The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

 

My Rating: 4.5

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.

I read this book club and everyone enjoyed it. The children getting sent off to the country is so sad but I loved that Hazel and Flora ended up in a wonderful family with Bridie and Harry, Hazel never gives up on Flora and the guilt she feels is so sad. An enjoyable read that felt 'light' despite the topic.