Germany 1945, Katja is a spy, risking her life for those around her. She delivers letters in the dead of night as that is the safest time to travel. This particular night she is on edge after almost being captured earlier that day. She wonders if she were to get caught, what would happen to her baby? London, present day, Jo is clearing out her mother Katja's home when she discovers a diary hidden in the back of a kitchen cupboard. She begins to read through the pages of the old diary, and soon realizes that it belonged to her father. He was a Prisoner of War during World War II and he kept a diary, writing down everything he could about the war, the people around him and the people he left behind. As Jo flips through the pages, she has so many questions and finally some answers. This story is a gripping tale of wartime bravery, the horrible way people were treated, and the choices that were made that affected so many families for years to come.

The Lost Diary written by author Rose Alexander, is a wonderful time slip story. It takes the reader from war torn Berlin in 1945 to London 1994. This story is one that will stay with you for a while after you finish the book. It is based on a true story which makes it even more heartbreaking. The tears flowed over and over again so keep the Kleenex Box close by. This was a wonderfully written story that reminds you that the truth will always prevail. I loved this story and I highly recommend it.

I haven’t read a book by Rose Alexander since reading Under an Amber Sky published way back in 2017 but I always remember how much I adored that story so when I saw she had a new book, The Lost Diary, I was keen to give it a try. This story based on true events is told through the dual timeline format which I always enjoy in books and the author expertly weaves the past and present together to create a tale full of survival, life and death all told from different perspectives which demonstrates the horrors of war and how one woman’s trauma and secrets have stayed with her for a very long time. I did find this book to have a very slow start where I was waiting and waiting for something to happen. I felt setting the scene and the general tone of the book took too long to emerge but once I reached the halfway point things completely changed. I became deeply invested in Katja’s story and coming towards the end there were so many startling revelations that I found myself thinking yes this is a great read and it reminds me of the historical fiction of old where you are led down the garden path for the majority of the story and then bang everything gets turned on its head. What you thought was true was not and in fact the author has very cleverly pulled the wool over the readers eyes. Yes, the first half was unnecessarily long in my mind but the second half more than made up for that.

A brief prologue sets the scene in Berlin in 1945, the city has been divided into Russian and British zones and the residents are suffering hunger and hardship.They are just trying to exist and survive and make it through each day. A young woman is now working as a bus conductress and one day a man catches her eye and a sliver of recognition occurs.He asks a question which instantly arouses the readers interest. To be honest when I reached the final pages of the book I had genuinely forgotten about the prologue so I felt I was jolted back to this when the jigsaw pieces finally started to slot together and it brought a smile to my face upon realising how clever Rose Alexander had been with the overall plotting of the book. The book then properly begins in London in 1994 where Jo is caring for her mother Katja following an operation. Whilst Katja recovers her flat is undergoing a complete renovation and its during this time that secrets from the past come to light.

The narrative moves back and forth between the past and the present day and does so seamlessly as Jo starts to learn more about the mother who has always been so prickly, often lacking empathy and never very maternal. She has longed to know the details of her heritage and to better understand her origins but Katja has remained tight lipped and closed off. As the 50 year anniversary of the wars conclusion nears, a newspaper article is seeking stories of people who lived during that time. Will Katja finally be willing to open up and will Jo be able to accept what she uncovers?

Katja is haunted by shame and Jo wants to find out why? Jo was a great support to Katja despite not having the best relationship with her. It was almost as if she knew Katja was reaching that point where she could reveal more of herself and in doing so it would help explain why she perhaps was not the warmest of mothers. When a piece of paper with a dried flower is found during the renovations Jo’s curiosity is sparked even further and bit by bit as Katja recuperates she tells Jo everything that she has kept in the darkest recess of her heart and mind for so long.

Being completely honest, I was far more involved in Katja’s story than I was Jo’s. The author details how Jo is going through a separation, with her husband seeking the house and a divorce, and she is anxious and upset that this is occurring. It didn’t dominate the storyline but I just wanted to get back to reading about Katja. I thought it was brilliant that Katja was German so we read of her experiences from the ordinary German citizen’s perspective. I think more often than not we tend to forget and it’s not regularly written how the German population suffered too during the war. Katja lives in Berlin and runs a grocery shop with her husband, Horst, who is away fighting in the war. She gives birth to a boy named Hans with the help of a neighbour Gerta. When Horst is declared missing and presumed dead and the conflict in Berlin increases with bombs being dropped nightly on the city Katja knows she needs to get out. With Gerta by her side she makes her way to the Sudetenland escaping the blood, death, hatred and starvation. For several years they live in relative safety and peace and Katja gets a job as a helper in a convalescent home where she meets a pilot and undertakes some daring exploits. Here is where I felt the book needed to move on a bit. There wasn’t much happening and it felt as if there was a real lull. It’s only as I neared the end, I realised how important this time period was in the overall story.

