The Secret Book of Flora Lea

A Novel

De: Patti Callahan Henry

Narrado por: Cynthia Erivo, Patti Callahan Henry

When a woman discovers a rare book with connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood in the English countryside during World War II are revealed in this “beguiling blend of hope, mystery, and true familial love” (Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author).

In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.

But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance. Spellbinding and atmospheric, “this heartrending, captivating tale of family, first love, and fate will sweep you away” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).

©2023 Patti Callahan Henry. All rights reserved. (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Narrator Cynthia Erivo’s quiet assurance permeates this dual-timeline audio about the powerful alchemy of storytelling. In 1939, two girls, Hazel and Flora Lea, are evacuated from London to escape imminent war. Flora Lea mysteriously disappears. In 1960, Hazel, now a rare book shop clerk, opens a package and discovers a book of the same stories she once made up to calm Flora Lea. Erivo rarely raises her voice, yet through desperate tones she expertly conveys Hazel’s search for answers to the mysteries of her missing sister and the appearance of the stories from long ago. Erivo seamlessly adopts the charming lilt of young Flora and the American accent of the woman who has unwittingly written the fanciful stories that connect Hazel’s past with her present." (AudioFile Magazine)

My mum was an evacuee…

I came across this wonderful story while doing some research on the evacuation during the Blitz of Northern Ireland. The records were opened after 50 years and then closed again until 100 years as many people in the records are still alive with the same addresses. Many parents didn’t send their children and ended in many death. Others sent their children and went to search them out and bring them home. Therefore, the research material is very hard to find.

My mum passed away when I was 17 and she never talked about it. I learned from her brother that he and she went to lovely homes in the country. I suspect my mum would have talked about it more as I got older.

Many who were treated well and ate well, didn’t talk about it as their family in the cities were being rationed. Lots of complicated intricacies involved.

I have come to discover what people find awful, i absolutely loved, for one, the narrator as I felt the parts where she was quiet were where the character was unsure. I love the authors prologue and got drawn in.

Thank you for much for a wonderful story. There are very few from this event in history. I’m sad it is over.

Thank you!

The Secret Life of Flora Lea

Lovely. Honest. Entertaining. Most definitely a story I would recommend for a break from more serious reading. Good to have a balance in what your mind takes in and processes.

Lovely story and reader

I hesitated a long time before getting this book, there have been a few bad choices before. This book is a delightful listen. I loved the reader as well as the story. It is slow and dreamy and that is what makes it so perfect. I will listen again and look for other books by Patti Callahan Henry and read by Cynthia Erivo. Bravo!

Great listen!

This was a great listen, a well written and also historically interesting book, beautifully read.

Mesmerizing story WWII and 1960s

All characters well drawn. Relationships are explored from enduring young first love, to siblings and mothers. The story explores the trauma of war and loss and the multiple ways different people deal with same.

Touching Story with Amazing Narration

This was a well told story about a little known aspect of the World War II evacuation to the countryside of British children. Very emotional with a tight plot that kept me listening. And Cynthia Erivo’s narration was outstanding.

Not her best

The narrator was awful. She droned on in a soporific tone that kept making me lose interest

Shimmering with magic and hope

This novel is filled with fairytale magic, real life, tragedy, and the belief that when one hopes hard enough and looks long enough, we can find our happy ending.

Twists And turns

This story was one I couldn’t put down. Full of twists and turns. I felt like I really got to know the characters

Lovely

World War II as seen through the eyes of children who were supposedly sent to safety in a chaotic world.