This is a striking story about the evacuation of children in England during World War II. It sheds light on the difficult situation that many parents were put in, and the potential repercussions of their decisions. The story begins with Viv Byrne, a Catholic young woman, getting married to Joshua Levinson, a Jewish young man. The families have a hard time understanding their situation and relationship. Viv moves forward, gives birth to their daughter Maggie, and has to make the impossible decision to send Maggie away at the start of the war. Her heart breaks as she sees the couple who is keeping Maggie grow more in love with the girl every day. And then the safe countryside gets bombed, and Viv is terrified at what has happened with Maggie.

I must admit that I am a huge fan of Julia Kelly. I was so happy to receive an advanced copy of this wonderful book. Viv Byrne has been brought up in a strict Catholic family while growing up in Liverpool in 1935. Viv finds herself falling for a Jewish man named Joshua. Finding herself pregnant, Viv wants to marry and escape her family. Consequently, the marriage doesn't happen. Years later, Viv, Joshua, and their daughter find their paths crossing again. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-galley copy of this beautifully-written book.

Julia Kelly has a writing style that really draws you into the story from the very beginning. In The Lost English Girl, we meet Catholic Viv who has gotten pregnant before marriage with Joshua Levinson, a Jew. Viv is forced marry Joshua although they barely know each other and from there, the story really takes off. Viv's parents are cold and unloving while Joshua's parents and sister are accepting and loving towards both Viv and Joshua. This story takes place in Liverpool UK during WWII and I had not realized that children as young as 4 were sent out of the cities to stay with foster parents in the countryside for safety. It's very hard to discuss this story without giving out a lot of spoilers but I do highly recommend it and it has the happy ending I love so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Story about an English woman who sends her daughter to be evacuated during WWII. The story itself was interesting, but I didn't find either of the main characters that interesting or sympathetic, and I thought the ending was a little weak.

Wow! I read a ton of WWII historical fiction, and this one grabbed me. It's the story of Viv, a young Catholic woman who meets Joshua, a young Jewish man. They come from two very different families, and so it's not unsurprising when things go awry when Viv turns up pregnant. The story follows through the next 10 years of the two perspectives, as they are separated from each other, and then reunited to save their child together. This is one not to miss!

Julia Kelly has outdone herself with this heart wrenching historical fiction. Writing with vivid detail, we feel the pain of Viv, a young Catholic woman who finds herself pregnant by a young Jewish man, Joshua. All the emotions of both families are on display. Joshua does the honorable thing and marries her but does the unimaginable. (trying not to reveal too many details). Viv is forced to evacuate her young daughter to protect her during the war. She and many other children are sent to the countryside, hopefully out of harm’s way. Wonderfully written characters brings the story to life. We feel the anguish as Viv desperately tries to find her daughter once the war is over. This is a book that will be cherished by me and will be promoting it to all my library patrons. A gorgeous cover will make this book irresistible to all historical fiction readers and all who love a good family story. #TheLostEnglishGirl #JuliaKelly NetGalley

I have read every book Julia Kelly has ever written, and I will continue to do so. She has written many excellent novels, but I believe this one might be her best yet! This novel is so incredibly moving and heart-aching! An excellent story by one of the top WWII fiction authors, but I think anyone regardless of whether they like historical fiction or not should read and would enjoy this wonderful novel. Wonderful, captivating writing gives this novel the depth and ability to pull in any reader. Vivid, descriptive story-telling, with interesting characters that have depth to them, and are skillfully rendered. Ms. Kelly knows this time period, and it shows. The ending had me in tears, and I will never forget this lovely book. I highly recommend this author and all of his other books I have read have been nothing less than fantastic. I can't wait to own this novel in print.

A terrific read that is gorgeously written. A master at historical fiction and this is one not to miss.

I could not stop reading this book. I have felt a little “over read” in the area of WW2 fiction lately but I have enjoyed Ms Kelly’s books so much in the past, I decided to give this a go. Wow! I’m so glad I did. This was a really great read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read.

