Summary: Hazel and her younger sister Flora Lea are sent away from their family in London for their own safety during World War II. It is from tragedy that the best fairy tales often co . . . and it is from a fairy tale that the sisters will find their rescue.

What’s to Love?

Apparently everything Patti Callahan Henry writes!!! This is the third book I’ve read by her, and I feel like each one keeps getting better. I loved her imaginings in Once Upon a Wardrobe of where C.S. Lewis got his ideas and inspiration for The Chronicles of Narnia. This novel is as if Henry used what she learned in her research of Lewis to create not only her own magical land but also the story behind the story.

I know some readers don’t, but I absolutely love alternating timelines. To me, it feels as if each chapter is a puzzle piece that will eventually find its place in the bigger picture.

There is also something in this novel for a wide variety of readers: history, mystery, fantasy, romance.

What’s to Leave?

Highlights in your book. Leave highlights like breadcrumbs so that you can retrace your steps like Hansel and Gretel and go back and read the best quotes again and again!

What’s to Learn?

While I had heard of Operation Pied Piper, I never thought about the awful symbolism based on the outcome of the original fairy tale, which was that children were led away from home never to return.

Conclusion: This novel is at the top of the short stack of my favorite books so far this year. Like the fairy tale land the sisters created, The Secret Book of Flora Lea is magical.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an Advanced Digital Copy of this book in return for my honest review.

I love when I finish a book and say, "wow!" The Secret Book of Flora Lea was one of those books. This is my second book by Patti Callahan Henry and I can't wait to read more (Surviving Savannah is another one of her books I highly recommend). Her attention to historical detail interwoven with realistic, flawed main characters, makes history come to life. I love learning about the past through stories and Henry is becoming one of my favorite historical fiction authors.

Sisters Hazel and Flora are part of the Pied Piper evacuations of London during the beginning of World War II. They board a train with no idea of their destination, and are lucky to be chosen by a kind, if misunderstood, woman in the English countryside. Their lives while evacuated become filled with wonder and beauty - some real, as on the riverside picnics with their host family, and some imagined, through the tale Hazel spins of Whisperwood, the imaginary land the sisters escape to time and again.

Tragedy strikes when Flora disappears, presumably drowned in the river. Everyone's life is changed by this single event. Told in alternating timelines of the early years of WWII (1939-1940) and 1960, Hazel narrates this tale of loss, longing, and the search for truth with a lot of magic and fairy tales binding it all together.

I’ve been on an unintentional historical fiction hiatus lately but decided to dive back into it once I read the synopsis of Patii Callahan Henry’s upcoming release The Secret Book of Flora Lea. I’m so glad I decided to read this book because while it’s not actually a magical realism or fantasy story, it was pure magic to follow along on Hazel’s search for her sister.

Caught in the middle of Operation Pied Piper, which sought to get the British children outside of major cities, Hazel and her younger sister Flora find themselves housed outside of Oxford. Without their parents or their usual surroundings, Hazel and Flora find comfort in Hazel’s stories of a fictional world where they can be anything and do anything. After Flora disappears, Hazel gives up storytelling and lets the guilt of not protecting her sister haunt her. 20 years later, when Hazel stumbles upon a children’s books from America, she discovers the world she created for Flora within its pages. Hazel will stop at nothing to unearth where the author discovered her stories and is convinced that the answer is the key to finding her sister.

I loved this story. Told from Hazel’s perspective both in 1960 and at the height of WWII, we get two equally engaging and interesting timelines. The way these two timelines flowed together was seamless, and I found the 1939-1940 timeline to have an almost magical aura to it; which is fitting since this is when we really learn about the world of Whisperwood that Hazel has cultivated. While this isn’t a fairytale, there is a certain fantasy/fairytale quality to the writing that fits perfectly with the story.

Character wise, our main cast of characters are great. We mainly get to know Hazel as she’s our only narrator for the story, but I still felt as if I got to know all the other characters just as well.

While this story is mostly fiction, it does try to tie in some historical facts, which made the story seem well researched. Touching on themes of grief, loss, family, and the lingering effects of war, Callahan has put together a masterful story about Operation Pied Piper. With an added emphasis on the impact of storytelling & the magic that stories bring (especially during turbulent times) this was a joy to read.