By the time I reached the halfway point it was as if I was reading a completely different story and all the action and emotions along with plenty of surprises that I had desperately wanted much earlier on came to the fore. Jo discovers a diary and it’s not written by Katja which means she can’t keep lying anymore. At first I found the diary extracts rather out of context with Katja’s story but then they began to make sense as the layers were peeled back. The diary is raw, detailed and heartfelt and leads Jo on a voyage of discovery into her parents past revealing a story of trauma, horror, sadness, loss and misery but one also of remarkable strength and dignity. Alongside the diary entries Katja’s details her experiences of fleeing the small town of Meindorf in the Sudetenland as the Russians approach and from that point on my heart was in my mouth. My opinion of Katja completely changed. She showed her true character. Her strength and fortitude and her ability to be a leader and keep things going when the worst was occurring all around her.

The chapters detailing Katja’s walk to Berlin were brilliant. I could visualise everything so clearly in my head even though at times I didn’t want to because no detail was spared and there were things that occurred that were beyond heart-breaking and horrible. As Jo learns the true extent of her mother’s story I think it allowed for fundamental changes to occur in their relationship. Barriers were broken down and they were more relaxed in each others company. The revelations kept coming even as I reached the final chapter or two and that’s what a good book should do keep you rapidly turning the pages until the very last possible moment and leaving you surprised but yet at the same time satisfied with what you are reading. I do think though the subtle hints regards Jo and a certain someone weren’t really necessary to the end parts of the story and it didn’t feel realistic but rather a bit far fetched and forced. So I kind of glossed over this and focused on herself and Katja and the truth emerging into the open.

The Lost Diary is an excellent read despite the slow burner of a starter. Forgiveness and love are two emotions that rise to the surface and it’s the journey as to how the characters get there that is incredible and inspiring. I look forward to reading much more from Rose Alexander and I certainly won’t be leaving it as long in future to read one of her stories.

To my shame, there are times when I’ve felt I might be tiring of reading about wartime experiences – however harrowing and moving the stories, they do begin to blend into each other, and sometimes fail to have the individual impact they deserve. And then a book like this one comes along – based on the true stories of family members, a perspective that was so totally different, beautifully written, and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It’s a substantial read, but entirely consumed me from beginning to end – its focus on the shame and secrets of the individuals at the story’s heart, the harrowing emotional content, the heart-breaking episodes so vividly and sensitively described, and the acceptance and need for forgiveness that wraps it all together.

1994, and Jo is in the midst of a difficult divorce, facing the possible loss of her home – but also caring for mother Katja who is recuperating after an operation, while the builders make some long overdue improvements to her flat. Their relationship has never been a particularly warm one – and although she knows her mother and father met in Berlin soon after the end of WW2, the detail about her life before then is something her mother has never shared. With the fiftieth anniversary of VE day approaching, a journalist is looking for people’s stories about their wartime experience, with an exhibition planned at the Imperial War Museum – and Jo’s daughter suggests, to help them pass their time together, that she asks Katja about her story. But what particularly drives Jo’s interest is a discovery behind the fireplace removed by the builders – a withered flower wrapped in a scrap of paper, with a German inscription of the words “For her”.

Reluctantly at first, Katja does share her story – of finding herself a young widow with a new baby in 1943 Berlin, fleeing with a compassionate neighbour to the relative safety of Sudetenland, where she found work at a home for injured German officers. Her story is one of survival – at first a naive young mother caught up in activities she doesn’t fully understand, with an edge of considerable danger, only eclipsed by the brutality of the Russian advance. The decision follows that Germans in Sudetenland must make the difficult journey home, in Katja’s case to a Berlin now being heavily bombarded by the Allies. But this book isn’t only Katja’s story – the builders also unearth a diary, written by Jo’s English father Lou, a prisoner of war at Sagan, forced to evacuate the camp as the Russians advanced and to undertake the horror of the Long March across Germany.

