In Julia Kelly's new historical fiction novel The Lost English Girl, we're introduced to Viv and Joshua on their wedding day in 1935. But these are not happy newlyweds. After two dates, Viv is pregnant, and Joshua has done the honorable thing and married her. Even so, because Joshua is Jewish, Viv's Catholic parents are not happy about the marriage and the impending arrival of a new grandchild.
But they don't have to worry for long. Joshua soon makes a decision that brings him to America, leaving behind his wife and baby in England.
And then war comes. In order to protect her daughter, Viv sends her only child away to live with a nice family in the country. Meanwhile, Joshua returns to England to serve in the military. Before the war is over, the estranged parents are brought back together over tragedy and then hope for the future.
As a mom, it's hard to read books like this because I hate thinking of what I would have done in Viv's situation. How can you send your kid off to live with strangers? How can you live in a city that is constantly being bombed? But that's what real people lived through during World War II, and it gives you a greater understanding of England's history and its people.
Despite the novel being kind of predictable (and several typos that I hope are fixed in the final book), I was pleased with the way it ended, and I think this would make a great read for a book club.
The Lost English Girl is published by Gallery Books and will available to purchase tomorrow, March 7, 2023. I received a free ARC.
This makes me want to read it even more! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and reading it! Let me know what you think of it after you read the book!
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