I really enjoy thus story. It kept me engaged and had so many twists and turns. Would have been better with the small amount of cussing and sexual inferences. To me they didn’t add anything. Wish I could give 4.9 stars.

Easily the best book of the year. A fascinating and creative story that will give you full body goosebumps. This will be reread again and again.

Whisperwood was their secret place, Hazel and her sister, Flora's. Hazel made it up for them. When they are sent away during the evacuation of British children to the countryside during World War II, tragedy strikes when Flora disappears and is presumed drowned. Years later, Hazel discovers a book about their secret place and becomes convinced that Flora is alive. She is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery even if it uproots her entire life.

This is an extremely poignant story full of lovely caring characters. There are so many characters to root for in this story not only Hazel and Flora but others as well. There is their mother Camellia and Bridie and her son, Harry who took them in, and Peggy the author of the story and so many more. This book just grabs onto your heart and holds it tightly until the very last page. It is one of those perfect books where everything seems to fit together perfectly in the end. It is definitely a very satisfying read.

I requested this book because it was identified as historical fiction. But a very small part of the book is that genre. Rather, it is a wonderful story of loss, love, perseverance, deception, and redemption. In 1939, Operation Pied Piper was initiated in England to relocate over 3 million children from likely targets for Nazi bombings to what were thought to be safer climes. Camellia Linden takes her daughters, 14 year old Hazel and 5 year old Flora Lea, to the the train station where they board a train headed to Oxfordshire. Once there, they are paraded before the local residents who select which children they will bring to their homes. Fortunately, the two girls are selected by Bridgette (Bridie) Aberdeen, a kind and caring mother of 15 year old Harry. Hazel tells her young sister made-up stories about Whisperwood, a forest alongside the River of Stars. One day while the three children are near the real river (Thames), Hazel and Harry leave Flora unattended for just a few minutes and she disappears. Fast forward to 1960. Hazel has never given up hope that Flora is alive, but the police say that a body found a couple of years later was her. Working at a bookstore in London, Hazel is opening expensive and rare books when she comes to a book about Whisperwood - but she and Flora promised each other to never tell anyone about their secret stories. How this can be will send Hazel on a journey to discover the connection.

At first, I questioned my selection of this ARC, but the further I got into the story, I found myself totally captivated wanting to see how Hazel could solve the enigma and how the many characters would come together if at all. Excellent character development and good pacing and there& was even a surprise twist I didn’t see coming. My thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is a dual timeline. The first timeline starts in 1939 with Operation Pied Piper taking two sisters, Hazel and Flora, out of London and into the English countryside to stay safe from the bombs. The next timeline is London 1960 and shows the reader how the events of the war are still shaping Hazel's life.

In the 1960 timeline I really liked Hazel and sympathized with her mission. She loves books, in very intelligent and can't help but being honest even at enormous risk to herself. I loved her friendship with Kelty and liked that Kelty was able to add her own memories of the past and Flora.

The 1939 timeline was tragically magical. I loved the sisters' relationship and the world of Whisperwood that they've created but my heart broke knowing just what was in front of the sisters. The pace of this is a bit slow and I didn't quite connect with it as much as I wanted to but that was coming in with incredibly high expectations.

This would be a wonderful book to savor though you may need to keep a box of tissues handy as you read.

Wow, what a beautiful story. I spent the majority of it crying but I also could not put it down. A story about resilience, forgiveness, love and determination. About never giving up on those you love - and for what you believe to be true. The descriptions, the characters were all done flawlessly. The love and strength were incredible. A must read.

A woman discovers a rare book, that tells the story only her missing sister knows. Hazel and her sister Flora were sent to live with strangers during WWII to stay safe from London bombings. While living with their incredible host family, flora goes missing. After 20 years, Hazel has still not given up hope that her sister is still alive. She turns her life upset down and opens up past wounds to prove the truth.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

Title: The Secret Book of Flora Lea
By: Patti Callahan Henry

Genre:
Historical Fictional, WWII, Magical Mystery

Red Flags:
Small amount of Profanity, Promiscuity

Favorite Quotes:
“We can make art from our broken hearts.”

“Freedom for all its claims of wonder, also had its price.”

“I lost what mattered because I wanted something so fiercely.”

“Our stories are never finished. But I want this one to be done. I desperately want those days to be over and in our past.”