Both their stories are immensely powerful, laced with hardship and brutality, with moments that become very difficult to read – heartbreaking, quite wonderfully told, following the lives of individuals enduring the most horrendous experiences. It was so unusual to have the privilege of seeing wartime from the perspective of the German people – and to be reminded that many were not Nazis but ordinary people just trying to live their lives. While many of the atrocities within their accounts were painfully familiar, there was a lot about their experiences – particularly the forced mass migration – that I was shamefully unaware of. I found that the expulsion from Sudetenland and the PoWs’ Long March are both well documented – I really had to do some of my own research too – but the strength of this book is the way the author follows the personal stories and makes the reader part of the individuals’ lives. Based on real experiences, this is also, of course, a work of fiction – and within Katja’s story, there are a number of long hidden secrets slowly revealed, making this an even more intensely moving and compelling read.

And I must say a word about the book’s construction, which I particularly enjoyed. A certain proportion of the story is Jo’s own – her daughter’s impending marriage, the issues around her home and divorce, a possible change of personal direction – and I did think at first that it might rather slow the pace. But it really doesn’t – it provides a necessary framework for the two unfolding wartime stories (and the change of voice does provide some welcome breathing space when things get a little too much). And I really liked the way the stories were brought together at the end – with a greater self-knowledge and understanding, and an uplifting note for the future.

This is such an important book, and an exceptional piece of writing – it might well be one of my books of the year. Stunning, and quite unforgettable – and highly recommended to all.

(Review also copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

The Lost Diary is a gripping true story of wartime bravery and the enduring impact of tough choices across generations. It delves into a poignant mother-daughter relationship shaped by wartime experiences, exploring post-WWII guilt and internal struggles. The added subplot of Jo's divorce slightly detracts from the main narrative. Overall, this poignant historical fiction offers a unique WWII perspective, portraying ordinary lives amidst the horrors of war. It evokes a range of emotions, from despair to tenderness, and highlights the enduring effects of conflict on innocent lives. A must-read to honor those caught in unwanted wars.

Based on a true story, The Lost Diary is the story of bravery in the face of war and the pain that they faced along side of the tough decisions they made in the midst of it all and the rippling affects they have for generations afterwards.
Jo is dealing with her own issues, namely a divorce and some angst with her ex, when her mother requires surgery so she has her move in with her temporarily to help her while she recovers. In the meantime, they decide to do some renovations to her mother’s house while she’s out of it anyway, as it’s been many years since it’s been updated. One day while she’s over taking a look at how things are going, Jo finds a diary hidden in one of the old kitchen cabinets. This hidden journal links her to a brave woman who risked everything to keep herself and those she loved alive. Jo doesn’t know whether to tell her mother and upset her and risk her healing process, but she also has so many questions and so many “what if’s” that she just can’t resist the opportunity to find out more about her mothers story.
This piece of historical fiction had me all over in my feelings. It was full of intrigue, hopelessness, desperation and life on the edge and then there were moments of tenderness and found family and genuine love. Heart wrenching and well written read.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Based on a incredible true story. Have you ever kept a diary? I haven't because I don't like the idea of having my most personal thoughts on paper. Keeping a diary during the war though I believe could be very liberating but also very emotional. This book was definitely a hard one to put down as I became more immersed in the story as I read. I would stop and look at the time and too my suprise three hours had flown by. So it's a easy one too get lost in. The characters are well represented and I respected them. Though heartbreaking it's also uplifting.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this story, which had some heartbreaking moments too.

It’s a dual timeline story of Jo who learns of the past her mother lived during WW2. Being a very strong woman, her mother had some difficult times to face in her time and when she reveals some things, Jo is very surprised.

I highly recommend this book.

