"You and I who still enjoy fairy tales have less reason to wish actual childhood back. We have kept its pleasures and added some grown-up ones as well." (C.S. Lewis)

Patti Callaghan Henry presents her novel lined with the magical theme of fairy tales. Familiar stories from the pen of the famous and renowned and those magnificently invented on the spot and told softly from the lips of the beloved.

Henry opens with the tragedies and the soon to be felt aftermath of the world at war. It's October of 1940 and the Linden sisters, Flora at 5 Years and Hazel at 14 years, are nestled together alongside one another. They gaze out at the winding River Thames making its way through the countryside.

It's comfort that they seek. Flora and Hazel are part of the Operation Pied Piper where children of London have been brought away from the nightly bombings and terrors inflicted upon them. The girls left their mother behind in London and are now residing with Bridgette Aberdeen and her son Harry in the country. That comfort comes in imaginary stories made up by Hazel of a treasured place called Whisperwood. And each night brings with it another spoke in the wheel.

But a new tragedy finds its way into this peaceful place. It is believed that Flora fell into the Thames and drowned one afternoon. Her body was never recovered. Years and years have gone by and Hazel still believes that Flora is alive.......a fairy tale that she tells herself.

Fast forward to 1960 and Hazel is found still living in the family flat in London. Her mother, Camellia, has remarried and moved on. Hazel has a new love interest by the name of Barney who has moved in with her. Hazel works in a shop that specializes in rare literary collections. Recently Hazel has been offered a prized position at Sotheby's.

And fate will step in after an original transcript and artwork are delivered to the rare book shop. Hazel is dumbfounded. The title Whisperwood is emblazed at the top. An American author appears to have stolen Hazel's personal stories and published them as her own. How could this be? Hazel is set to track down who may have overheard these tales. And so it begins......

The Secret Book of Flora Lea is an enchanting story in itself. It was a 3.5 kicked up to 4 Stars for the inventive writing. The storyline does become quite involved and lengthy much like the vastness of Christopher Robin and the Hundred Acre Wood. An enchanted place of wonderment known to most of us. The conclusion does implement a bit of the imagination as well. But Patti Callaghan Henry is a skilled writer and that is reality......bold and clear.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster (Atria Books) and to Patti Callaghan Henry for the opportunity.

Whisperwood and the River of Stars is a magical place where Hazel takes her sister Flora Lea when the real world of WWII London is too much to bear. Their made up land that Hazel narrates helps lessen the pain from leaving their mother for the Oxford countryside with their host family—Bridie and Harry Aberdeen. It is their secret fairytale and the Aberdeens that makes this tough time tolerable, that is until little Flora goes missing by the river. Devastated by the sudden disappearance of her sister, Hazel flees the countryside with her mother leaving Whisperwood in the past, but never her beloved Flora.

Twenty years later, Hazel works in rare books, looking to move to her dream job at Sotheby’s, not knowing that her boyfriend Barnaby’s father helped her get it. On her last day at Hogan’s Bookstore she comes across the impossible—a book with original illustrations depicting the land of Whisperwood. Hazel cannot fathom how this American author could possibly know her and Flora’s story, but she is determined to figure it out.

Toggling back and forth between Hazel’s childhood fleeing from war-torn London with her sister, and her adult life attempting to track down the author, we see how Hazel will stop at nothing to find her sister. The blame she has carried for a long time as strained many of her relationships both past and present, and now in an effort to get some answers she will have to face many issues she has side stepped rather than confronted.

Hazel’s journey through blame and loss is painful, and how it affects her relationships is heartbreaking. Despite all that she has been through, her stubborn hope is awe inspiring, much like her dormant fairytale.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and of course Patti Callahan Henry for the advanced copy of the book. The Secret Book of Flora Lea comes out on May 2nd and should be added to your summer reading pile. All opinions are my own.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea continues Patty Callahan Henry’s talent for creating well done fictions. As you would expect from an author who has written about C. S. Lewis and has a keen interest in Carroll and Tolkien, there is a fairy tale quality to the story.
The story encompasses two sisters who are evacuated from London during the Blitz. The younger sister goes missing during that time and is never found. In 1960, while working at a rare books shop, the older sister discovers a children’s book that mirrored a story she used to tell her sister. A story no one else knew.
So often, dual storylines suffer an unevenness of interest. But not here. I loved these characters, so I was totally invested in how everything would come together. The story tackles never giving up while still trying to get on with life. It speaks of grief and the promises we make to God in feeble attempts to control fate.
And that ending! I won’t say anything because of spoilers but it is just amazing. It would make for a great book club selection because of that ending.
The Author’s Note explains her inspiration. I will say, the book doesn’t really include much in the way of facts about Operation Pied Piper. It’s more fiction that takes place in an historic time than what I consider historical fiction,which I expect to teach me something.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea is part historical fiction, part mystery. I enjoyed the pace, and the ongoing mystery about Flora kept me interested throughout the whole book.

(There was some language that I don’t remember being in the author’s other books.)

I am thinking that Patti Callahan Henry is becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books are written so atmospherically that you are transported to the times of the story.