Summary:
1939: London. Operation Pied Piper is underway, and Flora (5), and Hazel (14) are being sent far away from their mother for their own protection. Their father was killed during the war, and their mom is working for the war department. The girls are reluctant to leave their mom and their home. Their mother tells the girls to look out for each other, she would return to them someday soon. In Oxfordshire, the girls are picked by Henry Aberdeen to live with him and his mom, Binsey. There are rumors and gossip around town about Binsey and her late husband, but the girls like living with the Aberdeen’s. Harry is a good boy and the three children begin to form a closse friendship. Hazel creates an intimate, yet magical land ‘Whisperwood’ for Flora and her to share. A magical land where they can escape the worries of war, and relish in all the magic of the woods. One frightening day, when the children are at play, Flora falls asleep on a blanket. Henry and Hazel slip away for a couples minutes, but when they return…Flora is missing.

Twenty years pass by, and Hazel finds herself working in a rare bookstore. On her last day, she receives an interesting collection of original illustrations and a book called ‘Whisperwood’. As Hazel reads the magical book, her curiosity is piqued…Is Flora still alive? Did she share their intimate story with someone else? Who wrote this beautiful piece of fiction?

Review:
WOW! This is my first novel by Patti Callahan Henry and I can’t wait to read more of her writing. The Secret Book of Flora Lea is phenomenal!!! The novel has two different timelines, which sometimes throws me off, but in this novel the transition are very smooth. The narrative is relatable, the characters have depth, and the novel continues to twist down a path you least expect. The characters have depth, and the ending is unpredictable, which is my favorite part of this novel.

This novel is perfect for fans of Kristin Harmel, Marie Benedict, and Ruta Septeys. I highly recommend this read!


Thank you Patti Callahan Henry, Atria Books, Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
#reluctantreaderreads
#patticallahanhenry
#Atriabooks
#simonandschuster
#netgalley

wonderful!

The Secret Book of Flora Lee is just wonderful! It is a dual-timeline book that takes you between the early WW2 England Pied Piper child migration to the country and the 1960;s bookselling scene, following two sisters and their very own imaginary land. While not about CS Lewis, like her other books, it incorporates illustrations into the story which are done by the same person who illustrated the Narnia series. I just can't share with the readers of this review the sense of wonder, hope, tenacity and forgiveness found in this book. I highly recommend it!!!!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Hazel is about to start a dream job at Sotheby’s. Just as she is about to say goodbye to everyone at her old job in a rare bookstore, a new, rare book comes across her desk. It throws her life into complete disarray. She actually steals this item and takes it home. She knows she has to find who wrote this because no one knows about this story except her and her long, lost sister.

Hazel has struggled her whole life with the loss of her sister. And now she thinks she has her chance to actually find her! I love the emotion this author creates telling this tale. And Hazel breaks my heart in so many places! Add in the twist at the end and you have a family drama not to be missed.

I love the way this story is formatted. I love the change in time periods. Hazel and her sister were sent away during the bombings in London. So, it fluctuates between the 1940s and the 1960s. You must read this to find out all the drama.

Need a great historical, family mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea (TSBoFL) is a historical fiction novel set in England during WW2. Two sisters, Hazel (14yrs old) and Flora Lea (5 yrs old) are sent from London to a rural, small town by their mother for their protection. This heart-wrenching decision was part of a program in Britain called Operation Pied Piper. Hazel, the caring big sister with a beautiful imagination, creates an ongoing fairy tale for her sister about a magical land that brings them both comfort and joy during these scary and uncertain times. It’s their secret place. They are staying with a kind family when the unthinkable happens. Flora Lea vanishes.
As a dual timeline novel, TSBoFL finds Hazel 20 years later working in a rare book shop in London, where she comes across a book that shockingly tells the story of the magical land shared only by Hazel with Flora Lea. With so many questions, Hazel searches for answers in the present and the past, hoping she will learn about the origin of this book and more about what happened to Flora Lea.

This is a BEAUTIFUL story! I loved it! I love the ode to imagination and the magic and power of fairy tales. I love a story about sisters and their special bond. I love books about books. I love a story that takes the reader on a journey to solve a mystery with exciting twists. I love wonderful characters that you wish you could meet in real life. There is so much more, you just have to read it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for my ARC. I loved the book so much that I purchased the special @barnesandnoble book club edition for my library.

