A historical fiction tale, The Book of Lost Children (2025) by Jenny O'Brien is set during The Second World War. Not widely known, but historically true, German soldiers occupied the Island of Guernsey. Unable to leave the island, nurse Evelyn Nightingale works long hours, amidst difficult conditions at the local hospital. In 1943, Evelyn places herself in grave danger when she decides to act to protect new mothers and hides their babies. Then a French woman arrives to give birth and once again, Evelyn takes a great risk that will have repercussions down the generations. In 2018 Dublin, the sale of an old violin leads Kitty White to discover a list that reveals old secrets and causes tumult in her own family. A heartfelt tale inspired by true events makes for a three and a half star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given. With thanks to Storm Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

A WWII historical fiction that explores a nurse"s life on the island of Guernsey during the German occupation. Among her nursing tasks is the taking care of mothers in labor and their safe deliveries. Three babies born of mothers with different histories that include not being able to keep their newborns are saved by the heroics of this nurse. Years later, we meet the descendants of these babies and their connection to a violin and it case left at an Antique store in Dublin. A tragic story that shows the bravery of people on the Guernsey Island during this most difficult time. Highly recommended

A story of a courageous young lady based on true events. It reminds you to appreciate what you have and assist others when needed. I appreciate the medical field and the nurses deserve a medal. A emotionally charged tale.

Inspired by true historical events, this heart-wrenching tale will stay with you long after the last page.

A wartime nurse risks everything to protect mothers and babies in Nazi-occupied Guernsey. Decades later, a hidden record reveals a devastating family truth. Based on a remarkable true story of one woman’s extraordinary courage.

The Book of Lost Children is a compelling and captivating read that I wont soon forget.

The story is told in two time lines.

1943 in Guersney we meet Evelyn Nightingale working as a nurse in the German Occupied island.

Tension mounts every day with the German presence, food is scarce and the hosptial team does the absolute best they can possibly do.

Evelyn thinks quickly on her feet and several times comes up with plans to thwart the Germans including hiding three babies.

Too many people know her secret..

Secrets have a way of blowing up in your face.

I cheered for Evelyn, cried with her but most of all admired her strength and resilience

1948 there is Kitty White buys for her antique store an old German viiolin with a hidden compartment.

She realizes her dad recognizes the instrument. Kitty is determined to get to the bottom of the story and it the story the violin will tell.

Jenny O'Brien does an amazing job of bringing the two stories together.

The book is beautifully written and I felt like I was right there with both ladies.

The Book of Lost Children is a gripping read based on a true story and I found it impossible to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the privilege to read and review The Book of Lost Children and most of all introducing me to Jenny O'Briens books.

I got so caught up in this story. A WWII tale of a nurse who is secretly helping the mothers and babies. What a terrible time in history, although so well written. Loved it!

The historical accuracy of this book along with the to date accuracy, blew my mind away. This author did her homework! A dual timeline book which keeps you riveted to the end. The perfection in the writing, grammar and research makes this book what it is. I felt every person's anguish, sadness, troubles and the starvation they suffered at the hands of the war. Along with that, I felt all of that and more with the modern day storylines as well. A book that kept me guessing how it all played together and how to make all the lives of the people come true to life. This book is awesome and easily read. Any person that reads about WWII and all it entails will love this book. Concentrating on family ties and love its a novel that takes place in a war but essentially concentrates on the families that worked together to save others from monstrosities created by the German forces. A great read and I would highly recommend it.

This has to be one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read!
I know it’s fiction but it definitely could be true; there were some absolute heroes throughout the war making this story even better and feeling realistic. I didn’t know any of the factual parts (like Germany occupying Guernsey during the war - not something we were taught about in school)
Anyway, whatever you do this year, read this book! You’ll smile, laugh, cry, feel hopeful, heartbroken and happy and sad all at once - but you won’t regret reading it!

