Clara's story is interwoven with Henry, the boy she cares for and Dr. Goel and his family. Clara's story is one of strength and heartbreak, of sacrifice and love.

When the stories finally intertwine, it left this reader so full of feelings. The author did a wonderful job with this story and the ending was lovely. I look foward to many more books by this author.

Set across two continents and two world wars, this is an epic, and at times heartbreaking family saga full of betrayal, prejudice and sacrifice tempered with the power of love. This author writes from the heart with a myriad of emotions. Her writing is insightful and lyrical, riven with sensory imagery that transports the reader to the place and time. The two women face similar issues years apart determined, and driven they find a way through them.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read from this author and I wasn't disappointed.

It takes us on a journey of Clara's life through world war I where she lost someone through an air raid and then to modern day India where she keeps a secret.

It's told to us through dual point of views which works really well.

I was totally immersed into this story from start to finish and can't wait to read more from this author

I came across author Renita D'Silva a while back and I am so glad I did. I adore her work and she has such a fantastic ability to transport you to the very heart of India in her work...
You can feel the heat on your skin and smell the beautiful aroma of spices through the pages of her work....simply wonderful..💕
We meet young, beautiful Clara in this story. Having lost most of her family at a young age, Clara goes to live with her aunt and cousin. She must work for her keep and in doing so finds a career she loves taking care of people and brings her to the most beautiful of places.
One such patient even manages to steal her heart..
We also meet Indira in this story. A family medical matter brings her back to her family showing her along the way that life isn't all about work and striving to be the best. Family is what is important.
I loved the two storylines each very different in their own right. I couldn't help wondering as I continued reading where these two young women's stories would eventually meet.
An exciting read which tugged at my heart completely. It gave me a new found love for Indian country life.
Heart wrenching at times and incredible sacrifices are made for loved ones.
If you love stories set in the World War 1 or 2 years, then this one is most definitely for you.
Do put Renita on your list to read. She is such a wonderful author. I am thrilled to have found her books.

Here is an author that I can't recommend enough. All her books I had read from her have been beautifully written from start to finish and they have all been written from her heart. So much love and details are shown throughout her latest book called The War Child by Renita D'Silva. This book was no different it was amazing and It will take your breath away. If you love Historical fiction books this is a book for you. Split from the First World war in England to the modern times in India..........A devastating secret has been hidden for so long is finally coming out, it's going to be very painful and rocky time for families that are involved but it can not be hidden any longer...........It will be a test of family bonds and how strong they are to get through this..............

WOW..........Renita has done it again....This latest book had be gripped from the very first few pages and how she described the surrounding and smells etc I felt I was living within the Story!!!
Now That is what you called a Fantastic writer!!!!!

I highly recommend this book and all her books by Renita.

Big Thank NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book....... XX

Renita D’Silva’s knowledge of India and her ability to really put you there is at the base of this expertly crafted novel of love and survival. The love of a mother for her child is at the heart of this beautiful novel, and all she gives up to make sure he is loved for himself.

Clara Knight was an orphan during the First World War but now she is a nurse in World War II helping the soldiers heal. She falls in love with one of her patients and when he has to leave she is left behind to raise their son on her own. Left alone with her son and a war raging on, she is given an opportunity to give her son a better life and with a shattered broken heart she lets him go. Many years pass and Indira loves to spend time with her grandfather. But when he begins telling her stories and mentions the name Clara, a name she’s never heard of before, she begins to search for information about the woman named Clara. The plot twists and turns kept me flying through the pages. I felt so pulled into this story that I forgot where I was. This author exudes such emotion in the story, that it completely absorbs you into the book. Keep the Kleenex nearby because you will definitely need it.

Thank you Renita D’Silva for such a wonderful unputdownable read. The characters were relatable and the story was both enthralling and captivating. I highly recommend this must read.

During the first world war, Clara was dragged by her mother to safety during an air raid, and sadly, she was the only one to survive, making her an orphan. She was taken in by her aunt and soon her nursing career began. Eventually, the war comes to an end and one patient, a doctor she cared for, asks to accompany his family to India to watch over his ailing son. As this is where Clara's father was from, she fondly remembers some of his stories. She befriends the doctor and his wife. However, she begins to have strong feelings for him, and these feelings lead to life-long consequences.

This dual timeline story introduces Indira, who a CEO, wife to Karan, and a mother. Indira gets word of a devastating phone call from her husband. When she rushes home to her family, her grandfather, weak with illness, calls her Clara. Indira is determined to discover who Clara was and why memtioning her upsets her grandfather so.

This emotional story not only deals with the devastating effects of war, it also concerns the individual plights of both Clara and Indira and how they were connected. What a fabulously compelling read that touched on sensitive issues and how the war affeccted people, but also how lives were affected by loss and race. Clara's selflessness equally broke and warmed my heart.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Unlike several other books I did not like this one while the characters are well written the rapid jumps between past(Clara) and present (Indira) are confusing at best, While the Past sections are well written the present looks like an add on

Renita D’Silva’s new book, The War Child, takes the reader on an incredible journey following Clara Knight across many years and numerus trials and tribulations. The chapters are short and snappy which really created a good flow to the entire story and it never at any point felt like the plot was dragging. The title implies that the book will specifically focus on the war years, and yes to some extent both world wars do feature, but the story goes far beyond that and takes us away to exotic India where Clara goes through a transformation and learns some life affirming lessons and where events will alter the course of her life forever.

