The Shut-Away Sisters

A Gripping and Utterly Heartbreaking Historical Novel

By: Suzanne Goldring

Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

Two ordinary sisters. A long and brutal war. A heroic sacrifice....

London, 1915. As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, 15-year-old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She has grown quiet, with dark shadows under her eyes, and has started leaving the house at night in secret. When Florrie follows her sister through the dark and winding streets of London, she is shocked by what she discovers. But she knows she must keep her sister’s secret for the sake of their family, even if she herself must pay the ultimate price....

Years later Kate, running from her broken relationship, is sorting through her dead aunt Florrie’s house, which she shared with her sister Edith. As she sits on the threadbare carpets, looking at photos of Florrie during the war, she notices the change in her aunt - from carefree young girl with a hopeful smile to a hollow-cheeked young woman, with dark, sad eyes. 

Determined to put her family’s ghosts to rest, Kate must unearth the secret past of her two aunts. Why is there a hidden locked room in the little house they shared? What is the story behind the abandoned wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied up with a ribbon? And when Kate discovers the tragic secrets that have bound her family together, will she ever be able to move on? 

A heartbreaking historical novel of war, tragedy, and the sacrifices we make for those we love. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah, and Victoria Hislop will be hooked by The Shut-Away Sisters.

©2021 Suzanne Goldring (P)2021 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Disappointed

Wordy and repetitive. Waste of my time This book truly disappointed me. It had potential and that is sad

Quite a yawn, ok as background noise

Just kind of silly all-around. The concept and content, though definitely not innovative or creative, was somewhat interesting look at a young lady's life in and after time of war. So many little annoyances impeded the flow. Her cooking techniques, or gardening methods, were unnecessary ways to add word count. The character of modern days, Kate, was so un-relatable, and even annoying. It was so very obvious, because of her constant whining, she's fabulous at her job but hates it. Would have rather she quit earlier and maybe pursued something related to what she'd been finding out about her aunts...like learning to cook, using the house as a b-n-b? Anything but her aimless, quite pathetic desperation to get married and have kids.

A wonderful read

I truly enjoyed this novel. I'll definitely be looking to read more by this author.

So compelling.

What a beautiful story so beautifully narrated. What sacrifice and devotion was displayed throughout. How fortunate we are today!

An interesting story

The historical story interested me more Initially l felt such sympathy for Florrie but as the story progressed it was apparent how damaged Edith was and how tenderly the two sisters cared for each other Back then it was almost a sadness about young woman not marrying at least some things have changed for the better So overall a good story