This is an historical fiction set on the Isle of Guernsey in the Channel Islands during WWII. Guernsey is occupied by the Nazi’s and teacher Evelyn turns to nursing the remaining local population. She helps place three babies in safe arms and away from the Nazi’s. Her story of resilience and starvation was compelling. I would have liked to have learned more about Colin and Camille. Their romance and bravery felt very distant. Back matter on what true historical events this was based on would have been great, too.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this DRC.
#TheBookofLostChildren #NetGalley

A stunning work of historical fiction based on a true story. The novel follows Kitty, an antiques dealer in 2018 Dublin, and Evelyn, a nurse on the Nazi-occupied isle of Guernsey in the mid 1930s. We follow Evelyn as she works to keep her patients and those around her safe from enemy soldiers. Kitty’s story is seemingly unrelated as she works to unravel the story behind a violin case received in her shop. I enjoyed both storylines and especially loved the way the author wound them together in the end. This is a phenomenal story that is beautifully written.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing this book for review. All views expressed are my own.

Thank you Net Galley and Storm publishing for allowing me to read this book.

I am a huge WWII historical fiction reader and this book had promise when I read the storyline. The writing is good but the story was implausible. While I know it’s okay to stretch the believable for a good story, I felt the author went too far with the storyline. I do not want to give anything away but I had a hard time believing the events in the story. By the end, I was happy to read it, but it was just okay to me.

What a powerful story of resilience and love! Written it dual timelines but you will not get confused which your reading. A story of a family’s struggle during WW2. And the nurse who saved them. Jenny O’Brian tells a powerful tale of the struggles ppl were put thru during a horrible time. Forced to do whatever it takes to live and protect yourself from the power of war. Not usually a historical story person but this book doesn’t ready like that. It will hold you to the pages as it tells a story that will tug on your heartstrings. I wouldn’t consider this a romance story there is a small undercurrent of it but it makes the story what it is. It’s not the basis of the story.
If you’re looking for a good rainy day novel you won’t want to put down I suggest reading this one.

The Book Of Lost Children
By Jenny O'Brien
Publish Date April 13th 2025
Storm Publishing

Before you start reading this book, you will need several boxes of tissues, and at least two days minimum to recover from this book. The Book Of Lost Children is inspired by true historical events, and is duel timeline between Guernsey in the 1940's to Dublin 2018. It all begins with a violin in a dusty case that has been brought to the antique store that Kitty's father owns. Having just lost her mother nearly a year ago, Kitty feels drawn to the violin the woman is trying to sell, because her mother used to play a violin and Kitty has hopes of fixing this one up and learning how to play herself. Also inside the violin case , there are a few photos, a ring and a notebook with the name E. Nightingale written on it. You will discover that E Nightingale was a nurse during World War II and you will learn of the heroic things this brave woman did in order to keep children safe.
I have read alot of books, but none of them have ever made me cry like this one. I know when this book is published on April 13th of this year, the sales of tissues are going to skyrocket to an all new high. I had the pleasure and honor to receive an advanced reader copy and I am giving my honest review voluntarily. Thank you to Netgalley , Storm Publishing and to Jenny O'Brien for sharing Kitty White and Evelyn Nightingale with us. May we all have the pleasure and honor to know a Kitty and Evelyn in our lifetime.

A very powerful book featuring a brave woman at it's centre. A few surprising twists set in a dual time, during WW2 and modern day.

Nurse Evelyn Nightingale lives in Guernsey when the Germans occupy her island. She wants to protect the mothers and children from a Nazi who is a danger to them all. She risked her life to save various children and a French woman who recently gave birth sending them off with a record of who they all were.
Years later in Dublin Kitty White receives an instrument with hidden documents which open up to her the history of her blended family. She travels from Guernsey to Germany filling in the blanks and uniting her family in the process.
Fantastic book well written and based on a true story from ww2. Highly recommended read.