My favorite thing about Patti Callahan Henry books is the depth her characters seem to have, even secondary and tertiary characters. The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a wonderful example of that. I came to reading Henry through her excellent works related to C.S. Lewis. This book is not centered on Lewis at all, but I would still call it Lewis-adjacent. It features the work of Pauline Baynes, known for her Narnia illustrations, it took place near Oxford, and featured a family of evacuated children - this time two sisters - who find escape in a magical land. This book, however, follows a more classic historical fiction plot from there. We have a dual timeline where we get to see events unfold in 1939 and 1960. Both timelines were equally engaging. I was very curious to understand what happened to Flora in 1939 and to see how it had effected everyone around her in 1960. The denouement was unexpected and yet made perfect sense after coming so far in the story. I truly enjoyed this reading experience and didn't feel as though it was just another WWII book.
I would definitely recommend this to fans of Henry's previous works, but also to fans of Kate Morton, Ariel Lawhon, and Kate Quinn.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

There is so much to love about this book! Historical fiction, mystery, romance, and even fairy tales are blended together to create a story about stories and their power throughout generations. The story is told during two time periods - the first during WWII when Hazel and her sister Flora are sent out of the city to escape the Blitz, and the second in 1960 when Hazel is an adult and trying to reconcile her past with the path laid before her.

Hazel is leaving her job at a rare bookshop to work for Sotheby’s when she comes across an unusual fairytale from an author in America - unusual because it’s exactly the secret story Hazel used to tell her sister who went missing and is suspected to have drowned in the river when she was 5 years old. Hazel has never believed that her sister drowned, and this discovery motivates her to continue looking for her lost sister.

I was immediately hooked with this story and stayed up late more than once because I needed to keep going and find out more! I will say that sometimes the narrative got bogged down in the middle, and I got sick of some of the language (lots of “my loves” and “dearests" being thrown around), but overall I found the story fascinating on several levels and really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the Advanced Readers Copy!

The Secret Book of Flora Lea
Author: Patti Callahan Henry
Atria Books
Release Date: May 2, 2023

Just when you think Patti Callahan Henry's writing could not get any better, it does. In The Secret Book of Flora Lea, she takes it to an even higher level of literary beauty with the magic, heartache, and secrets within these pages. This is historical fiction at its ultimate finest. Henry's research is impeccable, and her style is lyrical.

With a compelling dual timeline, the book is the story of young sisters Hazel and Flora, who become World War II child evacuees. They are relocated to live with a family in a warm cottage along the River Thames in England. Hazel comforts Flora with a magical story that is special just for the two of them. When Flora goes missing, Hazel is devastated. In adulthood, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth about both her sister's disappearance and a mystery about their secret story. I am so grateful for the privilege and honor to have received this book prior to its release.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for the advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea is new Historical/Women's Fiction from Patti Callahan Henry.

"Hazel and Flora are sent to rural English villages along with millions of other children to escape the Blitz of WW II. One day Hazel runs into the woods and comes back to find Flora missing and never found.
Years later, Hazel is working in a rare book shop and is shocked to find a book with a story that only she and her sister knew. Is her sister alive somewhere? How did this author find this story?
Hazel must make some hard choices if she is going to get the answers she wants."

This is my first PCH book. It's starts out slowly - a lot slower than the usual thrillers I read. But the characters are wonderful - the descriptions of the woods and river are great. Once I settled in, I enjoyed the pace a little better.
The story is dual timelines - 40s and 60s. The ending was a big twisty surprise that I did not see coming. And I loved it.
Interesting ending from PCH - there's hope and happiness but it's still a little messy.

Great story from PCH.

I’m sure many of us are familiar with Operation Pied Piper, even if we never heard that name. That is what the British government named the operation to get children from the cities most likely to be bombed by the Germans, to safety in the countryside. In The Secret Book of Flora Lea, this event changes the lives of Hazel and Flora, along with their mother and host family, in ways they could never imagine. Imagine sending your children away for their safety only to have them die, disappear, or be abused. Though this wasn’t the norm, it did happen. This fictionalized tale leads us on a journey with Hazel and Flora to Binsey, Oxfordshire, where after an idyllic beginning, the unthinkable happens. Flora disappears. Her body is never found, but it is assumed she drowned in the river since her favorite bear is found on the riverside.

Twenty years later, Hazel is working in a rare books shop when a book with “her” story makes its way to the shop. Her story is the one that only she and Flora knew because Hazel made it up. Though there are differences in the story, the name of the land and the general idea are the same. In that moment, Hazel’s life is once again turned upside down. The girls neither told anyone about their secret story nor the magical land’s name. Hazel becomes obsessed with finding the author of the book, convinced she either is Flora or that Flora told someone their story.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea is told in Hazel’s present time, 1960 (I believe), and it’s told during the time the girls spent in the country…the year Flora vanished. The dual timeline makes this book impossible to put down! I could not stop reading. It was only as I was falling asleep that I finally put it down to finish the next day. I had to find out what happened. Who the writer of the book was. How Hazel’s life is changed with finding the book. And everything else that I can’t tell you because you need to read this for yourself!

