The Runaway Children
by Sandy Taylor
Bookouture
Historical Fiction , Women's Fiction
Pub Date 08 Dec 2017
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781786812872 |
| PRICE | £1.99 (GBP) |
Description
A heart-wrenching, unforgettable story of two evacuee sisters during the Second World War… Perfect for fans of Orphan Train, Nadine Dorries and Diney Costeloe.
London, 1942: Thirteen-year-old Nell and five-year-old Olive are being sent away from the devastation of the East End. They are leaving the terror of the Blitz and nights spent shivering in air raid shelters behind them, but will the strangers they are billeted with be kind and loving, or are there different hardships ahead?
As the sisters struggle to adjust to life as evacuees, they soon discover that living in the countryside isn’t always idyllic. Nell misses her mother and brothers more than anything but she has to stay strong for Olive. Then, when little Olive’s safety is threatened by a boy on a farm, Nell has to make a decision that will change their lives forever…
They must run from danger and try to find their way home.
Together the two girls hold each other’s hands as they begin their perilous journey across bombed-out Britain. But when Nell falls ill, can she still protect her little sister from the war raging around them? And will they ever be reunited from the family they’ve been torn from?
An unputdownable novel of unconditional love, friendship and the fight for survival during a time of unimaginable change. The Runaway Children is guaranteed to find a place in your heart.
My Thoughts
This deeply touching story gives us a glimpse of the perspective of Olive and Nell as they adapt to life as evacuees during the devastation of the Second World War.
In among the hardships, ration books, bombings, plane crashes, and unspeakable acts, I learn I have things in common with these sisters.
We share the love of the same books.
I also saw the beauty they saw as well as recognized their horror. Horror in what they overcame and beauty in their expression of love in a prayer over men they did not know, and a shared hope that others would return home safely to their loved ones.
It's a tale of sibling remembrances with lots of intense action written into its short chapters. It would make an excellent book club selection.