What a completely captivating, heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit inspired by little known true events in WWII.

The dual timeline of the novel had me intrigued as to how the story would come full circle, with an ending I wasn’t expecting. I found the events in the story, though horrific at times, were told with such sensitivity.

I was vaguely aware of children being sent to safety in the UK during WWII but hadn’t realised some were sent as far away as New Zealand. Imagine sending your children that far away with so much unknown as to the future.

And the story of the Rangitane will stay with me long after I turn the final page. This was another part of history I was unaware of prior to picking up this book. Just another reason why I love historical fiction so much.

A young school teacher, Ruth volunteers to see children transported out of war torn London in 1940 to Australia. But this voyage is not a smooth ride and there is tragedy along the way. But is there more?

This is a heart-warming yet heart-breaking story, a story of struggle, courage and so much more. This is a dual Timeline story that is told by two women, Ruth and Hazel which gives the story more depth and intrigue. It is emotional, compelling, heart-wrenching and surreal. It is easy to follow and has great characters which makes you want to read more.

A wonderful story inspired by real events but it is fiction. Having said that it is so real and the written really pulls you in, making you feel like you were there and you knew these people. A great read and one I highly recommend. 4 1/2 stars for sure.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for giving me the opportunity to read adn review this book.

The Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB) was a British government sponsored organisation.The CORB evacuated British children from England,so that they would escape the imminent threat of German invasion and the risk of enemy bombing during WWII.The children were mainly sent to the 4 Dominion countries:Canada,Australia,New Zealand, and South Africa,and the USA under the United States Committee for the Care of European Children programme.It was planned as a temporary exile for the children, to return home to their families when conditions permitted.It was initially rejected on the grounds of creating panic or spreading defeatism. Instead the government decided that countryside evacuation was enough.However,there were also private arrangements made to send children overseas to friends and relatives,or other organisations.With the fall of France,the overseas evacuation scheme was approved.Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs Geoffrey Shakespeare was in charge of implementing the evacuation programme,and negotiations opened with the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son.The British Government would meet the cost of the voyages with contributions taken from parents on a sliding scale, involving a means test.Applications for children would be made through schools throughout the country.They would travel alone and be accompanied by teachers or escorts,as well as doctors and nurses.Within 2 weeks of each other,ships Volendam and City of Benares carrying CORB children aka ‘Sea Evacuees',were torpedoed by German U-boats.Although the evacuation scheme ended in September 1940,CORB and its advisory councils,remained until 1944.Rangitane was one of the largest passenger liners to be sunk.On November 27,1940,she was intercepted by German surface raiders Komet,Orion and Kulmerland.Doris Anne Beeston,a noted kindergarten teacher,was killed.German treatment of their prisoners was decent as could be expected in the crowded conditions.The number of prisoners aboard the German ships caused concern to the German commanders and they decided to release most of them.The survivors were released on the tiny PNG island of Emirau.The rest became POWs in Germany.

Ruth, a young school teacher, volunteers to escort evacuated children from war-torn England to Australia and New Zealand in 1940. Tragedy strikes on their return voyage, when the Rangitane is attacked by German raiders. As the ship goes down, the surviving passengers are taken as prisoners of war aboard the German vessel. To the rest of the world, they are missing, presumed dead. The novel unfolds in dual timeframes with Hazel - the granddaughter of one of the characters - travelling to London in present day with the story ultimately coming full circle. The Girl From London is compelling historical drama and it is so good to read and learn of an aspect of history that I was previously unaware of.

I liked this book, but didn’t love it. It wasn’t a book that I absolutely HAD to read and couldn’t put down. Having said that, I did enjoy it until the end. I was interesting reading about Ruth accompanying children being sent from London to Australia and New Zealand for safe keeping during the war and her experience being taken prisoner by the Nazi’s which was very different from the usual prisoner stories you read about. What was very disappointing for me was the ending - it felt very rushed, both in the story and in the book in the story (you’ll understand this when you read it) and almost felt as if the word limit had been reached and so the story had to be finished really quickly.

I really enjoyed this book as it was heart-wrenching story that had love and loss. I enjoyed the dual timeline of this book. This was my first time reading a historical fiction and it has sparked an interest in reading more from this genre!