The characters are wonderfully written with distinct personalities that bring them to life. The author describes the setting in beautiful detail which makes you feel as if you’re right there with them. And, as I said before, the dual timeline makes the book hard to put down. I really cannot gush enough about The Secret Book of Flora Lea. It’s simply amazing! I highly recommend it!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Master storyteller Patti Callahan Henry returns following Once Upon a Wardrobe with her latest, THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA —an exquisite, gripping magical historical fiction—a courageous sister, a missing sister, a mysterious fairy tale, The River Thames, and a lost love.

Set in quaint London Binsey, Oxfordshire, with dual timelines of 1939 and 20 years later, a woman stumbles across a mysterious children's book and the secrets of her missing sister.

1939: Two young sisters, Hazel Mersey Linden, fourteen years old, and younger sister, five-year-old Flora Lea Linden, evacuate London to live with strangers in the English countryside rural village as part of Operation Pied Piper during World War II.

Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone— a mystical place, a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place, Whisperwood— they can escape to that is all their own.

Flora Lea loves Berry, her stuffed teddy, and her sister does not want her to be afraid of being away from their mom and the only home she has known. Then one day Flora Lea goes missing, and everyone suspects she drowned in the River Thames.

Distraught and guilt-ridden, Hazel does not give up the search for her precious sister. Twenty years later, she is still searching.

1960: Hazel Linden works at Hogan's Rare Collection Book Shoppe in Bloomsbury. This is supposed to be her final day. She has mixed feelings about leaving to go to work for Sotheby's.

However, things change when she discovers an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars.

No one knows about the imaginary world she created for Flora with Whisperwood. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora's disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

The author Peggy Andrews shares too many similarities with the imaginary world Hazel invented for Flora while they were in Binsey during the war. Who could have told Peggy this story?

Hazel jeopardizes her job by taking the book, putting her relationship on the back burner. She is obsessed with tracking down this mystery author, determined to find her little sister, who will be a grown woman now.

Meanwhile, reporter Dorothy Bellamy is writing a series titled "The Lost Children of Pied Piper," and Hazel does not want her involvement.

As the two storylines connect, readers will frantically turn the pages to learn more about the missing Flora Lea.

In the wrap-up, two years later March 1962 (after the brown parchment package with the red ribbon arrived at Hogan's Bookshop), now in beautiful Cornwall, all comes full circle in this magical tale.

Oh, what a fantastic book—I loved it!

A blend of mystery, magical fairy tales, superior storytelling, and literary/historical fiction in one dazzling novel, THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA, coming May 2, 2023. Her best yet, Henry fans will adore this captivating story of two sisters and new fans. Made for book lovers.

TRANSPORTING and HEARTRENDERING! What a gem. For fans of authors Kate Morton, Kristin Hannah, and Sarah Addison Allen, with Henry's unique signature storytelling style, we all love.

Meticulously researched and beautifully written, with lush descriptions, the extensive Note From the Author includes the history of Operation Pied Piper, with over three and a half million children evacuated in four days, plus other further reading.

Inspiring and uplifting, a truly magical book and a love letter to fairytales. The hardcover is stunning, with the exquisite embossing cover jacket and breathtaking intricately designed interior front and back pages.

A perfect gift for Mother's Day and an ideal pick for Book Clubs and further discussions.A Top historical fiction of 2023!

And the award-winning Cynthia Erivo is narrating the audiobook! I have pre-ordered and cannot wait!

I am so fortunate to be working with Patti as her webmaster for many years, and I have enjoyed the creative process and the birthing of Flora Lea over the past year. Humbled and honored to be included in the acknowledgments with all these stars.

Thank you to Patti and Atria Books for the gifted elegant hardcover copy and #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 2, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars +++
May 2023 Must-Read Books

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry captured my heart. The author has created another magical narrative illustrating the power of storytelling. The discovery of a fairy tale volume has the potential to unlock an unsolved mystery.