This will be a tough review to do without giving up some spoilers but I will try because I thoroughly enjoyed this book; so much so I read the second half in a day. Set in Liverpool, England from 1935-1945, this is a story of Vivian, young mother, dealing with having to send her young daughter to countryside to be safe from German bombers. I can't imagine having to make that choice to send your child(ren) away for safety, but so many families did and so many families took in youngsters from the cities. This story also deals with the family that took Vivian's daughter into their take care. Another part of this story shows the great differences two families can make and how they deal with their granddaughter. One family is kind and forgiving and the other was demanding and judgmental. One family I grew to love and the other I really didn't like by the end of the book. You have to read the book to figure out who they are. Vivian developed into a strong, resilient character that I grew to like more by the end of the book. This story is set around WW2, but it is really about family and what makes a family close. This is my third book by Julia Kelly and I found this one so engrossing and tugged at my heart strings, especially after reading the Author's Note about the connection to her family.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Net Galley for an ARC of The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly in exchange for an honest review.

Julia Kelly has written a beautiful historical novel, set during WWII, weaving the lives of three people and their families. Viv, a young Catholic woman, gets “in trouble” with Joshua, a young Jewish man. On their wedding day, he leaves her to pursue his other dreams. Viv is left to raise their daughter, and then faces the difficult decision whether to evacuate her to the countryside at the beginning of the war. Ultimately, she does send her away, and she is led to believe that her daughter is gone forever.

Joshua comes back into Viv’s life after the war as ended. He had finished his years in the RAF, which he’d enlisted into after his musical career in New York did not pan out. Together, they are able to find their daughter, whom they had believed to have been killed during an air raid. The couple never officially lives as a married couple, but they both do their parts in raising their daughter together.



Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Gallery Books, for the opportunity for an Advanced Reader’s Copy. This was an outstanding read, and I definitely will recommend it to others.

I have a huge love for historical fiction set during WWII. This book was a bit different as it transitions from past to present. However, it did make us more interesting.

I was angry with Joshua for what he did. Don't want to give any spoilers but grrr.
Seriously he put himself above his wife and child?

Viv is a very strong woman and the love she has for her child, Maggie is exceptional

I truly enjoyed this book.

The fact that it is based on real life event is a plus.

Horrible the situations the war did to destroy families. Prejudice, betrayal, and love

Highly recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Julia Kelly, and Gallery Books for granting me an advanced copy of this book for my honest opinions. Expected release date of March 7, 2023.

Julia Kelly never lets me down with a good historical fiction. The year is 1935 in Liverpool England. Vivien Byrne is an 18 year old pregnant Catholic girl and about to marry a 19 year old Jewish musician. If you want to really hate on a character please read this book as Viv's mother is deplorable. She casts judgement and looks down on everything that isn't Catholic and "proper," is manipulative and ...just awful!

I had much empathy for Viv's situation and very much liked the character development of her Jewish in-laws. This is the second book I have read recently which mentions the evacuation of children during WW II. Vivian's daughter was relocated and there are some twists about that situation which come near the end.

The setting, characters and writing kept me reading. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copyadvanced readers copy of this novel. This will be published March 7, 2023 by Gallery Books. Genre: Historical Fiction.

I received a free copy of The Lost English Girl, by Julia Kelly, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Being Catholic and having a Jewish man's baby, while not married, is a huge thing back in the day. The 1940's is so different from what we know. Viv is raising her daughter Maggie, while Maggie's father Joshua, is fighting in the war. Such a complex, well written book. I really enjoyed the book.

This was an excellent historical fiction read, well written and well researched. It was slightly difficult to get into in parts - Viv's mother was just over the top horrible and so many situations kept piling up to add to the drama that I was conflicted between feeling it was overdone for dramas sake and yet completely horrified for Viv and what she was having to endure.

I would have enjoyed the ending to be a bit longer - it felt somewhat rushed and a bit anti-climactic, but didn't detract from the overall story.

I'd recommend this for any historical fiction readers.

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This book is beautifully written with characters that push back time to when there was harsh punishment for a woman who unexpectedly got pregnant prior to marriage. Women’s rights were a huge issue in 1939 and this book opens our eyes to what was happening.

Vic wasn’t thinking about motherhood when she went on a second date with Joshua. She was 16-year-old living in Liverpool with her mom and dad. Her older sister was married – the sister that was considered by her parents perfect in all ways. Joshua, at 19, was living in town with his parents and sister. His dad owned a tailor shop and Joshua had the opportunity to learn from him but he wanted to follow his true passion and become a famous saxophone player.

