Hedy's Journey by Michelle Bisson

It is 1941. 

Hedy and her family are Jewish, and the Jew-hating Nazi Party is rising. Hedy's family is no longer safe in their home in Hungary. They decide to flee to America, but because of their circumstances, 16-year-old Hedy must make her way through Europe alone. Will luck be with her? Will she be brave? Join Hedy on her journey-where she encounters good fortune and misfortune, a kind helper and cruel soldiers, a reunion and a tragedy-and discover how Hedy is both lucky and brave.

Paperback, 40 pages

Published September 7, 2017

 by Raintree

4/5

Hedy's Journey is a middle grade story based on the life of a 16-year-old from Hungry. It takes place at the onset of World War Two.

This is what you might called a short and sweet story, but given the subject matter it really isn’t that sweet. But rather a story of a strong young teen fleeing her homeland as persecution of the Jews begins to spread far and wide. 

Her journey is a story of inner strength and courage as part of Hedy's journey sees her traveling alone through German occupied areas before finally being reunited with her family. The struggle doesn’t end there as there is prejudices in America where they begin life a new.

The illustrations for this 40 page story are wonderful as are the maps to show her journey.  It would make a great addition to classrooms and home libraries.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea: A Novel by Patti Callahan Henry

From the New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis comes a “heartrending, captivating tale of family, first love, and fate” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author) about a woman who stumbles across a mysterious children’s book that holds secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II.

1939: Fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora evacuate their London home for a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the Aberdeen family in a charming stone cottage, Hazel distracts her younger sister with a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their Whisperwood.

But the unthinkable happens when Flora suddenly vanishes after playing near the banks of the River Thames. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, carrying the guilt into adulthood.

Twenty years later, Hazel is back in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore for a career at Sotheby’s. With a cherished boyfriend and an upcoming Paris getaway, her future seems set. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing a picture book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars . Hazel never told a soul about the storybook world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to her beloved sister’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that Flora is still alive after all these years? Or is something sinister at play?

Inspired by the history of the Pied Piper Children, this novel is a poignant reminder of the magical power of stories to draw us together—and ultimately bring us home.

Paperback, 368 pages

Expected publication May 2, 2023

by Simon & Schuster CA

4/5 stars

I try to limit my literary intake of WW2 stories but I could not pass up Patti Callahan Henry’s new book. The cover for The Secret Book of Flora Lea is eye catching along with being one of my top highly anticipated books of 2023.

This is a story of  two sisters sent to the country as part of Operation Pied Piper during WW2. What was deemed for safety seemed fine until Flora Lea disappears without a trace. But 20 years later a secret story shared only between Flora Lea and her older sister Hazel has been published by an American author.  How can that be? Could her sister still be alive because no one else knows this story of a place called Whisperwood.

What follows is a story of hope but it also brings wounds from the past. The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a somewhat magical story of that special sibling relationship, of grief and war. It’s mysterious with fairy tale vibes, slow paced in that it wasn’t a book I rushed through but took my time. I felt for Hazel, her guilt was real as she struggled to let go of the past and embrace life.  Her desire to solve this mystery comes with high stakes and it was great to go along on this journey with Hazel.

Again Patti Callahan Henry has written a thought provoking story that I recommend.

My thanks to Simon and Schuster CA for a print arc in exchange for a honest review.  This book releases on May 2nd.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Tudor Conspiracy

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly waiting to get our hands on.

 

  This week I am waiting for:

 The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner

 

Winter 1554. Brendan Prescott, spymaster to the Princess Elizabeth, has discovered that he is connected to the Tudors by blood as well as allegiance. Though his secret is known only by a few, it could be his downfall as he is called to London to protect the princess.
Accompanied by his young squire Peregrine, he reluctantly leaves his sweetheart Kate behind - but in the city he discovers that no one is quite what they seem. What fate does Queen Mary intend for her sister? Is Robert Dudley somehow manipulating the princess, even though he is locked in the Tower? And should Brendan trust the alluring Sybilla, Mary's lady-in-waiting, who professes to be on his side?

As he tries to unravel the mysteries of the Tudor court Brendan's life will be put in danger many times, and along the way he learns more about his own past.

 

Paperback, 352 pages

Expected publication: July 16th 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin 

I have been a BIG fan of CW Gortner ever since reading The Last Queen and look forward to readingmore about Brendan Prescott.

What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday - Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly waiting to get our hands on.

 

The second book in a YA quartet filled with intrigue, mystery, and romance, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory.

Italy, 1453. Luca and Isolde grow more and more attracted to each other as they continue their journey to unravel the mysteries throughout Christendom. But their travels are delayed by the uprising of an intense religious crusade that threatens the balance of the civilized world. Death lingers in the air as war ravages on, but this religious conflict is nothing compared to the arrival of an intense and deadly storm.

Caught in the midst of unimaginable chaos, Luca and Isolde must rely on one another in order to survive.

The second in Philippa Gregory’s four-book series delves further into a forbidden romance and an epic quest. And the tension builds as secrets about The Order of Darkness are finally revealed...

Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: June 4th 2013 by Simon Pulse

Cover looks interesting..

What are you waiting for? 

The Lady's Slipper by Deborah Swift

1660. King Charles II has returned from exile, but memories of the English Civil War still rankle. There are old scores to settle, and religious differences threaten to overturn a fragile peace. When Alice Ibbetson discovers a rare orchid, the Lady’s Slipper, growing in a wood belonging to Richard Wheeler, she is captivated by its beauty— though Wheeler, a Quaker, is determined to keep the flower where God intended it to grow. Knowing that the orchid is the last of its kind, she steals the flower, little dreaming that her seemingly simple act will set off a chain of events that will lead to murder and exile, and change her life forever…

Paperback, 436 pages

Published November 23rd 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin
source - personal library
*****

It all started with an orchid, the Lady's Slipper and what a chain of events resulted.  It is more than a story just about an orchid.  Alice, still grieving the passing of her sister.  Richard Wheeler and the Quakers, Sir Geoffrey Fisk and his son, and of course Ella, the servant, all intertwined together to make a wonderful story.  

Deborah Swift has a writing style that I found rather mesmerizing.  The words just seemed to flow right out of the book (does that make sense?)  It was one of those books where I would sit for a few minutes to read a few pages and next thing I knew it was an hour (or two) later.

 

Having never read any historical fiction in the 1600's I enjoyed the learning experience also, this author knows her stuff.  Looking forward to The Gilded Lily, which has been sitting very patiently

Waiting on Wednesday - The Summer Queen

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly waiting to get our hands on.

 

  This week I am waiting for: The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick

Eleanor of Aquitaine is a 12th century icon who has fascinated readers for 800 years. But the real Eleanor remains elusive.

This stunning novel introduces an Eleanor that all other writers have missed. Based on the most up-to-date research, it is the first novel to show Eleanor beginning her married life at 13. Barely out of childhood, this gives an entirely new slant to how Eleanor is treated bv those around her. She was often the victim and her first marriage was horribly abusive.

Overflowing with scandal, passion, triumph and tragedy, Eleanor's legendary story begins when her beloved father dies in the summer of 1137, and she is made to marry the young prince Louis of France. A week after the marriage she becomes a queen and her life will change beyond recognition . . .

Hardcover, 400 pages

Expected publication: June 20th 2013 by Sphere 

I am a new Elizabeth Chadwick fan, and very intrigues with Eleanor of Aquitaine.  My copy has already been preordered and cant wait till this one arrives.

What are you waiting for?