Mrs. Sinclair's Suitcase

By: Louise Walters

Narrated by: Anna Bentinck, Karen Cass

A heartbreaking and deeply compelling debut, Mrs. Sinclair’s Suitcase is a compulsive page-turner about thwarted love, dashed hopes, and family secrets—book-club fiction at its best.

Roberta, a lonely thirty-four-year-old bibliophile, works at The Old and New Bookshop in England. When she finds a letter inside her centenarian grandmother’s battered old suitcase that hints at a dark secret, her understanding of her family’s history is completely upturned. Running alongside Roberta’s narrative is that of her grandmother, Dorothy, as a forty-year-old childless woman desperate for motherhood during the early years of World War II. After a chance encounter with a Polish war pilot, Dorothy believes she’s finally found happiness, but must instead make an unthinkable decision whose consequences forever change the framework of her family.

The parallel stories of Roberta and Dorothy unravel over the course of eighty years as they both make their own ways through secrets, lies, sacrifices, and love. Utterly absorbing, Mrs. Sinclair’s Suitcase is a spellbinding tale of two worlds, one shattered by secrets and the other by the truth.

Critic reviews

“A breathtaking, beautifully crafted tale of loves that survive secrets.” -- Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“Musty books, unrequited love, and old family secrets combine to create a crackling multigenerational saga infused with passion, pathos, and evocative WWII-era historical detail. Plenty of book-club and cinematic potential in this irresistible page-turner.” -- Booklist

“A solid debut . . . [that] may appeal to those who have also liked bookishly romantic stories such as Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society or Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.” – Library Journal

“Dorothea’s story riveted me from the start. Walters . . . bring[s] both history and characters alive.” – Historical Novels Review

“A riveting debut with an impeccably researched past and charismatic present-day voices. Mrs. Sinclair’s Suitcase is like opening a literary treasure chest, full of sharp-edged gems glittering with all the beauty and heartache of humanity. You’re sure to carry this story with you wherever you go. I know I will.” —Sarah McCoy, author of the New York Times and international bestseller The Baker’s Daughter and The Mapmaker’s Children

“A moving reminder that history is not just a pageant of world-shaking events, but a weave of individual lives that are often as inspiring as they are tragic.” —David R. Gillham, author of the New York Times–bestseller City of Women

“Vivid and seductive, the tale begins in a blazing crash in World War II and twists through a tangle of mysterious circumstances, misunderstandings, and repressed desires. Irresistible . . .” —Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman, authors of the national bestseller Freud’s Mistress

“Like forgotten letters and photos tucked inside secondhand books, secrets hide within the pages of Mrs. Sinclair’s Suitcase. Louise Walters has crafted a heartbreaking story of love and all its faces.” —Jessica Brockmole, author of Letters from Skye

“Walters creates a totally absorbing world, and takes you right into the heart of her story. Beautifully done, and heartbreaking, too.” —Esther Freud, author of The Sea House and Hideous Kinky

“A heartbreaking tale of loss, missed chances, and enduring love.” —Good Housekeeping (UK)

“A first novel of great charm and assurance, beautifully told and utterly gripping.” —The Times (UK)

Best Book Yet

Thanks for the lovely story, so riveting. Performance amazing. Read it with relish. Get book

Loved it !

There are many books set against the backdrop of WWII, and just as many utilize a dual narrative. So why did I enjoy this one so much ? Because of the narration ! Bravo to Anna Bentnick and Karen Cass for making this a great audiobook. I don't think the story would have had the same emotional impact if I'd read it.

completely unexpected

I loved this story. it wasn't what I thought it would be, but it was lovely.

Predictable story line.

Would you try another book from Louise Walters and/or Anna Bentinck and Karen Cass ?

This was a rather predictable story and while I might try another book from these authors, I would want to know a lot more about the next story line.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I think I will listen to "Fates and Furies.

What about Anna Bentinck and Karen Cass ’s performance did you like?

The performance, overall, l was very good. The Polish accent left something to be desired but Dorothy was a well fleshed out character.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably not.

Dismal

This seemed to be a litany of all the possible 'poor me' women's issues laid back to back from different eras. The lead character had some promise and seemed upbeat, but I couldn't suffer through all the other issues, even stories about heavy periods! I couldn't finish it.