We had a hard week & I needed something to fully escape into that was not only wonderfully written but that was both heart wrenching & heartwarming. The Secret Book of Flora Lea was the perfect escape for me and I definitely recommend it.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea comes out May 2, 2023. Huge thank you to Atria Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

In 1939, sisters Hazel (14) and Flora (5) leave London for the quaint hamlet of Oxfordshire where they will live with a complete stranger in order to avoid the bombs Hitler is dropping on their hometown. What happens there is nothing short of magical, They are billeted with the most perfect family - a woman named Bridie and her teenage son, Henry. Every day, Hazel, Flora, and Henry go on quiet adventures in the country. Hazel makes up stories about an enchanting place called Whistperwood to comfort Flora and distract her from the realities of the world. Hazel makes Flora promise to keep this delightful fantasy world a secret that only they will share.

When Flora disappears near the river, Hazel is devastated. Twenty years later, Flora is still missing and Hazel cannot move on. She feels strongly that Flora is still alive, despite evidence and strong odds that point to the contrary.

Just as Hazel is about to leave her job at a rare bookstore for a more prestigious position at Sotheby's, a fairytale arrives from America. The story inside is HER story - the one only she and Flora knew. This sets Hazel on a quest to uncover the truth about what happened to Flora and find out how someone across the world came to know her story.

I loved this book! It's a delightful mix of historical fiction, mild fantasy/fairytale, romance, and found family. 5 stars from me!

Huge thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a review copy of this wonderful book!

War tears families apart. During World War II’s Operation Pied Piper, sisters Hazel, 15 years old, and Flora, 6 years old, are sent to Oxfordshire to wait out the war. They live with Bridie and her son Harry in their cottage near the woods and the river. Hazel helps Flora cope by telling her stories of Whisperwood. But one day Flora disappears. Twenty years later Hazel thinks she has her life together and her future planned, yet she still feels that Flora is out there somewhere. On her last day at the rare bookstore where she works, she sees the newly acquired manuscript and art for a book published in the United States titled Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told anyone that story. Could Flora still be out there waiting for Hazel to find her? This dual timeline historical mystery will be a great fit for book clubs.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to Atria Books for the copy of this book!

Hazel and Flora Lea are evacuated from London into the English countryside during WWII. Hazel begins telling her younger sister fairy tales about a magical place called Whisperwood to distract and comfort her from the hardship of the War. One day as they’re picnicking by the River Thames, Flora Lea goes missing and is still lost 20 years later when Hazel comes across a book about Whisperwood in a rare book shop. Can it mean that Flora Lea is still alive…?

I really enjoyed this story. While it dealt with WWII, it wasn’t super heavy on historical information and could make a great read even for someone who loves mystery but not typically historical fiction. I really love how Patti played off of the story of the pied piper in Flora’s disappearance, since the Operation to evacuate people out of urban areas was called Operation Pied Piper. I loved the sister story in this book, the way their mother and the woman who took care of them during the War acted in support of each other, the perseverance, and the backseat love story. This is a great read for book lovers, since it’s a book about books and includes a rare bookshop. It’s also such a wonderful picture of the power of storytelling and magical lands and how we can create these and how they can shape us.

Read if you:
- love the magic of storytelling
- enjoy stories about sisters
- are a fan of books about books
- like historical mysteries

When Operation Pied Piper began in 1939 during WWII, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to the rural village of Binsey, Oxfordshire. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, was the perfect place to be. Despite missing their mum desperately, they were very happy there. 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 fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own, called Whisperwood. She forbids Flora from telling anyone about their magical land she has invented, telling her they must keep it all to themselves. Then the unimaginable happens....one day as Flora is supposed to be asleep on a blanket by the river, Harry chases after Hazel during an argument, and they share a kiss in the edge of the woods. When they return to the picnic blanket, Flora is missing, and her bear is found in the mud in the edge of the riverbank. A search ensues, but Flora is never found, and she is presumed to be dead, drowned in the swollen river. Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. She has a boyfriend she adores, and what she thinks is her dream job waiting in the wings, but she is still desperately unhappy and unable to move on from that fateful day. Then her life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. 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?