The story begins with the wedding. She had tears in her eyes. Vic was Catholic and Joshua was Jewish. Her life would now change with a baby on the way. Vic’s parents offered her new husband a way out with money and he took it with the agreement that he would never be able to see his new wife and child again. He grabbed the money and was off to NY with his sax.

Vic and her baby Maggie remained with her parents. Four years later, when there was talk about the Germans invading Britain, people were sending their kids to the countryside to be safe. Vic was encouraged to place little Maggie in the hands of a nice family away from the city. She refused and Father Monaghan said she was putting her own desires in front of her child’s safety. Her mother then told her to send Maggie away or pack her things. Vic relinquished. Meanwhile, as a married woman, there was a rule that she couldn’t work so she had to stay with her parents with their strict rules until she was able to figure a way out.

The author did an amazing amount of research to write this story during WWII with the bombs and the fighter pilots. The chapters switch from different point of views between Vic and Joshua which sometimes included letters – some which were written too flawlessly. There were some characters I liked more than others. Maggie was on top of the list with good manners, nice, happy and always respectful. Maybe too nice. The end of the story wasn’t what I was expecting. It certainly makes me think about how much has changed for women after the war. It would be a good book club discussion.

My thanks to Julia Kelly, Gallery Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with the expected release date of March 7, 2023.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for this Galley. I have now read all her books and each one is better than the last. So many intriguing characters and plot points. And she is spot in with her history.

THE LOST ENGLISH GIRL is one of the best historical novels I've read recently (and this is my favorite genre). Julia Kelly's writing style is so easy to sink into, and her characters are relatable and consistently interesting. This particular storyline tugs at the heartstrings. The reader sympathizes with Viv as she tries to decide whether to evacuate Maggie to the country side. Having Joshua's and Maggie's points of view flesh out the narrative in a lovely way.

My one complaint is that I didn't think the letters between Joshua and his family added much, and they almost made the story feel choppy. Thankfully, this minor quibble certainly did not impact my enjoyment of the novel.

The ending is satisfying, and (without spoiling anything), I like the brief look into the future to see how these dear characters are faring.

I now hope to dig into this author's backlist -- what a treat!

The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly is a truly moving story. It tells the story of Viv, a young English woman that finds herself unwed and pregnant in 1935. Viv comes from a very strict Catholic family and her parents refuse to accept that she is pregnant by someone who is not Catholic and is Jewish. Joshua, the child’s father, tries to do right by Viv and marry her but Viv’s impossibly miserable mother interferes in a cruel way and turns their wedding day upside down. The years that follow, especially during WW2, Viv is faced with heart-wrenching situations and is forced to make painful decisions as a mother; including awful situations forced on her by her vindictive mother.

The story is told from three perspectives: Viv, Joshua and eventually their daughter Maggie. Some chapters are present in the book and others are flashbacks to the pre-war years. I like how the author toggles back and forth between both times to tie the story together. The situations Viv finds herself in and the decisions she is forced to make are impossible to imagine. But thanks to the incredible research done by the author including family history from the authors family, the situations are historically accurate and shed a light on the wretched events those in England experienced during the war (read the authors note at the end, it is amazing).

“The Lost English Girl” is a historical fiction book by Julia Kelly. In the Author’s Note, Ms. Kelly notes that some of this book (the general outline) is based upon her family’s history. That fact, along with some good historical reference, makes this book a lot more powerful than other’s I’ve read about evacuating children from London during WWII. I must admit, I found the beginning of this book rather depressing for our main heroine (the poor woman never seemed to get a break in life). The scene where her husband leaves I found utterly bewildering - I could see it happening but it was astonishing to me that he did it for that reason. This book is told from multiple points of view - Viv (our heroine), Joshua (our main hero), and Maggie (their child). My one issue was that if I didn’t read the chapter headings carefully, I’d realize a bit late that I was reading a chapter from the past (as noted by the date in the chapter) opposed to “present” time. A well done book, but not an easy one to read as I’m sure that Viv’s story wasn’t unusual - from trying to survive in general, finding strength during dark times, and also trying to do best for a child during times of uncertainty. Without giving away too much of the plot, I found the later part with Maggie to be utterly heartbreaking for all involved. A well written book and if you want a different take during this time in WWII history, I’d suggest giving this book a read.