The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Henry

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry – 368 pages

ARC from Atria and the author for an honest review

Book Blurb:

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry: 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. 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?

My Review: 4.5 stars

Click here to order on Amazon

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry was an enchanting and haunting book that read like a fairytale about a fairytale. Sounds crazy, but a made-up fairytale about a fictional place called Whisperwood that’s shared from older sister to younger sister is at the heart of the story.

I loved how the Whisperwood story created a safe and private space Hazel and Flora Lea could escape to during their time in the country. Even though there were bombs falling in London and their mother wasn’t with them, the two found comfort through their private storytelling. Harry and his mother Bridie were amazingly well-developed characters, each wrought with issues, yet so loving and welcoming to their wards (for lack of a better term).

Twenty years after Flora’s disappearance, Hazel, who works in a bookstore, comes across a first edition of a new book that illustrates all her stories about Whisperwood. Does this mean Flora is alive? Where is she and how can Hazel find her. No one knows these stories but Hazel and Flora. As the search for the author ensues, the twists abound which makes for an eventful and page turning story.

This book focuses on sisterhood, motherhood, art, friendship, books, love, trust, feminism, and life during wartime. Fans of Callahan will be pleased as punch with her newest release. I read it in two sittings and still think about these characters often.