This is a dual-timeline book, going back and forth between the time when they went to live with Bridie and Harry, and 1960 when she discovers the book that completely upends her life. This is not a beach read. This is book that you will sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and settle in for a long time to read and ponder over. It would be perfect for book clubs, I think. The author did an excellent job bringing this piece of British history to life, and making it feel real. It was hard to read, especially if you are a parent, to think of having to be separated from your child, and of losing your child and never knowing what happened to them. I highly recommend this one!

Wow! This was a magical but also a heartbreaking sad book.
Hazel and her sister Flora are sent out to the country to avoid the war bombings. Hazel had always weaved a story about a magical place called Whisperwood. It’s their secret place where they can escape to when life is tough. One day Flora disappears. Twenty years later Hazel unwraps a book with the word Whisperwood in it’s title. Will this book lead her to the truth of what happened to her sister?
This is a hard to put down book! Lots of surprises come out. You definitely want this book in your TBR stack, probably at the very top!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

My thanks to Net Galley and Atria Books/ Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this e-book.

1939 London - London parents are told to send their children to villages outside London to keep them safe from Germany's bombing. Some even sent their children to America, Canada, Australia and South Africa. Hazel and her little sister Flora Lea were sent to a charming village to live, which turned out to be a delightful place for them. Hazel filled Flora's head with a fairy tale story that only the two of them knew about. They lived with a lovely woman, Bridie, and her son, Harry, who also loved fairy tales. Until one day Flora Lea is missing.

Move forward twenty years to 1960, Hazel is now working in a rare books bookshop and comes across a book written by a woman from America. The story is Hazel's and Flora's private fairy tale - the one no one ever knew about but the two of them. This sends Hazel on a mission to find out if Flora could still be alive.

It was a bit hard to get into this story but once I did I was "all in", desperately wanting to know what happened. A delightful story that will not disappoint. As always, do not miss the Author's Note on this one.

4.5 fairytale stars

This book captivated me. Featuring a British family torn apart by WWII. Hazel and Flora’s mother is following government recommendations when she sends her two daughters to the countryside to escape the likely bombing of London.

Hazel and Flora find a space with a wonderful mother and her teenage son in Oxfordshire. They all enjoy time in the local woods. Hazel has created a magical and secret world for her younger sister called Whisperwood where they can escape the troubling realities of the world and its tragic events. That tragedy hits home one day when Flora disappears one day during a picnic near the River Thames. It’s presumed that she drowned although a body is never found.

Hazel’s guilt and grief are overwhelming, and she never loses hope that Flora will turn up one day.

As an adult, Hazel lives in London and works in a rare bookstore. She’s been offered a job at Sotheby’s and she’s hoping her boyfriend will propose on an upcoming trip to Paris. On her last day at the bookstore, Hazel unwraps a book and discovers her world of Whisperwood illustrated and described in a book. Could Flora be the author? Hazel embarks on a mission, revisiting the past and looking for clues.

This one really kept me spellbound and I loved the style of writing. With dual storylines, the pacing was great and kept my interest. For me, this was a perfect mix of mystery, history, first love, and a compelling setting. I wasn’t sure if Hazel would find her happy ever after ending, but it was a wonderful journey.

Don’t miss the enlightening author’s note at the end. This is my third book by this author and she's definitely become a must-read author for me.

Hazel and Flora are two sisters who are sent to live in the country in fear that London will be bombed during the war. During that time Flora goes missing and is presumed dead. Hazel never gives up on the bond that she has with her sister and is continually looking for her. The story alternates back-and-forth between 1939 and 1960, flows well and east to follow. Hazel works in a rare book shop and one day a first edition comes in that is titled Whisperwood, a made up land that only she and her sister shared as a magical escape from the war and being relocated. Who else could know of their stories and can this finally lead to her lost sister? The characters are very well developed, and each seem to carry their own guilt about Flora’s disappearance without realizing the others. Harry and his mom whom the girls lived with in the country are such fun and delightful characters. Such a wonderfully written story of love, loss, mystery, and will warm your heart. This is my first by this author, and definitely want to check out more of her other books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for my electronic, advanced reader, copy and exchange for my honest review!!!

