What a beautiful story. The book moves between present day London and London in World War 2. It's set around the same building no called Tall Trees that was a hospital in the war and is now a retirement home. Stevie is an artist struggling with life events and working at the retirement home while trying to get her art mojo back and Elsie is a nurse in the hospital during the Blitz. Their lives interact as Stevie learns more about Elsie for a community art project.
It's a lovely book full of detail, both historical an dpersonal and characters that you really care about, A great read.

A compelling novel based on true events of a wartime nurse collecting messages from injured soldiers to pass on to loved ones in the case of death. This dual narrative gives nurse Elsie's perspective from 1940s and then the present day a count of Stevie (Stephanie) as she discovers the book of letters and attempts to track down Elsie's story. Both timelines are equally engaging. Stevie learns a lot about her own experiences by reflecting on Elsie's, helping her to heal in her own life. #thebookoflastletters #kerrybarrett #netgalley

This story is based upon a true story. The story is told over a dual timeline and is beautifully written. This was an emotional read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an E-copy of this book.
Unfortunately it was a pain to finish this for me. I just couldn’t hold onto the writing but I did love the setting.

This was a very emotive read. I found myself with blurry eyes, blinking back the tears and at times it felt like a little too much and I had to go and make a cup of tea, before coming back to it. I enjoyed the dual timeline, which was well crafted and well thought out. The pacing was good and the ending satisfying. I want to read more by this author.

This was an intense, sad and emotional read.
Elsie was such a strong an inspiring character. How she wanted to help so many people. The idea of doing a book for the people in the hospital. She went through so much and had so much guilt too.
I preferred her chapters compared to Stephanie. While I liked Stephanie her story wasn't as interesting compared to Elsie. But it was interesting to see how Elsie and her book gave Stephanie the strength she needed.

Couldn't put this one down! Every page kept me interested and wanting more! The story is just overwhelming and it makes you keep reading. I loved the author's writing and can't wait to read other books from her.

An epic read. Beautiful! Stunning! Incredible! There are no words big enough to describe this book so I will leave it to whoever reads it next. It is now in my top 3 books of all time.

This was such a warm charismatic read! I loved the dual timelines & the characters. I’m sure at one point I shouted ‘nooooo’ when something happened. That’s how invested I was! Will definitely be checking out the authors other works!
Full review to follow on my insta blog

This dual time period book was wonderful and I loved the way it brought the past and present seamlessly together. The characters were all great and I felt it had the right balance in regards to portraying the awful times of war with courage and humour. I felt that Kerry highlighted dementia to help awareness but in a subtle way which made you think. Altogether a great story of courage, spirit, history and a sprinkling of romance.

I always enjoy a duel-time slip, and this story has it all. Beautifully written, it is a page-turning read, and I highly recommend it. Poignant and written with feeling, the book is ultimately uplifting and leaves the reader admiring the women who endured and survived WWII.

I could not have loved this book more as historical fiction!!! It was so engrossing and well written I did not want it to end!! Elsie and the premise of the book was so inspiring. This is one of those books that I wish I could go back and read time and time again!! Readers pick up this book!!!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley

A fabulous story full of twists and turns. Would make a great TV series. Will definitely be reading more by this author.

This was a good book. The story is split between Elsie in 1940’s war time London and Stephanie in the present day. Well written and kept me interested, tied together nicely, this was a satisfying read that I rated 4 stars and would definitely recommend to historical fiction readers.

I had a hard time getting into this just reading the book, but, I know I would love it if I listened to it. I love stories about old letters. I will have to give the audio a try and then adjust my rating. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I was actually scared to start this book. I've never read a WW historical fiction.
And after this book, I found out that historical fictions aren't for me.
This book was too simple for me, but I was still interested until the end.
It was written beautifull.

I love historical fiction and this book has joined my list of absolute favourites. It’s such a stunning exploration of the past.

Set in a London hospital in WWII and present day with the hospital now a retirement home and how the two stories overlap. Elsie was working at the hospital with Nelly her best friend during the blitz in WWII. We get to know Elsie and Nelly and their daily shifts at the hospital. One day a mother came into the hospital after a bombing and was worried about her children and how would she let them know what happened to her. Elsie said she would write a letter to the children and post it for the mother. When other patients heard what Elsie did for the mother they inquired if she could write my them also. Elsie had a better idea. She would get a book and the patients could write their last thoughts or memories. down. Some patients even wrote poems or did drawings. Elsie ran into some trouble with a neighbor named Jackson and she had to leave London and travel to Ireland. Now to present day and Stevie (Stephanie) who is a artist and is estranged from her family except her Nan who is in the retirement home that Stevie works at. Elsie's book of Last Letters end up in Stevie's possession and Stevie is determined to find out what happens to Elsie. The story kept me interested in Elsie's and Stevie's life and I was content with the way the two stories connected..

This was a beautiful and surprising book. Parts were slightly predictable, but you wanted to read as quick as possible to find out what was going to happen. As the book was brought to Stevie, and the stories from two timelines came together, you just wanted every piece of the puzzle of who the characters were, and where they are now, from the War story from Elsie and to the time where Stevie is working in Tall Trees to fulfil the story.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in Second World War History. Social history is fascinating and this shows you never know what you will find it out if you look for it.

*WORD OF ADVICE... HAVE THE TISSUES READY*

This has got to be one of the most heartwrenching, heartwarming, heartbreaking books I have read in a very long time.

This is a beautiful novel at over dual timelines that manage to see themselves together seamlessly.

Set in 1940s London when the war is raging a bright young nurse has the grand idea of starting a book for the soldiers to write down notes to their loved ones to pass on should the worse happen. The nurse, Elsie, never imagined just how this book would grow and just how comforting it would be to the injured men laying in their hospital beds.

But one day Elsie's world is rocked to the core when her best friend Nelly is injured and asks, within those pages of the Book of Last Letters, for Elsie to do the unthinkable. Can Elsie go against everything she believes in for someone she loves so dearly?

The second timeline is set in present day London. Stephanie has had a string of bad luck and life has been unfair. Working part time at Tall Trees nursing home where her grandmother resides and also at a bar her best friend owns, Stephanie hears about the book that was found in the basement of Tall Trees, which used to be a South London Hospital used for the injured in the war! The Book of Last Letters becomes an obsession... not only for Stephanie but also for the reader!!


This is one hell of a tale that literally comes to life before your eyes. The characters are beautifully written and every feeling portrayed is felt by the reader.

An AMAZING read that had me hooked immediately and I didnt want to put it down for a second.

The biggest thanks to netgalley and HQ for the ARC.