Member Reviews

The Lost Letters by Sarah Mitchell is a treat for any fan of World War 2 era fiction. The story involves a dual time line, partly set in England during the war, and partly set in the same location in the current day. The current storyline revolves around Martha, who has come to England following the death of her father. Her curiosity is piqued by a mysterious file on his computer labelled Catkins, and the fact that he was planning a trip to a small English seaside town. This is the same town where the events of the past portions of the book unfold, and as the reader follows Martha on her journey we learn how both stories are connected, by learning about Sylvia, whose husband is away at war while she struggles to raise their two children in a country struggling with rationing as the German bombing raids start to intensify.
This book is a well crafted and beautifully paced family drama, with a simple, yet moving story to tell. Both Martha and Sylvia are compelling characters in their own way, with their own family struggles to contend with and overcome. Often in this type of book, one of the plots/timelines tends to overshadow the other, but the balance here is perfect, and the blending of the two timelines at the end is a joy.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

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A poignant story of war, friendship, secrets, choices and most of all a mothers love. Beautifully written in dual time frames, Mitchell weaves the storylines together perfectly. The 1940’s was definitely the more compelling of the two, but Mitchell does a very good job connecting the timelines together without leaving anything out. Both heartbreaking and heartwarming this was a very good read!

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I adored this book, devouring it in a couple of days! The novel flips between Martha in the present day, and Sylvie during World War II. The characters are compelling and the story flows effortlessly, making it the perfect holiday read. I didn't guess the mystery and found parts of it quite emotional when I realised what was going on. A beautiful and moving story that will stay with me for quite a while. Five shiny stars!!

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A story set between today and the 1940's at the start of WW2. Martha has travelled from Canada to Norfolk to solve the mystery of why her father was coming out for a month and who the mystery Catkins is he has been writing to his whole adult life.

I loved the saga of the past with Sylvie and her family dealing with the war years. The to date story connecting Martha back to this is a wonderful tale and very cleverly done. Some beautiful writing and very emotive scene settings. Love, friendships, heartbreak and secrets all included.

I really enjoyed the mystery and the historical fiction of this book.

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I enjoyed this book, though I felt it developed slowly at first. By the end I had enjoyed it and would recommend it to friends. I did enjoy the war time line more than the current day.

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Very slow to get started but if you can hang on to about chapter 7 it does start moving along nicely. Beautiful writing and a fabulous twist.

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When Martha’s father dies while writing his memoirs, Martha and her sister find a file that results in Martha’s trip from Canada to England to find out more. The story alternates between Martha and her quest to discover more about her father, and the story of her relatives during WWII. The evacuation of children from England to Canada becomes integral to the family’s story. Well written, with very likable characters.

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This book started slowly but once it got started it was hard to put down. It was two stories in one but was very easy to follow. One not to be missed.

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The Lost Letters is very interesting historical fiction along with a bit of a mystery. Dual timelines always add an interesting layer to the story, I found some of the story a bit confusing, and the characters felt a bit flat to me.

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The Lost Letters is a duel timeline story, very easily followed, and written with just enough angst and joy to be an uplifting experience. All of the characters are well rounded, the descriptive passages are presented in an interesting way, and the WWII sections as well the modern times follow true to period. The details and the flow of the novel is steady and warm. This novel is a perfect pick-you-up when reality has been a bit harsh, or an excellent way to waste away a rainy day.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Sarah Mitchell, and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

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I enjoyed this book, for the most part. The transitions between the dual story lines were not, at times, as smooth as they good have been and confused me in re beginning. Further along, it did hold my interest and was a nice read.

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A light read about a woman's search for the person her late father had written to. Nothing is ever simple. That's what makes the story.

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I picked up this book because of the title. It turns out the book doesn't have too much to do with letters, but it was still a good read. Set in WWII and the modern day I found it entertaining and a quick read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

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At first I found the story a little hard to follow, I felt a bit confused. About half way through it picked up and finished with an unexpected ending. I enjoyed it!

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I was fortunate enough to read this book pre-released through Net Galley for my honest opinion. This book was about a family mystery which starts when Martha's father dies, a stack of letters are found and a beach cabin has been rented by her father for the following month. Martha is at a crossroads in her life so she goes to the cabin to hopefully find some answers. I really enjoyed this novel and the twists and turns kept me hooked!

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The Lost Letters is a dual timeline narrative partially set in London before and during the WWII as well as in modern day Canada.

The WWII portion of this book was fascinating and well-researched. I loved Connie and Sylvia's heartwrenching story of friendship and how they managed to cope with the child evacuation during the war.

