The Secret Book of Flora Lea

Bookseller recommendation

“Inspired by Operation Pied Piper, this dual timeline book is the tale of two sisters who were orphaned and separated during the Second World War. Years later the older sister comes upon a children’s book that is suspiciously like a story she used to tell her sister. A story no one else would know. Like Becoming Mrs. Lewis and Once Upon a Wardrobe, the author continues to enchant readers with magical prose, the hope of fairy tales, and the power of stories. ”

— Melanie • Bookstore1Sarasota

Bookseller recommendation

“This novel is The Secret Garden meets Goodnight Mr. Tom meets Gone Girl. I loved it! I've been listening to this as an audiobook on my morning walks and I've been having to take afternoon and evening walks as well, because I just can't wait to hear more. I love the thought of a magical world only the sisters share with their stories. Patti Callahan Henry just captures that wonder of childhood so well. This book is an easy handsell and one of my favorites so far this year!”

— Marya • Out West Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Beautifully written and entrancing from the start, The Secret Book of Flora Lea had me wondering at first if the sister really had disappeared with the fairies - that's how magical the world feels, despite the real trauma these characters were going through in WWII. Told in dual timelines, Hazel's voice is captivating and I was rooting for her the whole way. My only quibble would be some anachronistic usages, like 'stalking', which was used a lot, but was not a common usage in the 1940s or 1960s, as it first became widely used in the late 1980s/early 1990s when actress Rebecca Schaeffer (My Sister Sam) was murdered by an obsessed fan. Other than that small language discrepancy throwing me out of the narrative from time to time, it was a beautiful, puzzling story of sisterhood and healing. ”

— Stacy • The Curious Cat Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“A dual-timeline historical mystery based on World War II's Operation Pied Piper. The story centers around Hazel and Flora, two children sent as evacuees to the countryside in England at the start of the war. Flora goes missing one day on the banks of the River Thames, and is presumed drowned. Twenty years later Hazel, who now works in a rare bookshop, receives a copy of a book that could only have been written by her sister, or someone who knows her and sets off on a quest to find Flora. A beautifully written and compelling novel about the stories that change our lives. I loved it and couldn't wait to drive to and from work so that I could listen to it! Definitely my top pick of 2023. ”

— Polly • The Hickory Stick Bookshop