Synopsis: Page-turning, emotional story inspired by little known true events in WWII, this dual timeline novel is perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer, Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn, and Natasha Lester. London, 1940. Ruth, a young schoolteacher, volunteers as an escort helping to evacuate children from war-torn England to Australia and New Zealand. Her three-month voyage is fraught - their passage is perilous, and the children anxious and homesick. Nine-year-old Fergus is more troubled than most and Ruth forms an unexpected bond with the boy. It's not just Fergus who captures Ruth's attention. Bobby, a fellow volunteer who initially infuriates Ruth with his laidback charm, somehow gets under her skin and throws her ordered life into chaos. Tragedy strikes on their return voyage, when the Rangitane is attacked by German raiders. As the ship goes down, the surviving passengers are taken as prisoners of war aboard the German vessel. To the rest of the world, they are missing, presumed dead. New Zealand 2005. Hazel boards a plane to London, eager to explore Europe. Sitting next to her is a man named Joe. On her lap is a treasured book from her grandfather, Fergus. A book that will finally reveal Ruth's story.

Please check trigger warnings prior to reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I recieved an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book sounded good. I really enjoy stories set during the war and they're even better when set against backdrops of actual events or based on real people.
As it was a dual timeline, the juxtaposition of them both really highlighted the differences between the setting, timing, mood and modernity. I found myself quite enjoying most of the story set in 1940 and that in itself made the modern timeline feel a bit frivolous and I was unable to really get in and like those characters.
I enjoyed the writing and felt that a lot of research had gone in to the plot based in 1940. It brought to my attention events that I had never heard of before which was refreshing to me.
I did feel like most books, when based on events but with made up characters, all seem to find their happy endings. It makes the reader really root for them and it's what makes people like me reread books. We know what's coming and we want to devour it again. Unfortunately the ending was happy for all but the main characters from 1940. Ruth and Bobby never got a chance to be together and be a family with Fergus. That upset me and for that fact alone, I won't be rereading this book.
I do like the authors writing and will be seeing what else she has written.

Ruth Best is a young schoolteacher, due to the Second World War her students have been relocated to the English countryside, she reads about The Children’s Overseas Reception Board or the CORB for short and their looking for volunteers who have experience with countries belonging to the commonwealth or the dominions. Children will be sent to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and accompanying them will be clergymen, teachers, doctors and nurses, the voyage will take three months, the ship will have an escort and it’s still very dangerous due to the German U-boats.

Fergus McKenzie is reluctant to be with the two boys from his school in Glasgow, he promised his mam he would look after his little sister Rosie and he’s one of Ruth’s charges. The children and adults board the Batory, with a mixture of excitement, anticipation and dread. The evacuees have been told their going on a grand adventure, the children will witness amazing things in their new country, and will not have to worry about bombs or rationing and they will eat lots of fresh food and get plenty sunshine.

The youngsters are leaving behind everything familiar, their family, and many are seasick, homesick and feel sad. Ruth makes friends with nurses Betty and Una and Bobby a New Zealander and fellow volunteer who seems to enjoy stirring Ruth up, when he helps her with Fergus and she can see he’s a nice man.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s set in the 1940’s and in 2005, and told from the two main female characters points of view Ruth and Hazel and I had no trouble following this.

Hazel is leaving New Zealand, to work as a pharmacist in London, her gramps drives her to the airport, and gives her a book with a green cover and tells her to read it on the plane. Hazel isn’t a seasoned traveler, she spills her drink all over a man in the airport and to her horror she's seated next to him on the plane. Hazel and Joe are going to be spending the next twenty two hours together, she pulls out the book, it’s about Ruth and what happened to her during the Second World War, she has no idea why her grandfather would have a copy, why give it to her now and Joe becomes just as interested.

I received a copy of The Girl from London by Olivia Spooner from Hachette Australia and New Zealand in exchange for an honest review. It’s a well written and enthralling story inspired by true events and it will stay with you and long after you have read the last page.

As a parent you have to make difficult choices and they didn’t have a crystal ball, the situation in England was grim and it was looking like the Germans would invade, and the guardians did what they thought was best at the time and sent their children overseas. The same applies for the chaperones, they wanted to help and this was their way of doing so. They formed close bonds with the children and it was very difficult for them to leave them once they arrived and then they faced the dangerous return journey home. Women and children suffered, fought bravely and made sacrifices too.

An emotional narrative that explores the CORB program, love, human spirit, resilience, the uncertainty of war, danger and loss. Five stars from me, I was really invested in this book, the characters and how they were all linked together.