The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

June 9, 2023

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

Hazel and her sister Flora Lea are among the children evacuated from London to the English countryside near Oxford during the London Blitz. One day, Flora goes missing, never to be found. The local police believe she drowned in the river near their temporary home. Years later, Hazel is working for a rare book dealer and is about to start her dream job at Sotheby's. Processing new arrivals for the shop, Hazel finds a book filled with modern fairy stories set in a world called Whisperwood. But they are the stories that Hazel used to make up for Flora Lea, and she has never shared them with anyone else. Did Flora write the stories down, and does this mean she is still alive? Does someone else know what happened to the little girl?

A mystery, a missing person, a book about books and stories. This novel appeared to tick all the boxes for me, and I have enjoyed the author's previous books. I like the story at the beginning but then it got long with too many unnecessary side characters and repetitious scenes. I did a lot of skimming, and the solution was okay even if the ending was a little too tidy, and it took a really long time to get there. Maybe I didn't connect with the characters. Maybe I've had enough of World War II fiction for a while. I really wish I had liked it more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

December 10, 2021

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

Megs Devonshire is a scholarship student at Oxford, studying maths. The other love of her life is her younger brother George, who is gravely ill and not expected to live much longer. George becomes fascinated with a book called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and when he learns that the author, C. S. Lewis, is an Oxford professor, he begs his sister to go see Lewis and find out where Narnia came from.

Megs manages to meet C. S. Lewis (known as Jack in his family) and his brother Winnie, who are two of the kindest men who ever lived. Rather than tell her outright about Narnia, Jack tells her about growing up with Winnie, and Megs brings the stories home to tell George. 

This was one of the most heartfelt books that I read in 2021. Yes, you'll need a box of tissues. It's sad at times but oh so lovely. Megs is the best sister ever. Highly recommended.

C. S. Lewis

The Kilns, C. S. Lewis' Oxford home