I loved the story of Hazel and Flora and the way that the mystery was woven in to the story captivated me. Hazel was authentic and her struggles were believable. This was such a sad story of a time period where children were sent from their families to try and avoid bombings.

If you have not read anything by this author yet, I emplore you to pick something up.

Patti Callahan Henry has a true gift for taking historical events and bringing them to life. In The Secret Book of Flora Lea, two sisters are taken from their home and placed with another family as part of Operation Pied Piper (a real-life attempt to keep children safe in WWII). The sisters create a magical world called Whisperwood ,where they dream of safety and magic. In one tragic moment, the sisters are separated, and the oldest, Hazel, fears she will never again see her beloved younger sister Flora. As the book unfolds, Hazel finds hints of the magical world she and Flora created, and she begins a persistent journey to find out what really happened when they were children. This is a book about the power of stories and the bonds between family. The writing is beautiful, and the way that the author balances the issues of right and wrong, as well as guilt and grace during traumatic times was especially poignant for me. Highly recommend to any reader!

What a lovely book. I love love a good historical fiction and a story about family. This is one I can see myself returning to again and again.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an arc copy.

An intersection of magic and storytelling with familial love and loss told in alternating time periods. As part of Operation Pied Piper 3 million children were evaluated from.popular centers to supposedly safer rural homes in 4 days. Trainloads of children were send to different stations and "chosen" to live with families. This is the story of Hazel and her sister, Flora Lea, their secret magical kingdom of Whisperwood and a tragic day at the river. I found myself more drawn to the latter day story when Hazel finds a book about Whisperwood, but I can imagine msny folks would be more immersed in Whisperwood.

Another 5 star book by Patti Henry!! I loved this book from beginning to end. The characters, the historical fiction, the setting, the BEAUTIFUL writing! Absolutely fantastic, and a for-sure re-read one day! Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this.

I am at a lost for words, and I hope that they are found just like Flora Lea will be. I'm searching to find the way to convey how I feel about reading this remarkable and memorable tale. The search to find the truth of the loss of Flora Lea on that October day. A mystery that unfolds while the turning of each page.

This is my sixth book by Patti Callahan Henry, and she has out done herself. I know that this is going to be one of my favorite reads this year. Every character is written so beautifully. I immensely enjoyed the duel timeline. All my emotions emerged from sadness, shock, heartache, happiness, and so much joy in the knowledge of learning what happened to Flora Lea. I highly recommend reading and having this magnificent book in your home library. This book is a keeper. I can see this being on the big screen. It played out so extraordinary in my mind. A definite 5+⭐ book. Enjoy ❤️.

Thank you so much NetGalley for allowing me to read the ebook ARC of Patti Callahan Henry's The Secret Book of Flora Lea, and Atria Books in exchange for my honest review & opinion.

#NetGalley
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#PattiCallahanHenry
#TheSecretBookofFloraLea

In a world of fairy tales colliding with a war-ridden reality is a mesmerizing tale of a lost child, a grieving sister and the healing power of stories, real and imagined.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea is told in a dual timeline, 1939 and 1960. In 1939, Hazel, 14 years old, and her younger sister, Flora Lea, only 5 years old, were evacuated to a small hamlet where they could be safe from the terrors of war. To assuage her young sister’s fears, Hazel would fill her days with made up stories of Whisperwood, an enchanting kingdom with a river made of stars, where they could be whatever their hearts desired and do anything they pleased. Whisperwood belonged only to them. It was their magical place, it was their secret, it was their escape from war. One day, Flora disappears when Hazel leaves her sleeping on a blanket for mere minutes and Hazel’s world falls apart.

In 1960, twenty years after Flora disappears, Hazel is working in a book shop when she comes across a picture book titled “Whisperwood and the River of Stars”. How can this be? Did Flora write this? Hazel becomes consumed with finding the author of this book and will do anything to find out more about her long lost sister.

This book is spellbinding, it’s magical, it’s superb. I fell in love with Hazel and little Flora. I never wanted it to end! Oh, what an amazing story it is.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy. This rates 5 stars from me, more if I could.

This book has a bit of everything to make it enjoyable for most readers. This is the story of two sisters who as children were evacuated from London due to risks relating to bombing during WWII. The two sisters use there imaginations to create a magical world which helps them survive away from their mother. Tragedy strikes when the younger sister mysteriously dispappears. Flash foward twenty years and a mysterious book sparks a quest to find the long missing sister.

Told in alternating timelines this story has a bit of romance, some mystery, and family drama. I enjoyed both timelines equally and found the details about the evacuee program "Pied Piper" fascinating. I haven't read anything by this author and will definately pick up more of her books.

“Stories and books always find their rightful owners.”

When 14-year-old Hazel and her 5-year-old sister, Flora, are evacuated to London as part of Operation Pied Piper, their idyllic life ends. Flora Lea Linden goes missing one day as she’s playing on the banks of the Thames River and her body is never found.

Twenty years later, Hazel, who works at the Rare Book Shoppe, receives a copy of a children’s book that can only be penned by her missing sister…or someone who knows her. This leads her on a journey to find out what happened to her little sister.