Unfortunately, I found the modern-day Martha to be so wishy-washy and infuriating. She really was nearly useless--a very frustrating character. Her storyline brought the book down to 3.5 stars for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

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Martha , a single mother to her daughter who is studying in England , starts a journey to know more about her father Lewis Rodwell while she is having a trobled relationship with her daughter Jenney . She visit her family hut in Wells , Norfolk to know more about her father . There she meet Henry who has a hut mext door . She later find more about her father's past . She is looking for a mystery woman Catkins , who might had an affair with her father .

As the story moves on she find new things about her father . In the last she meet her aunt who tells her about her father and his past in England .

I personally love to read Historical Fiction and have great interest in history as well . If you have interest in reading about world war 2 and English countryside then this is the book for you

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The Lost Letters, Sarah Mitchell

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: historical fiction, Women's fiction

*..sigh...* women's fiction again, I so hate that category. Why rule out men, why decide they won't like this story. Its so short sighted.

Anyway, the story...well, I expected to love it, it sounded perfect but somehow it didn't quite sparkle, didn't have the magic that I anticipated.
I found myself putting it aside and reading something else several times when with a book that really interests me I'm glued from start to finish.

I'm not really sure what the issue is/was. The characters were great, the time lines felt very real but I did feel the book was very slow to start.
I enjoyed the past sections more than present day, somehow I was so gripped in the story of Connie and Sylvia. Reading about the wartime experiences too, seems so unreal and yet it was life for so many. Houses and workplaces bombed, nights in air-raid shelters, kids evacuated. An awful time, so desperate in many ways. Could I evacuate my kids? I don't know, all loving parents want their kids safe but would they be?
My mum was evacuated from Norfolk to Wales for a year, her mum went with her, they stayed with the family of someone granddad met in Army. Imagine just packing up for a year or more with total strangers, must have been hard but at least she had her mum, so many kids didn't.
That harsh time spun the beginnings of some huge and complex secrets that spilled forward to the present day, and when they came out I had to do quite a bit of mental back tracking working out who was who and how they connected.
It was well done, and I could see just how that could have worked out, everything was so muddled and chaotic back then. Tough choices, and how heartbreaking for the people involved.

I did enjoy this story, but wouldn't re-read it, and its one of those hard to rate books. Its perfect for those who like slowly unfolding stories but at times the pacing was just too slow for me.

Stars: three. A good read but a little flat in parts for me. I enjoyed the past more than the present which surprised me.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and Publishers.

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This dual time frame novel is set in Canada at first, but mostly in London and Norfolk. The modern story starts with the death of a much loved father who leaves behind him a stirring mystery. He had booked a trip to the Norfolk coast, to a small seaside town called Wells-Next-The-Sea. His two daughters Martha and Elizabeth also discover a batch of old letters to a mysterious ‘friend’ called Catkins. Piqued with interest, his girls come to an unwelcome but ‘obvious’ conclusion and Martha decides to fly from her home in Canada to try to find out the identity of ‘Catkins’ and solve the glaring mystery of a secret relationship. Her daughter Janey is studying at Cambridge University so she reasons that she can pay her a surprise visit at the same time. So off she sets and starts to investigate the whereabouts of ‘Catkins’
The historic story is set in the 1940’s with the war raging and frequent German bombings. Two young ladies meet in adjacent beach huts at Wells, one a local married lady whose husband is away fighting for King and Country, and the other a visitor from London who has brought her brother on holiday. The two boys are almost the same age, and Sylvia, the local girl also has a small daughter. When the Londoner, Connie, mislays her grandmother’s wedding ring, they team up in an effort to recover the precious ring, which eventually Sylvia miraculously discovers buried in the fine sand. This is the beginning of a lifetime friendship built on mutual trust. The boys like each other and play together well while the two women swap stories and get along like a house on fire. Their stories are poignant and my heart went out to both of them, forced into making harsh decisions that drive the story forward and influence the modern story.
'The Lost Letters' is a well told and poignant story about family secrets which impact on the future, friendship, promises, decisions and romance. The characters are well crafted and believable and the story threads merge seamlessly. My favourite part of the novel involved the historic story which was most vivid and heartbreaking. The research undertaken for the story was absolutely meticulous and totally fascinating. I found the part about the evacuation of the children to foreign countries very interesting and far reaching. It was rewarding to find out about something I didn’t already know. I liked Martha’s investigations as well, using modern technology alongside other tried and tested methods to reach a satisfying conclusion.
Thank you for my complimentary copy of this novel received through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Bookouture, sent to me in return for an honest unbiased review. I enjoyed the novel and my review reflects this. It’s a 3.5* from me.

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What a beautiful, heart warming, wonderfully written tale! I loved it from start to finish. Brilliantly imagined, a poignant and stunning story of friendship, love, loss, heartbreak, secrets, hope, redemption and, especially the power of a mother's love, how it transcends war and reverberates across generations and time frames, transforming lives. Just beautiful. A story that moved me and one that will stay with me for a very long time. Very highly recommended to everyone.

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