The Lost Diary by Rose Alexander is a powerful dual timeline novel that totally consumed me.
The novel is set during World War II in Berlin and the Sudetenland, and also in London in 1994 as Britain is preparing to celebrate the fifty years anniversary since the end of World War II.
People want to hear war stories from their grandparents/parents. Silence has been kept for nearly fifty years. Now it’s the time to reveal long hidden secrets.
We hear the stories of Katja and Lou. Hers is told verbally, his is in the form of a diary. Finally, a daughter hears her parent’s stories.
Seeing World War II from the point of view of a German girl is a different perspective and one I had not thought of before. We witness the effect Allied bombing had on lives and see that not all Germans were Nazis. “It was inevitable that ordinary people should reap what their ruler had sown.” The women and children, the old and the young were all caught up in a war they did not want.
Kind hearts do what they can. We witness the bravery needed to stand up against the Nazis. Trust was in short supply as neighbours informed on each other, and people disappeared.
Was disillusioned many. Some wounded soldiers witnessed first hand the futility of war, and did what they could to sabotage the Nazi war efforts.
As the end of the war loomed large, Hitler and the Nazis took ever more desperate measures.
We follow the enforced mass migration back to Berlin in 1945. Ordinary people faced hunger and hardship.
We witness the terrible brutality inflicted on women of all ages, as the Soviets marched into Berlin. In contrast we see the kind heart of a British soldier who had compassion on the German refugees of war. “They’re people… They didn’t cause any of this. Surely it’s better to be kind than to be consumed by hatred.”
People did what they could in order to survive and feed their children. Moral codes altered, being totally abandoned by the Soviets who were beyond cruel, having no moral codes at all.
As a daughter hears her parent’s tales, she realizes how their experiences shaped them. Her father was a British P.O.W and her mother a German girl. They had very different experiences but both retained loving, compassionate hearts.
The Lost Diary was a powerful, heartbreaking read that played with my emotions. The characters were well drawn, likable and realistic.
This is a book from a very different perspective but still shows the horrors of war. It needs to be read in memory of all the innocents caught up in a war they did not want.
I received a free copy from the publishers for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Another lovely story, full of sadness and interesting characters. I couldn't put this down until I'd finished it, it was so good. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

At times this was a heartbreaking story. Told with dual timelines we follow Jo as she learns of her mother’s past during WW2. Her mother is a strong woman living during a difficult time. Jo finds her mother’s revelations surprising.
It’s a good story that all historical fiction fans will surely enjoy.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an #ARC of #TheLostDiary.
I have genuinely mixed feelings about this book, I found it quite long and a bit of a read at times, but I also have to say I looked forward to getting back to it every day.
This book follows a daughter discussing her WWII experience with her German-born mother, and reading a long lost diary from her father, discovering the hardships she had never before known.
I'm a fan of WWII books and it was interesting to get some perspective from German nationals in relation to their experiences. It is a hard-going read at times however.
I would hesitantly recommend this book, I marked down on the length and some unnecessary story filler.

This book took a little while for me to become engaged with but once I did I could not put it down. It is a dual timeline where in London 1994 we are introduced to Jo, Katja’s and Lou’s daughter. Jo is encouraging her mother to talk about her life during the war when a diary is found during renovations of Katja’s flat.
We read a heartbreaking account of Katja’s and Lou’s life through the horrors of WWII. Katja is German and is married to a German soldier who died during the war, Lou is a British POW in Germany. It is only after the war is over that they meet and move to London with the young baby, Jo.
This is an emotional read and at times is extremely hard to read as both Katja and Lou face the horrors of war.
The bravery and strength of those that lived through WWII is remarkable.
Family secrets and shame are strong themes throughout the book as are forgiveness and love.
A great read for historical fiction lovers.

Five well deserved stars for this heart wrenching and emotional read. As we follow their individual stories during WW2 and the terrible conditions that Lou and Katja endured we marvel at the will to survive. It is even more astounding as it is based on the author’s family history. My favourite genre is dual timeline where I learn about a period in history. This novel delivered everything I hoped and more besides. Rose Alexander is now one of my top go to authors.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! The Lost Diary by Rose Alexander is another heartbreaking story set during the second world war. Katja, a young german woman living in Berlin at the beginning of the war, packs up and leaves with her child and elderly neighbour to live out the war in eastern Europe. Once the war ends, she is forced to leave her new village and return to Berlin covering about 250 km on foot. The novel is a series of flashbacks told by an aging Katja when her daughter finds an old diary in her home while renovating. The journey back to Berlin told through her mother's eyes is nothing shy of heroic. She is able to find the strength to not only save herself but also many others who come to rely on her. Throughout the narrative, Katja unravels the secrets that she has held in for well over half her life. Will her daughter be able to forgive her once she's confronted with the unimaginable? Will her mother's harrowing journey help her to understand her mother's stoic and, at times, withdrawn personality? Will Joanna come to realize that the "hardships" she is facing in her own life will never compare to what her mother had to endure? This true story of strength, hope and selfless love moved me to tears and I would definitely recommend to others.