Henry knows how to write a compelling story that pulls on readers’ heartstrings. This survival against all odds story captivated me and reminded me about the power of literature to unite us in desperate times. I’d read about Operation Pied Piper before, but appreciated Henry’s exploration and application of the fairy-tale history. My heart ached for the Linden girls and I needed to keep reading to find out what became of Flora and if Hazel could finally put the past to rest.

I can always count on Henry’s stories to grab my heart and make me fall in love with her characters and story. This one is no different. Historical fiction lovers need this story on their TBR pile.

I was gifted this copy by Atria Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I am a big fan of Patti Callahan Henry's writing. And this is one of the best books she's written yet. It's a captivating story with wonderful characters in alternating scary and enchanted settings. I couldn't put it down. Once I started I just HAD to finish.

As an established fan of Patti Callahan Henry, I was looking forward to this book. Much like her previous book, Once Upon a Wardrobe, she crafts a story about the bond between siblings through storytelling. This tale, though, has a theme of responsibility, guilt, guardedness.
As evacuees of London in WWI, sisters Hazel and Flora are sent to the English countryside to avoid being harmed in any London bombings. The sisters are billeted with a lovely family and are happy - for a while. After Flora disappears while Hazel is exploring her newfound desire for housemate Harry, Hazel is consumed with guilt and separates herself from both the boy and the stories she believes led to her sister's disappearance.
Without giving spoilers, I will say that I did not predict the twists in the novel. The story was carefully crafted and kept me hanging on with truly no inkling of how this was going to end up. That, in my opinion, is a fantastic (and appreciated) accomplishment. Definitely recommend this story that alternates between the WWII era and the 1960's.

I can’t believe I was lucky enough to win this in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you so much Goodreads, Patti Callahan Henry and Atria Books! 📘😍 Also thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Excellent — a must read! I adored this wonderful, multiple-layered tale of family, first-love, loss, remorse and forgiveness that all ties into a heart-wrenching, unsolved mystery. Set in two time periods; -in the current time a mysterious book shows up at a rare book store linking our main character Hazel to her sister who for 20-years has been missing, presumed drowned at the tender age of five. Going back in time to 1940 during WWll, Britain required all children to leave the city of London naming this endeavor Operation Pied Piper. Sisters Hazel 14, and Flora 5, were evacuated to the countryside where they were chosen to live in the caring home of Mrs. Aberdeen and her son, Harry. This is when and where Hazel created the magical world of “Whisperwood” to calm her frightened little sister. This is also the year Flora disappeared on the banks of the River Thames.

Patti Callahan Henry has created a very SPECIAL story that gives her readers a phenomenal, MAGICAL escape into another era.. it’s then and now, where you will find inside these pages that the power of love IS an incredible thing. Hazel never gave up on finding Flora.. and there’s several surprising twists that bring something truly HEARTWARMING 💫 into the storyline.. even perhaps a second chance at the impossible. I’m still thinking about this book and want to read it again. I can’t recommend it enough or this author! ♥️🤩 5 stars — Pub. 5/2/23

The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a captivating historical novel about family and the love between sisters. Hazel and Flora are sent to the country due to the threat of German bombs falling on London. Hazel calms her younger sister by telling her made-up tales of a magical place called Whisperwood that only they can visit. When Flora disappears, Hazel never gives up hope of finding her sister. It is through the shimmering doorway to Whisperwood and following her heart that Hazel is finally reunited with Flora and the mystery of her disappearance is finally solved. I loved this book. This book is an excellent read: part historical novel, part mystery, and part fairy tale. Thanks to author Patti Callahan Henry, Atria Books, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

As war rages on in, 1939, Hazel Linden’s sister vanishes. Over the years Hazel can’t fight the thought that her sister is still alive and out there somewhere. Twenty years later, Hazel comes across a book that she is confident her sister had to have had so bring to do with. Come along and follow her journey to finally finding the truth about Flora Lee.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I adore books that honor the power of stories and this one truly celebrates the importance of storytelling. When Hazel finds a book that contains stories she invented for herself and her sister to cope during the war, her world is sent into a tailspin because her sister has been missing over twenty years, and presumed to be dead. Hazel is determined to solve the mystery of where the book came from and holds onto a delicate hope that she might find her sister after all these years. I found this story to be as enchanting as a fairytale and recommend it highly.

Hazel can't believe it when a package she opens at the rare book store where she works tells almost the exact story about a magical land that she created to soothe her younger sister, Flora, when they were evacuated to the countryside from the London bombings in 1939. While puzzled and outraged, Hazel also feels a spark of hope that the book may lead her to find Flora, who at age 6 had vanished by a river while teenaged Hazel and her friend Harry left her alone briefly. Hazel pushes aside everything in her life to pursue the book's author and other clues in hopes of resolving the mystery and finding her sister.

The mystical land of Whisperwood is described in a bit of detail but is mostly presented as an escape and respite for the girls who sorely miss their mother. I enjoyed the story but never really engaged with Hazel, now in her late twenties. She virtually abandoned both current and past suitors, boss and coworkers, and others who had given her comfort when she needed it. I also found the book to be longer than it needed to be, with too much repetition and melodrama, but I was definitely surprised by the final twist.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.