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Martha G. (Columbia, MO)
The Lost Engilish Girl
Choices. The choices made by 18-year-olds in the 1930s and 40s were so much more limited than today's teens and young twenties. Viv, Joshua, and Maggie made choices in this book that they would not have been forced to face today. The author has done a remarkable job of painting the lives of these characters. I was drawn in by their emotions, their passions, their failures, and their strengths. The setting of Liverpool was particularly important in presenting the problem of religious conflicts. The evacuation of young children during War World 11 was not new to me, but I didn't realize the extent and duration
…more that families endured. The book was well researched to preserve the historical content. I would enthusiastically recommend this book to my book club for a lively discussion of the choices made by the characters! (less)A good portrayal of the working-class in England, beginning in 1935, dealing with societal attitudes of that time. A hasty forced marriage between a Catholic girl and a Jewish boy dictates Viv's life after the birth of her daughter. A few years later, World War II forces little Maggie's evacuation to life in a village with new guardians: then, she vanishes.
There are different themes in this book: rampant anti-Semitism, the fearsome power of the local priest, struggles of women doing men's jobs while being discriminated against, the strictures of rationing and trying to deal with bureaucracies---many problems.
…more Paramount are the results of the forced evacuation of children, disregarded parents, and strangers acting in loco parentis. Above all, Viv's mother-love gives her the enduring belief that she will find Maggie. (less)
Julie M. (Coon Rapids, MN)
World War II Story
This was a different take from the usual WWII books I've read. It focused on an evacuated little girl and her parents and how the war kept them apart. It may have been just a bit long, overall a good story.
GinH
The Lost EnglishGirl
I enjoy historical fiction, especially those set during WWII. Viv is a Catholic, pregnant and about to marry a Jew. All the emotions of both their parents are on display. Viv's mother is a despicable person. She insists that Viv's daughter be sent away during Operation Pied Piper which evacuated children to the countryside, something Viv is loath to do. This is a heartbreaking and thought-provoking story about Viv and Joshua the baby's father and beautifully written.
Marganna K. (Edmonds, WA)
Another Facet of War
This novel looks at a specific facet of emotional damage caused by war to a family. Through circumstances explained early in the story, the main character, Viv, is living & raising her child with her in-laws. When World War II becomes a reality Viv & thousands of parents must make a decision to protect their children.
Author Julia Kelly presents the dilemma adequately; she wove a story that pulled me into the complexities & emotions of a family - a family with their own issues before the war began.
I enjoyed the book from the standpoint that I became much more aware of this facet of WWII - the
…more evaluation of children from cities during the Blitz. I had never focused on what it meant emotionally to families, mothers in particular: the choice: send a child away to live with a stranger or possibly losing a child in a bombing raid.
It's an easy & quick read. It's straight forward and moves along quickly. I thought the author developed the first 2/3 of the story in a complete & compelling way whereas the last 1/3 seemed rushed & less believable.
I'd recommend the book to friends. I'd probably not read other books by Julia Kelly although I appreciated the story & how she became interested in writing this book. (less)A thoroughly enjoyable read. Nice to read an historical fiction book about WWII that took place primarily on the Homefront. I was somewhat familiar with the evacuation of children from the big cities to rural areas during the blitz and what that entailed for the children and their parents. This book shows how both the biological and foster parents were impacted, not to mention the marriage of the parents. Liverpool, where the book is set was very much a character in the story. Also, learned a lot about the UK postal service during the war.
Judy K. (Montgomery, TX)
Not what I expected
When I read the title and summary of this book, "The Lost English Girl", I had a very good idea of what the book was about and where it was headed. Well, I was wrong. I thought the book would tell the story of a mother who evacuated her child during WWII and the child was lost and she and her husband would have to find her. Some of that was true, but the story was so much more. It involves the reader in many moral issues: how wrong is it, at age 19, to choose your own dreams over unwanted, unexpected responsibilities, what should a person have to endure to atone for a youthful lapse, how much forgiveness is
…more possible from parents whose moral code has been transgressed, when does meddling with someone's life, for their perceived own good become acceptable? All of these and more are addressed in Julia Kelly's book. I liked that the book spoke about the evacuated children, how their lives were turned inside out and how coming home wasn't always a fairy tale ending. Don't be fooled by the title. This book may not be what you expect. (less)Viv was a teenage daughter of strict Catholic parents. Right before WWll, she found herself pregnant and the baby's father was Jewish. Her family, especially her mother could not accept that her daughter was carrying on with a Jew. Joshua, the young man asked Viv to marry him and her parents agreed that marriage was the best option. However, Joshua wanted to be a musician and allowed Viv's mother to bribe him to leave. He married Viv and literally left her on the courthouse steps after the wedding. Fast forward to WWll, the children were being evacuated to the country for their safety and Viv's young daughter
…more was sent away. Viv's parents were not very nice to her or her daughter before she was sent away. Viv was lost without her daughter, but got a job so she could afford to visit her often. Viv's daughter was named Maggie and the couple that took her in seemed to be trying hard to replace Viv in Maggie's life. Then, Viv's parents house was bombed and so was the Thimpson's house where Maggie was staying. From here forward, while dealing with the loss of her daughter, Viv discovers so many secrets about her family. She find's acceptance from Joshua's family, has to come face to face with Joshua again, learn to live on her own, discovers that she is so much stronger than she could have imagined. (less)
