Title: The Lost Children
Author: Shirley Dickson
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Release Date: July 26, 2022
Genre: Historical British Fiction
Can two orphans who only have each other survive a world at war when they discover the shocking truth of their past?
England, 1943:
Eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob are no longer safe at home. Night after night wailing bombs and screeching planes skim the rooftops overhead. With no other choice, their mother, Martha, sends them to the safety of the countryside—but not without passing on a dangerous secret. Fearful of never seeing her children again, Martha gives Jacob a letter, telling him to only read it if they are in danger.
In the country, Molly and Jacob struggle to adjust to life with strangers. But then the unimaginable happens. An explosion kills Martha, leaving the twins all alone in the world. Faced with the grim reality of life in an orphanage, the time has come for Jacob to honor his mother's last wish. But are its secrets enough to change the course of their tragic fate? Because Jacob believes that so long he and Molly are together, they can survive anything.
And the letter may be what tears them apart.
The Lost Children is a story that is simple, yet stirring. The war rages on, shrouding this heartbreaking narrative in bleakness, showing yet another side to this monstrous war. With multiple narratives, both young and old, these voices lend a sincere depth to an otherwise simplistic tale.
Molly Moffat finds herself in a tough situation. After a night spent with the bosses son Molly finds herself in the family way, and on the day she is going to tell the man she loves about the baby growing inside her, she is fired by her boss, when he sees that she is pregnant. Having no other options she is sent away to give birth, and it is during her time away that she realizes she is having twins, and her heart knows there is no way she can give them up.
From their conception, Jacob and Molly have a hard life, but they have each other, and that’s all that matters. The Lost Children is the story of these two sweet cherubs and their harrowing journey to find where they belong. They both have such bravery, but Jacob is clearly wise beyond his years, having seen so much in his short life that many won’t see in an entire lifetime, and feeling the burden of not only caring for his own well-being but his sisters as well, as she has a handicap.
There is so much loss in this novel that it’s almost unreal, but such is how things were during the second world war. I hate how so many lost so much during this time, the war affecting every single person in one way or another, and for what? My blood boils when I think about the injustices from this time, and this story is just another example how far reaching this war went.
The heartache compounds as the story rolls on, one event after another that suppresses your psyche with sadness, wondering how much more loss can these children take. There is a sweet love story that is a nice breeze through an otherwise heavy story, a vital breath of fresh air.
My heart belonged to Jacob and Molly throughout and I craved to see these two get their happily ever after. The ending was predictable but appreciated, a contented sigh leaving my lips as I closed this novel. Shirley Dickson did a masterful job of putting you there into these characters minds, feeling what they feel, and seeing what they see. It was truly an immersive experience that I will not soon forget.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shirley says she is a prime example of ‘never give up on your dream.’
Shirley is an international bestseller. She signed with Bookouture in 2018 and has written to date three stirring World War Two historical novels.
She lives under the big skies of Northumberland with her husband, family and lucky black cat.
She wrote her first short story at the age of ten for a magazine competition. She didn't win but was hooked on writing for a lifetime. For many years she wrote poetry and short stories and got many rejection slips.
Success followed when Shirley decided to get serious about writing novels after she retired.
Shirley would like to say a huge thank you to her readers, reviewers and book bloggers for their support.
Follow Shirley on her Facebook ‘Shirley Dickson Author’ page.
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the publisher through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
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