This is my favorite read of 2023 so far. Don’t miss this one!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Legends, fairy tales, folklore, romance, a mystery, and most importantly sisterly love are all part of Patti Callahan Henry’s novel The Secret Book of Flora Lea. In 1940, the sisters are sent to the English countryside during the blitz. As part of Operation Pied Piper, they end up in Binsey, Oxfordshire, at the home of Birdie Aberdeen and her son Harry. While they are loved and cared for by Birdie, the younger girl, Flora, is often scared and frightened for their mother who has remained in London. To calm her sister, Hazel makes up a series of adventures in a place which she called “ Whisperwood” a make-believe land where they can be safe and happy. While in Binsey, Flora drowns, and Hazel is haunted by the tragedy. In 1960, an American author, Peggy Andrews, publishes a book which has stories very similar to the ones which Hazel shared with Flora. Hazel is determined to discover how Peggy knew about these tales. This journey takes Hazel through many twists and turns. She must make decisions, some good and some bad. She must face her own demons while trying to bring some resolution to the guilt she feels about the death of her sister. Throughout the novel, Hazel’s love for Flora is always her guiding light. This is a warm and thoughtful novel played out against World War 2 and the bombing of London.

Patti Callahan Henry is one of my 'must buy' authors and has brought her readers another well researched and beautifully written novel. It's about family and the love between sisters, about a calm life in a beautiful village contrasted with the fear in London during the Blitz. But most of all its about finding and recognizing that secret place in all of us and learning how to live there.

This book is told in two periods - 1939 and 1960 and is about the lives of two sisters - Hazel and Flora Lee.
When the novel begins in 1939, Hazel is 14 and Flora Lee is 5. The British government has just started Operation Pied Piper and is requiring parents in London to send their children to families in the country for their safety because they believed that the big cities would be bombed. Hazel and Flora Lee ended up in a small cottage with a wonderful mother and her son who was Hazel's age. They missed their mother in London but were thrilled with their freedom and the time that they could spend out in nature enjoying the forests and watching the Thames River flow by. Since Flora Lee was young, her older sister made up stories to entertain her - a fairy tale about a magical land called Whisperwood. This story was for only the two of them and neither one shared it with anyone else. Unfortunately, one day Flora Lee disappeared and everyone assumed that she had drowned. Hazel was haunted over her sister's disappearance and vowed to find her. Twenty years later, Hazel is working in a rare bookshop and someone has sent a book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Did this mean that her sister was still alive? She immediately starts trying to find out more about the author and where the idea for the book came from and at the same time started visiting people from her past - even the two people that she vowed to never see again. As the clues gather, Hazel keeps hitting brick walls but she continues her search despite people around her advising her to give up. But nothing will deter her from searching for her long lost sister.
Often times in a dual time line novel, it's easy to like one timeline more than the other but both the 1939 time line and the 1960 timeline were wonderfully written and not confusing. I loved the characters - not just Hazel but her best friend Kelty and the woman who took them in during their move from London. All of the characters were totally believable and characters that I won't soon forget. This is a book about sisters and secrets, war and reconciliation, guilt and grief and most of all the power of storytelling and imagination! This is a book that you don't want to miss.

Hazel seems to have it all. As we join her she's working her last day at a job she's had for 15 years at a rare book sellers in 1960s London. In two weeks she'll be joining the staff of Sotheby's after she and her not quite fiance have a vacation in Paris. At least that is the plan, until she processes the new arrivals to the rare book seller and finds a book from America about the fantasy world she shared with her younger sister, Whisperwood. Except her sister, Flora, has been missing, widely believed to be drowned, since 1940. Hazel and her sister Flora were among the thousands of children sent out of London to spare them the deadly bombing of London by the German air force. Will Hazel risk everything to try to solve the mystery of what happened to her sister? What will it cost?

Patti Callahan Henry's The Secret Book of Flora Lea is an immensely readable and well plotted mystery. Chapters fly by as bits are revealed as the narrative alternates between 1939/40 and the 1960s present. All of the main characters are haunted by their pasts, often linked to world war II or traumatic losses in their families. This trauma informs many of the characters motivations and approaches to interactions. At many points Hazel is quite clear in her understanding that she is actively making choices to pursue the possibility of finding out what happened to her sister to the detriment of other aspects of her life. Her romantic relationship, her job prospects and even her relationship with her remaining family are strained by her pursuit.

Time is a key factor in this work, as we begin with a short chapter from Flora's perspective and she nears the river, each chapter has a heading stating the year and month of its setting. The 1960s events take place over a brief few weeks, as Flora revisits her past driven by the bits and pieces she finds.

In a pre internet world, the fact that this private story became a published work across an Ocean fuels the mystery. Can a connection be traced? Does it mean Flora is alive in America? Even if she isn't how did something privately known to only a few people journey so far?

It is a wonderfully realized extrapolation from the historical record, Henry was inspired by Operation Pied Paper, the UK's 1939 evacuation of children away from high risk bombing targets to hinterlands. Hazel and her sister were fortunate in their placement, but Henry also details the difficulties of their journey and shows a spectrum of experience by the evacuees, in both their positive and negative aspects.