How does Patti Callahan write such a fantastical book??
It’s music on paper, each page a door into a story that I didn’t want to leave.
It’s whimsical, magical, tragic, and joyous at the same time.
Hazel is on a wild goose chase, thinking she has finally found her long lost sister based on stories only they shared. Callahan is a curvy writer since the reader can’t see what’s coming.
One thing that I hadn’t realized about Operation Pied Piper was the children were forced to go. I thought it was voluntary.
Prance your way to this awesome book!

Fans of Patti Callahan Henry will love this newest story, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, and the way she flawlessly blends fairy tales with historical fiction. This story opens in 1940. Sisters Flora and Hazel are part of Operation Pied Piper, the program that rescued children from the bombing in London and relocated them to a safer region. Tragedy strikes, and Flora is believed drowned. And then what happens? This is a captivating story, one that sweeps the reader along and entertains until the very last page. This is some of Patti Callahan Henry’s best work. What a skilled writer!

This book is an outstanding read. The author brings the story to life with her words and you feel like you are there. I read this book in one sitting, it was so good I couldn't put it down.
I received a complimentary copy from Atria Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a totally immersive tale of love, loss, heartbreak and books. Woven in a way that is magical even though it is about a time in history during WWll when children were evacuated from their homes. This was called Operation Pied Piper. The story goes back and forth between two timelines and will captivate you from beginning to end.

What happens when you past imaginary world suddenly comes to life on the day you're about to make a major change in your life? For Hazel, it brings in a tornado of feelings, and actions she can't control. As she tries to disocver the author of the book of her imaginary world, the reader is taken back in time, to the days leading up to when her world changed forever. Patti once again takes the reader on a journey they can't put down, nor do they want to! It's an amazing story of hope and family, destined to be a movie! Don't misss this one!

"When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed."

"In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. 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 fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own."

"But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves."

Overall stars - 4
Writing Quality - 9 /10
Image / Illustration Quality - 9/10
Character Development - 10 /10
"Couldn't Put It Down"-ness - 9 /10
Intellectual Depth - 8 /10
Originality - 9/10

At nine years older than her sister, Flora, Hazel has always been her protector so when they are sent from their home in London to billet with a family near Oxford at the beginning of World War II, she is doubly protective. When five-year-old Flora, last seen near the banks of the River Thames, disappears, Hazel blames herself.

Fast forward 20 years and Hazel is working at a rare bookstore in London, is about to start her dream job at Sotheby’s, and is days away from a trip to Paris with her longtime boyfriend when a book and illustrations arrives at the bookstore. A quick look at the book shows it tells of Whisperwood, the make-believe land Hazel used to comfort Flora with her original fairy tales. Since no one else knew these stories, could Flora actually be alive after all these years?

Thus begins Hazel’s search for the author of the book and how she knew the stories only Flora should've known. A search that takes her back to her memories and people twenty years earlier

I adored this story and Hazel including her best friend, Kelty, whom she met when billeting with the family near Oxford. This is a sweet story highlighting the everlasting love between sisters, found family, secrets, and reunions between friends. Five stars and very highly recommended.

“What a fairy tale is meant to do,” she said, “if it’s meant to do anything at all, Tolkien says, is give us new perspective in our world, the consolation of a happy ending. Recovery of sorts. Like we leave that world to see ours anew.”

Patti Callahan Henry is a favorite author of mine. I read Between the Tides in 2008 and have loved her books ever since. Last year I read Once Upon a Wardrobe and was enamored with her magical storytelling. I had daydreams about it. Her new book The Secret Book of Flora Lea is absolute perfection. It is a book about books AND a story within a story with dual timelines that made me fly through the pages. I love Callahan Henry’s ability to transform you to another place that makes you completely unaware of your surroundings. The way her characters become three dimensional and leap from the page as if they are sitting across from you telling you their story is my favorite. I would also suggest you read her Note From the Author. I learned a lot and found more characters that I will think about for some time to come.

4 stars

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for the early copy!

Grab your copy out May 2nd!

@pattichenry that you for writing beautiful stories that live in my heart

What a gift to readers who believe in the worlds between the anger and the magic of imagination. A sister believes she is responsible for her missing and presumed lost sister during WWII in England. Shipped to the country for their safety Hazel grapples daily as an adult with the loss of Flora. Working in a store that specializes in antique and rare books she comes across a manuscript that brings to life stories Hazel only told to Flora. To unravel the mystery behind the book Hazel will find her life upended for the better.