Member Review

I told myself that I would not obtain any more books featuring World War II (I had read so many featuring that era that I needed a break). The blurb for The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry sounded intriguing, so I decided to take a chance. I liked the basic premise with Hazel searching for her lost sister. A children’s book is the best clue Hazel has had in twenty years. The author’s long winded yet flowery, detail-oriented writing style along with the three timelines and the alternating point of views (there are at least five POVs) makes it a challenging story to read. The author is overly descriptive which leads to a slow (snails move faster) pace. I did not connect with any of the characters, not even Hazel. I was sympathetic toward Hazel considering what she experienced and her struggle to find her lost sister. It had to be difficult to be sent away from your mother during the war. You do not know here you are going. You are living with strangers. Thankfully, Hazel and Flora lived with a kind lady in a cozy cottage. But it had to be heartbreaking to lose her sister. The war was long for those living in the United Kingdom with severe rationing and frequent bombings. The Secret Book of Flora Lea has family drama, a touch of romance, and a mystery. The best part of the book is the last twenty percent. That is when things became interesting. I had guessed most of the mystery (I love to read mysteries). I can tell the author does not write mysteries. She did not leave those little details that would help readers solve the crime or would lead to the twist (or readers would think back on later and go “oh, now I get it”). The ending was rushed but it will leave readers happy. The story does contain foul language (which did not fit the story and there was too much of it) and intimate relations (the bedroom scenes were not needed). There is a love triangle as well (one of my biggest pet peeves). The Secret Book of Flora Lea was not a hit with me (as you can tell). The flowery prose, repetition, and the long, drawn-out story (it is one long book—feels longer than 364 pages) are a great cure for insomnia. If the premise of The Secret Book of Flora Lea sounds interesting to you, I suggest you download a sample to judge the story for yourself. I appreciated the author’s note at the end. The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a lyrical tale with a missing sister, a special tale, a purloined novel, a lost love, a resolute reporter, and a star-studded river.