Quick and Dirty⁣
-WWII fiction⁣
-dual timeline, mostly single POV⁣
-sister story⁣
-hints of magical realism⁣

⁣
Thoughts⁣
I knew from chapter one that this book would be a 4-5 star read for me. Not only do I love Patti Callahan, the hints of magical realism and focus on fairytales were enough to enrapture me from the word go. I love a magical realism novel almost as much as I love WWII fiction, and this book had both. Aspects of this novel reminded me of The Once and Future Witches, my all-time favorite novel. The strong sister bond and the use of folklore and fairytales drew me in and wouldn't let go. There is a point in this novel that gave me chills and gooseflesh, something that rarely happens to me. I was so invested in Hazel's search for Flora, and the second chance romance subplot was a balm for my worried and weary soul. The will they/won't they story of Hazel and Harry added to the mystery and charm of the novel rather than distracting from Flora's disappearance, which (to me) is a mark of quality plot development. This is likely to be on my list of top books for 2023, along with a few other magical realism novels I've read this year.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea is an incredibly well told story of family, loss, hope, and the magic of fairy tales.

Sisters Hazel and Flora are evacuated from their home in London to the Oxfordshire countryside during Operation Pied Piper, a mass separation of children from their families when London was under attack by Germany. They are provided shelter by a woman named Bridie and her son Harry in their beautiful stone cottage, a picture straight out of a fairy tale. Hazel, the protective older sister, creates a magical and secret land called Whisperwood to bring comfort to her younger sister Flora. In their secret land, adventures unfold and they are magically transported to a place all their own and away from the scary realities brought by war. But then one day, Flora disappears while near the river and is presumed drowned. Hazel carries the guilt, feeling responsible for her disappearance. Twenty years later, a mysterious manuscript arrives at Hazel's bookshop. The manuscript and illustrations are of Whisperwood. How could anyone know about this secret land Hazel created twenty years earlier? Is it a sign her sister is still alive? Hazel embarks on her own adventure trying to track down this mysterious author, confront her own guilt and secrets of years' past, and learn what she truly wants in life.

What I liked about this book: I loved how the magic of storytelling came to life in this book. I appreciated the imagery of the Oxfordshire countryside. The last half of this book read very quickly as I was so intrigued with the mystery surrounding the book and whether Flora was still alive.

What didn't work for me: The book started a bit slow for me so it took time to develop an interest.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a great escape during a busy month. It is a wonderfully written historical fiction book and I recommend it.

Thank you to Atria Book and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

has done it again, this time with The Secret Book of Flora Lea. It is an enchanting piece of fiction that will transport you not only to another time and place, but into the magical imagination of two young girls and the deep emotions of a family coping after a grievous loss.

I was provided with a NetGalley ARC of this title, but picked up a copy from my favourite indie bookseller for Independent Bookstore Day. Then, I joined a reading group and decided to use my Libro.fm credit to listen to Flora Lea instead. Spectacular! There is something about Henry's way with words that entrances me as a reader and I was delighted in this moving, poignant tale.

My only complaint stopping me from making this a 5 star read is the ending felt too convenient and a little tidily rushed. Overall though - delightfully moving and I highly recommend.

This story is told in third person and follows Hazel Linden in two different timelines, October 1940 when she and her sister, Flora, are sent away from London during WWII to live with another family and 20 years later while Hazel is working in a rare book shop and finds a fictional book that brings up surprising memories of her childhood. The story has a quiet, slow-moving beauty that I have come to expect from this author. This is my third read by her and I’ve enjoyed them all, though Surviving Savannah is my favorite.

The characters are lovely, both the family that took Hazel and Flora into their home during the war and the other employees and book shop owner that Hazel finds kinship with as an adult. The transitions back and forth in the timeline frustrated me in a good way because I wanted to know what happened next, then I would be sent through time to learn the next tidbit of the story back when. I also had a few moments of frustration with Hazel and her waffling over her relationships but came to expect her to think things through and do the right thing in the end.

Another engaging historical read that I would recommend to those that enjoy a bit of mystery and fairytales, as well as the warmth of family and friends during hard times.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I'm sorry to say that this was a miss for me... I have enjoyed several of her other books but this one missed the mark.

It felt repetitive and frankly, boring. I started to skim around 25 % because it felt like nothing happened. The sidestory with Peggy was not interesting and Hazel was underdeveloped. Why didn't Harry had any flaws? Also, the chapters with the flashbacks to 1939-1940 were just boring. They didn't add anything to the story because it was too much.

i hope her next book will be better!

Imagine that your love of books results in a career in a bookshop, especially with rare books. You come across a book that describes a fairy tale you made up and told your younger sister as a child set in an imaginary place. With her father fighting in the war, Hazel uses this fairy tale to soothe her sister.
In London, when Hitler struck, many families sent their children to live in the English countryside. Hazel and her little sister, Flora Lee, go to live with a woman and her teenage son in an idyllic village along the river Thames. Young Flora, around 5 years old, falls into the river and is lost, presumed dead. Hazel has a crush on the teenage son, Harry, and blames herself for losing her sister.
Years later she comes across the book based on her fairy tale. Will it solve the mystery of the disappearance of Flora Lee?
This book is a delightful story of love, loss and redemption. Patti Callahan Henry does a wonderful job with the characters in this book. It was a pleasure to read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Two sisters, caught up in the dangers of the Blitz during WWII, are sent to the countryside. The older sister often uses a fairytale world she created to entertain her younger sibling until the day her 6 year old sister disappears. Twenty years later, she discovers a best-selling book from across the pond that uses the magic land she created - and finds herself searching for all the answers she has never found.