This story had it all. The good side and bad side of love (maternal and romantic) in a war torn world because of Nazi occupying Guernsey.
I glimpsed parallels between the brave nurse who risked it all to protect innocent babies and Camille—a woman who survived because of her beauty and certain … abilities. I didn’t expect to come to care for Camille so much, but her heart gutting story, and the other mothers’ stories as to why they couldn’t care for their children were so beautifully, and tragically written.

“I don’t care about myself but my son deserves a future without a monster in it.’

There were so many amazing lines in the story, but I picked that one, and would love to see this story as a film. (I don’t say that often, but this would make a great movie)

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

I received a copy of the book "the Book of Lost Children" by Jenny O'Brien, from NetGalley. The book takes place in two different time eras. In 1943 Evelyn is trying to survive during World War 2. She had been a teacher but ended up helping nurses. She starts helping a patient who is accused of being a spy by hiding him. She eventually ends up in the Maternity ward. She witnesses a young girl giving birth and dying she sees this baby is part of the "master race" program started for Hilter. She saves the baby, and decides to save other babies to keep them from the horrors of Hitler.
the second era takes place in 2018, Kitty helps out her dad in the store they own. They buy used items to sell in the store. When a person comes in to sell a very old violin she reluctantly buys it. When she further inspects the violin there are some papers and a notebook hidden in the violin and case. It has names of "lost children" very mysterious things written in the notebook. This has the name of Evelyn in the violin. Now KItty wants to know who is Evelyn? what do these names mean? the book goes back and forth focusing on Evelyn and how she helped babies to protect them from HItler's plan. and How Kitty from 2018 tried to find out what happened to Evelyn and the babies she tried to save. A very good book. Although the characters are fiction it is based on real events that happened during the Holocaust and World War 2.

This is a story of bravery & selflessness! Based in Guernsey during the occupation.
It begins with Kitty White working in the family antique shop when a customer comes in with items to sell. As it’s nearly closing time and Kitty is feeling charitable she decides to see what the woman has. When an old violin is uncovered it is the opening of old wounds for her father who is still mourning the loss of his wife. Once stripped back it starts the story of Evelyn Nightingale who works at the hospital, although not actually a nurse she is well thought of by the sister who gives her jobs as if she were. One night she is called upon to assist the doctor when a very young woman is brought in, in a very bad way and in labour. This is when Evelyn finds an inner strength and does unimaginable things to protect her patients.
One of the German soldiers Yannik Klein has no such care, he is very much for himself, at all costs.

As both stories are told there are long held secrets that unravel, which will have you reading late into the night, like I did.
My favourite character was Evelyn for her kindness. Least favourite was Yannik for his attitude. The saddest has to be Ms Laine.
It was my first by this author, will def read more.

Set in two timeframes the book tells the story of Evelyn Nightingale, 1940-1944, a nurse in German occupied Guernsey and then of Kitty White, 2018, trying to keep the family second-hand shop going in Dublin. Evelyn risks everything to hides new-born babies from the Germans especially when some are the result of desperate liaisons with those Germans. She and others suffer greatly from lack of rations, medicines and it is truly awful how the Channel Islands suffered. Kitty buys an old violin from a customer and sets to restoring it but finds letters, a notebook and photograph hidden in the case. The stories of the two women are linked by family and the book does a good job of exploring those links, especially towards the end. Mostly it focusses on Evelyn and her compassion and bravery but the last quarter or so focusses more on Kitty and her aunt. Well written and emotional. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Inspired by true events, The Book of Lost Children is written in two points of view. Evelyn Nightingale works as a nurse in 1943 Guernsey during the occupation. Evelyn is keeping a dangerous secret – she is hiding newborn children from the enemy, hoping to save them from the Germans. In an alternating timeline, Dublin 2018, Kitty White does what she can to save her family’s antique shop. When she purchases an old violin, the hidden past will come to light. This book is an incredible, well-written tale. The author has intertwined the stories quite well in this heart-wrenching read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.