When Jo checks in on the building contractors doing some work on her mothers apartment some surprises were found…hidden behind an old mantle is a piece of paper with some German words written on it, a dried flower and a diary of sorts. These things are all a mystery to her but she knows that her mother Katja had a rough time during WWII and might be willing to finally provide some insight on that terrible time.

This story was not just a wartime story about a refugee and her experiences but one that takes a look at a mother/daughter relationship and how those wartime experiences shaped it. It also touches on the guilt that so many people felt post WWII and all that they carried with them internally for so many years. That dynamic is always interesting to me and I loved reading about from a different perspective.

There is a bit of a side story in the book that made me give it a 4 star rating. While traveling down memory lane with her mom, Jo is in the midst of a divorce. I don’t think it was necessary to mention it as much as it was. So that dragged it down a little for me. Having said that…I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a different perspective of WWII. It’s about ordinary people and their experiences.

Thanks so much to Rose Alexander, NetGalley & Bookouture for a chance to read this story before it hits the shelves!

What a truly heartbreaking duel timeline story. The timeframe is 1994 London and the 1940’s in Germany. The story is told in alternating chapters of past and present.
The story revolves around one woman’s life as she tries to keep herself and her little son safe during the horrors and adversities of World War II.
The Lost Diary shares hope and bravery. And, shows us that sharing the past and confronting past secrets can be freeing.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Have you ever kept a diary? On a continuous, long-term basis?

I’ve tried. It’s difficult. I can’t imagine living through the tumult of war and maintaining a record of how it felt, what you saw and heard and thought. I’m sure thankful, though, for those who reported their own experience during momentous times.

Based on a true story, The Lost Diary, reveals not only bravery in the face of war but the pain of making decisions with few options and little time to make them - ones that have unimaginable rippling effects.

When Jo sets aside her own challenges to help her mother post-surgery, she finds a diary hidden in a kitchen cupboard. This hidden secret links to a brave woman in Germany who risked it all to save herself and those she loved. All of a sudden Jo finds herself in a precarious situation; if she tells her mother about the diary, she could risk upsetting the healing process or worse, ruin their relationship. However, if she doesn’t, she’ll be riddled with guilt and ‘what ifs’ after time runs out to discuss it.

Alexander brings history alive for us through a diarist whose recordings give us a keen sense of the rich diversity of wartime experiences. She shows us that sometimes we need to visit the past to move on with the future.

Stuffed with secrets, intrigue, feelings of hopelessness and desperation, and living life on the edge, this wonderful piece of historical fiction spotlights those who were forced to make decisions they wouldn’t have made if they’d lived in another time and space. It was a heart-wrenching and extremely well-written read. I’ve just added a new author to my auto-read list!

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The Lost Diary is a heartbreaking account of one woman's struggle to keep herself and others safe during WWll. This dual timeline novel has alternating chapters between Katja in Germany during the 1940s as she tells her story, and her daughter Jo in London in 1994, when Jo found a diary her father had written of the time he was in a POW camp. She learns about her parent's past through her mother's telling of her story and her father's diary. Family secrets revealed keeps things interesting and the reader turning pages. The story is based on true events. It's so sad how so many people suffered during this period of history. Thanks to author Rose Alexander, Bookouture, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I couldn't put this book down! I was enthralled until the very end! A beautifully written story that gives insight into the years during and post WWII. Seeing how many people found each other in extreme times and truly saved each other gives you such a different perspective than many other stories. I highly recommend this book!!

What a rollercoaster of emotions is this tale for them, & for us too. And to find out that it is based on the true stories of members of Rose’s family is incredible. The fortitude of Katja throughout all that happened to her is truly exceptional. Small wonder it left her somewhat emotionally cripple. At first there are two timelines: Katja’s story from 1943-1945, & her present day life with her daughter in 1994. Then we are introduced to Lou’s wartime experiences. Their stories unwind, unbelievable sadness, horror, terrible hardships. Modern day betrayal; devastating lies; identity threatened. There is hope. The truth brings freedom & the future looks promising. A brilliantly narrated story that will keep you page-turning. Enjoy!
I received an ARC from NetGalley & Bookouture. I am writing a voluntary, honest review. Thank you