Ms. Henry writes such beautiful prose that I found myself slowing down to enjoy the journey. Both timelines were fascinating, and I loved the way the book ended. This book is perfect for lovers of family stories and fairy tales.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for my eARC.

Hazel, who works on a book store opens a package and it is the story of Whisperwood written by an American author. She is shocked because the story of Whisperwood is her story that told her little sister while they had been sent to the country in Engla d during World War II. Her 6 year old sister Flora had disappeared during that time and Hazel had never given up hope or looking for her sister. Could her sister be alive all these years later? I’n dual timelines going between 1960 and 1940 a wonderful story was told, rich with description.

Loved this! I took my time and really enjoyed the mystery element with the historical fiction, added a layer of fun that the mystery had to do with a book. This will be on my list of books to gift at Christmas!

This is a fascinating reimagining of what happened to the children in Operation Pied Piper, an endeavor to relocate British children to the countryside to avoid bombings and the war in London. It is a heartbreaking story but nevertheless important to read and know. 4.5 stars

'The Secret Book of Flora Lea' A Novel is a historical fiction set in WW2 but takes a turn from the typical genre as one sister disappears then twenty years later a clue emerges. Beautiful imagery and writing immerse you in the story - well done!

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. Then, 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.
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. With a charming boyfriend, Hazel’s future seems determined. Her tidy life is turned upside down when, on her last day at the bookstore, 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?

I got introduced to this author in her book Surviving Savannah, and Becoming Mrs. Lewis when she was writing under Patti Callahan. She is an amazing writer who writes stories with believable characters and their struggles in life. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read another of this author's books. I highly recommend.

What a magical book. Had me from the first page. Two sisters evacuated from London during WWII. Many twist and turns. Both parts of the story, 1940 and 1960, drew me in with excellent character development. Very highly recommended!!

I thought this was a. beautiful story of family, both found and blood. I was captivated by the imagery woven into the story. I could place myself in the pages. The idea of a childhood story making its way across the world, and the reason that this happened, had me turning pages well into the night.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I love a good romance book and this did not disappoint. Well developed, characters, witty banter, what more can you ask for?

I loved everything about this book by a talented author. Flora and her older sister, Hazel, are part of Operation Pied Piper, the attempt by the British government in 1939, to send children out of harm’s way as the bombs dropped in London. Hazel was creative, and in her imagination, would tell stories of a magical land called Whisperwood, to help Flora cope. Flora disappears when Hazel is distracted by Harry, the boy who lives in their temporary home, and the magic stops for Hazel. When a book appears at the rare bookshop Hazel works at, it describes Whisperwood exactly as told to Flora, giving Hazel hope Flora might be alive. I loved the time period, setting of Oxfordshire, the characters and the story line. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

During Operation Pied Piper, two sisters are sent away from London to the countryside near Oxford. The oldest sister, Hazel, tells her little sister Flora a tale of Whisperwood to quiet her fears. On an idealic afternoon Flora disappears. Twenty years later a book with the title Whisperwood appears and Hazel hopes it will provide answers to Florals disappearance. Taking you back and forth between the 1940s and 1960s on mysterious adventures of the sisters and the families they find along the way, this is a glorious book!

I am going to give this book a 3.5 stars for me. Imagine 21 years after your younger sister disappears (and many believe is dead), you stumble upon a novel that is exactly like the story you used to tell your sister (and only your sister), when growing up? In 1939 Hazel and her sister Flora had to evacuate London because of the war. They lived with a very kind woman named Bridie and her son Harry, but they still missed their home and mom very much. To distract five year old Flora, Hazel used to tell her stories about a made up land called Whisperwood and how they could disappear there- it was their escape. When Flora goes missing, Hazel spends years searching and praying for her to be found. Working in a bookstore in 1960, she finds a new book called "Whisperwood and the River of Stars", it starts her search all over again for her sister. So many twists and turns, but the ending made me smile.

I really enjoyed this book, but it dragged for me in some parts and I could only hear about Whisperwood so many times. It was beautifully written otherwise and I definitely recommend.

History books tell us the dates of events and the names of important people. But what educates us about the impact that headlines of history have on the lives of ordinary people?
Talented author, Patti Callahan Henry, has incorporated the headlines created by the bombings in England during WW2, the evacuation of children from England because of these bombings and the mysterious disappearance of a young child, to tell the story of Hazel and her sister Flora Lea.
Patti Callahan's mastery of words creates characters whose stories will stir the reader's emotions. Readers in 2023 will feel what Hazel, in 1960's London, felt when her memories of the 1930's and 40's wartime England continue to impact her life.
As the story moves forward, Patti shows us how people's strength and determination can shape the future with hope for better times. Such an inspiring story! This book is not to be missed. Review written by Marlene Waters

Not only was this about the magic of stories, it was a magical story.

Hazel and her younger sister, Flora, were sent to the country in Operation Pied Piper during WWII to escape the bombing of London. Although life during war was hard and they missed their mother, they loved the family they lived with and invented a beautiful and magical land of their very own until tragedy struck and Flora disappeared.

Years later, Hazel, who has always blamed herself, is working in a rare book shop and receives a book of the magical stories she told Flora as a child. Shocked, she uproots her life to find the American author and confront her past. She will stop at nothing to find out what happened to Flora.

I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. It was the perfect book to follow the heavier Hello Beautiful. It read almost like a fairytale to me. It was a little bit mysterious, a little bit magical, a little bit of a love story and a little bit about found family. Beautifully written, it was definitely my favorite Patti Callahan Henry book!

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!