The scope of the book is vast as it begins in 1916 with bombs raining down on London and young Clara is left an orphan. Her mother is killed in a raid, her father had been killed fighting and younger brother Paul had succumbed to polio. All she has left of her mother is her St. Christopher medal which becomes a very important and stabilising symbol throughout the story. Everything that matters to Clara has been taken from her and being sent to Aunt Helen in the countryside whom she has not met that often is not what Clara would want but maybe going there was meant to be? She starts nursing in the local big house given over to the war effort as a hospital for wounded soldiers. We really see Clara grow and mature as a character as she finds nursing those in need to be her vocation. The frightened girl longing for her mother is left behind and we see a strong, determined, nurturing, kind and considerate young woman emerge. She finds solace in helping others heal as the wounds of loss she carries although she keeps hidden they are a permeant reminder.

Racism is a key theme explored to perfection in this story. It’s developed with great care and attention with many events which occur and the reader is allowed to make their own mind up on this issue. Clara really steps up and shows her true strength and caring nature when she volunteers to nurse a Dr Anand Goel when he is mistakenly shipped to the hospital. No one wants to care for him which Clara can’t understand. What does it matter what colour his skin is or where he came from? A connection is forged between the pair and Clara can not get this man out of her mind but he recovers and leaves. I loved how the author took real life events and moulded them into the life of Clara as a nurse. Spanish Flu struck and gave her the opportunity to show just how much she could do. She had had so many knocks in her life but she was determinedly forging a path to a happier existence but life had many surprises, twists and turns to come for her.

Setting up the story as a whole took some time and it did provide plenty of background information to Clara and allowed the reader to see what motivated her and where she wanted to go in life. But it’s when she meets Captain Adams and is offered an opportunity to go to India as nurse/nanny to his young son Henry that the plot really took off. Clara long remembers the tales her father told of India when she was growing up and she has always wanted to go there and never dreamt it possible. I loved the sections of the story set in India. The author makes this country leap off the pages and you are transported to somewhere exotic, hot, colourful and mesmerising. The descriptions of the landscape, language, aromas, the noise and chaos and the people and climate were so vivid and really it was like a another world. On board the ship to India Clara meets Dr. Goel once again as he is working as a doctor for a maharaja. This man had come into her life previously when she needed someone the most to make her believe in herself and he had succeeded. Is it fate they are meant to meet again? How will Clara cope when she discovers he is married?

What a fascinating insight was given into the life of a maharaja and his numerous wives. It’s hard to believe that this kind of world existed, and the author goes into such detailed descriptions of the inner workings of the maharaja’s palace that I was completely hooked. So much so that I had to stop reading and go and do some research and even just to see photos of this time which seemed so other worldly. Again the issue of racism and the place of women in society and their roles is expertly highlighted and so wonderfully woven into the overall plot. Clara becomes involved in this new life as well as tending to Henry and doing many other wonderful acts of charity which only serve to boost her confidence but that unrequited need for love and for someone who would care for her and she would do the same in return still remains steadfast in her heart.

I really enjoyed how the story took on another level once Clara reached India. You could see her evolving through the many versions of herself. She became more open but what price would she pay for this? The later half of the book sees her back in London but to say much more would spoil the story. Suffice to say she has to face many challenges and she makes some huge sacrifices which will deeply affect her but she has to live with them no matter the consequences for to reveal the truth would shatter so many lives. As a reader you are constantly thinking did she make the right choice? Was she being selfless, or did it come at such a high cost that it caused her so much pain that she would have to live with for a very long time? Especially after coming through so many struggles and so much hardship early on in her life.

The story moves back and forth between Clara in the past and Indira in the present and to be honest Indira’s story didn’t reel me in as much although I understood its purpose. In the last 25% connections are revealed and I had had some ideas as to what they were but as to specifics I didn’t quite hit the spot. Indira is the youngest and only female CEO of the company she works for. Her whole life is dedicated to her job much to the detriment of her marriage and the relationship she also has with her young son. It’s only when her father falls ill that she starts to question why she is living the way she is. She slowly starts to realise she needs to revaluate her work life balance and not let her ambition and the need to excel and rise to the top take over her life. I found her to be quite cold and very one sided in her viewpoints and I never really warmed to her as a character but as I have said I see why she needed to be present in the story and I loved how things came full circle. The fact that there were only several chapters from her viewpoint every so often was enough for me because honestly I was far more interested I getting back to delve deeper into the journey Clara was undertaking.

Renita D’Silva has written another wonderful story of heartbreak, love and sacrifice and provided her readers with a lovely and apt ending. It’s a book I would definitely recommend.