London, 1941. “Help me, Jack” is Elsie’s last thought as the building crashes down around her and everything goes dark. Will she ever see her big brother again?

The war has robbed eight-year-old orphan Elsie of everything except her older brother Jack. Evacuated together, hand in hand they escaped a cruel farming family only to find their home destroyed, their mother gone. Wide-eyed Elsie hasn’t spoken since, and every night she cries for her mother, and for their father, lost at war.

Wandering under the falling ash, their stomachs twist with hunger and Jack knows he cannot protect Elsie alone. But everything changes when they join a rag-tag band of orphans, runaway evacuees who’ve returned to the city just like them. With nothing left to lose, the children stay above ground as Nazi planes fly overhead, determined to help others. But as they risk their lives, who will protect them?

Then during a night of terrible bombing, the unimaginable happens. Elsie disappears. Their faces streaked with tears, Jack and his friends search through the flames and smoke, knowing she has no voice to respond to their cries. Will anyone find her before it’s too late? And will the lost orphans ever find a safe home?

From the bestselling author of The Ration Book Baby comes a breath-taking, heartbreaking and uplifting wartime novel, inspired by a true story about runaway evacuees. Perfect for fans of Orphan Train, Sold on a Monday and Diney Costeloe.

Read what everyone’s saying about Ellie Curzon:

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‘I found myself racing through the pages… Gorgeous… heart-warming.’ @emthebookworm

‘So many gut-wrenching tears… The book doesn't just tell a story but it shares life lessons.’ Goodreads reviewer