Cover Image: The Secret Book of Flora Lea

The Secret Book of Flora Lea

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Member Reviews

I absolutely loved this book! I am still wiping away tears. It hit every note. I was dying to solve the mystery, yet I did not want to miss a moment. I felt similarly about the love story aspect. I was rooting for the characters on the edge of my seat. Dying to know the ending and not wanting to miss a moment of the journey. The characters are rich and complex, and the settings are vivid and lush. The world of Whisperwood is magical and brought back things from my childhood that I had forgotten. I was completely drawn in by these characters and held there fast by the surrounding world. The book speaks to the power of hope and truth and the toll and risks those things demand. It insightfully delves into the pain we carry alone when we suffer in silence. Much of which we needn't have, either because nobody was putting it on us or because sharing it would have lessened our burden and brought us together. It is a testament to the power and importance of story, magic, and books. I think we forget that as we age, much to our detriment. Bookstores are wondrous places, and the people that work in them are some of the best I have ever met; this book honors that beautifully. There are lines in this book I want to carry with me for the rest of my life, and I wait excitedly for publication day when I can finally share those with others.

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This book was an absolute delight, it had everything: war, romance, history, drama, suspense, and fairy tales. What more could you ask for? This was an all absorbing story that was meant to be savored, and I did. I really loved the characters, the dreamlike scenarios of Whisperwood. It was a really great read!

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4.5 stars // This book was the most magical historical fiction novel that I’ve ever read. It follows two sisters who are part of Operation Pied Piper (the evacuation of over 1 million children from London during WWII), how they cope (creating a fairy tale world called Whisperwood), the people they meet, and the aftermath when younger sister Flora goes missing and is presumed dead.

This was lovely and fantastical and I very much enjoyed it.

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The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry is a captivating story that blends past and present. Set during World War II in London and the countryside, it follows two sisters, Hazel and Flora Lea. They travel to the outskirts of Oxford, where Hazel creates a magical woodland called Whisperwood to help Flora Lea escape the realities of war. The book beautifully portrays the countryside and the impact of war on children, making readers feel like they are part of the story. It's a touching and immersive read.

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Excellent story. Evocative of the eras. Love does conquer all in this fascinating story of families and friends separated by war and other circumstances. Very imaginative use of storytelling as a way to connect.

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I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Only author Patti Callahan Henry can draw you into a story so well that you lose track of time. While I think this story started a bit slow, it more than made up for it several chapters in. I kept trying to guess what happened to Flora and was surprised. I couldn't love this story more.

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DNF - I attempted to read, but it just wasn’t capturing my attention at the time. I haven’t mustered attempting again Thank you for the opportunity! It just wasn’t for me.

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I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, but when I do I always pick the good ones. This story had historical fiction, sisterly bond, friendship, mystery, AND romance. I was completely immersed from beginning to end. I absolutely adored Hazel and her character growth. The writing was smooth and loved the different timelines.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC

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The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a beautifully written story about two sisters and their life during WW II. I enjoyed the two time frames of wartime and the 1960’s. The author brought this book to life through her descriptive and creative writing style.

A special thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = 4/5

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The Secret Book of Flora Lea is just lovely. I usually alternate between reading and listening to the audio version and I found it so engaging. I loved the setting and the back and forth between Hazel's life in the early 40's and 1960. I also loved the mystery surrounding Flora's disappearance and the book that turns up that tells the stories that Hazel made up for Flora when they were children. I found myself rooting for Hazel and Henry. Once you start, you will not want to stop! This was my first book by Patti Callahan Henry but it will not be my last!

The narrator, Cynthia Erivo, was amazing! I will happily listen to more books by her in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 2 May 2023

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I have read one other book by this author, and i enjoyed that book quite a bit. I struggled with this one. I felt a bit like she was trying to create the same magic from CS Lewis, and I just couldn't put myself into the atmosphere that she was trying to create.

I'm tired of the dual timelines as well. They are more often than not easy to anticipate what happens next, and at times difficult to follow. It forces the reader to try to two story lines.

I think this author is very talented. But this book wasn't my thing. Surviving Savannah was very good, and I'm sure I will check out what ever book this author decides to grace us with next.

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I really enjoyed this novel. It felt like an adventure from start to finish, with well executed flashbacks. This story is part historical fiction, part childhood fantasy tale, with a little mystery to keep you intrigued throughout. I really enjoyed how Henry wove the tales together to create a whole experience and really promoted getting to know each of the characters. I am also thankful that there were answers and a feeling of finality at the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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A wonderful historical fiction read that captivates from page one. I will be reading more from this author!

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A wonderful story of sisters and a story of a childhood story that helps them through hard times and leads them to a new future 20 years later. A little slow moving at times, but definitely worth a read until the end.

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loved this book by Patti. Her storytelling is always so wonderful. So happy to have read it - thank you!

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I really wanted to love this book. I loved the description and the premise. It just was not the book for me at the time. I lacked the connection to the characters that I really want to develop.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

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This novel begins in 1960 London, where Hazel, who works in a rare books store, unpacks a shipment of a book with original illustrations and discovers it appears to be extremely similar to the made up stories she used to tell her young sister Flora, right down to the name, Whisperwood. But the kicker - Flora disappeared 20 years ago and was presumed dead, and she was the only one who knew Hazel’s stories. The book alternates between 1960, as Hazel tries to investigate, and 1939-40, when 14 year old Hazel and 5 year old Flora were evacuated from London to the countryside outside of Oxford.

This is totally my kind of book - history, mystery, little romance, family drama, and more! Gave me some Kate Morton-light vibes. Parts of the book were a little slow, but overall I loved it and the end gave me some good goosebumps and teary moments.

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Was slow and kind of boring, took forever to get anywhere and it was hard to be invested in any of the characters with how slow the story progressed.

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This was such a dazzling, transportive read! If you're a fan of books about books, historical fiction, and stories about sisters -- you won't be able to put this one down.

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This was a great World War II book about the children that were evacuated from London to the English countryside and then something horrible happens. This is the story of how one sister lives with the trauma of that event for many, many years.

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