Enjoyed this book, although it's not the easiest of reads and genuinely emotional at times. It goes beyond the general wartime story I imagined it would be and brought a lump to my throat at the end. I did find it a little slow around the middle but that's only a minor downside.

It's been a while since I cried my eyes out on reading a book. I cried near the middle and I think I cried all the way through the last few chapters, real sobbing!
I did have a little problem maybe half way through the book when I though it got a bit lost in descriptions of things that weren't relevant but skimming through those pages rectified that. It may just have been me wanting to get back to the story.
I really loved this story ; a story of love between a woman and a child,a man and woman and between friends. The kind of love that lasts for a lifetime even if the person you love is not at your side.
The book begins in 1940 with the child Pamela being found on the bus by Ellen. The bus is full of people who are escaping from the bombing in Southampton. In the confusion no one knows where Pamela's mother is. It was thought she was on another bus but everyone is so upset about the homes they left behind that Pamela's problem is somewhat forgotten.
Ellen decides to take Pamela until someone claims her. She already has the evacuees all boys who are also from Southampton so a girl is a welcome guest. Ellen's husband Selwyn tries to find foster parent for the little girl and this enrages Ellen as she has fallen for Pamela and loves her already and wants to care for her which is exactly what her husband was afraid of.
We go back to the 1930's and Ellen's childhood. A heartbreaking riches to rags story, so sad that she would never have survived if not for the kindness of a few people.
The supporting cast in the book all had their place in Ellen's life. I Particularly liked Selwyn and William. I don't want to give any more of the story away as I feel it would spoil the book for you.

I love stories written in this period of time and they seem to be in abundance at the minute, which is great for me! This one did not disappoint. One, the cover is beautiful and two, it is well written and captivating. It did take me a few chapters to get fully into the story but once I was in I was hooked.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

When Ellen finds Pamela alone asleep on a bus she takes her home for the night to keep her safe from the air raids, Pamela’s mother can’t be found and later the police inform Ellen that she died in an air raid in Southampton, Ellen and Selwyn take Ellen in along with three other boys who have Ben places with them during the war.

Years pass and Ellen and Oamela develop a strong bond until Pamela’s father turns up and both their lives are changed irrevocably.

A lovely storied love, endurance and loss.

A beautifully written book, with a simplicity and honesty which is very refreshing. The characters of Ellen, Pamela and Penny will remain with me for some time, such was the impact of this incredible tale. The story is character driven, and what characters they are, these people in Ellen’s life. They all share the indomitable spirit which seems to have prevailed during the war years, where most people accepted their lot, however hard or grievous, and just kept going.
The poverty and privations suffered by the child Ellen and her brother are so vividly described, but yet so hard to imagine in this age of welfare state and NHS. Throughout it all the villagers look out for this young family, though they have so little themselves. This is a feature of the story, how all of these people in this village help and support each other,
The heartbreak of evacuees and their families, some never reunited, is so poignant, and the grief and anger of the tiny Pamela is heart wrenching.
Above all this story is about love, and the enduring nature of it, whether the love between friends, married couples, or people like Ellen, who undertakes to care for a little lost girl whilst still not much more than a child herself. Her pain and longing when they are forced apart is palpable.

I highly recommend this book, and I thank Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

What a beautiful and mesmerising book by Frances Liardet. I have fallen in love with Ellen and her wartime story. We Must Be Brave offers an unique and refreshing take on WWII that will stay with me for a long time to come. I would wholeheartedly recommend to historical fiction lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

The story opens in 1940's England with Ellen Parr, a mill owners wife finding herself in charge of a young child left on a bus of evacuees from the bombs falling in Southampton. Ellen, who is childless takes on the role with gusto and soon Ellen becomes a much loved member of the small family and parish of Upton. At various points aside of this development we move back in time to discover what led Ellen to make this life for herself, married to the much older Selwyn.
I enjoyed that this story was set in wartime Britain and focussed on the sacrifice and hardships people faced during these times. Ellen and many other characters in this story might be considered brave for various reasons and in traditional British fashion they put on a brave front in the face of adversity. The characters are likeable and become like old friends as we move forward into more recent times. I felt sad for Ellen and what might have been but enjoyed the twist in the plot at the end, which I hadn't seen coming.

I’m so glad I got a copy of this book because it was a real pleasure to read it. Not my usual sort of story but it was very well written and I could easily let myself feel like I was in wartime Britain.

This was a really thought-provoking and beautiful story that I really enjoyed. I was desperate to get to the end and the descriptions used were wonderful. A bittersweet ending with some intriguing twists.

I was a little disappointed with this book. It did not grab my interest and hold it. It is a good social history and abounds with parental affection. It is also well written and covers a good length of time And how Upton has changed.

I feel bereft! I never wanted this book to end. It is the amazing story of Ellen, from her heartbreaking childhood story, her brave battle during the war when her life turns upsidedown when they take in a little girl, to her life after the war. A story of love, motherhood, heartbreak. Just amazing.

Oh, where do I start?!?! This book is so beautifully constructed and delivered. I am not someone who normally cries at books but my eyes were definitely leaking a little as I read this.

When Ellen Parr finds a little girl on the bus after Southampton is bombed during WW2, she brings her into her home, her life and her heart. The community in which Ellen lives all embrace Pamela and is rocked when years later they have to part.

Whilst this describes the essence of the story the book what I cannot begin to capture is the beauty with which the story unfolds without giving away any spoilers. I was heartbroken in places and laughing in others. The characters and the landscape were depicted so vividly that I know that I will miss them now that I have finished reading.

The book was finished with a lovely ending that I felt was fitting to the sentimentality of this book and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

An absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful story about love, tragedy, family and life itself, set through several decades.
Starts off in the WWII era in a small town called Upton, near Southampton in England. We meet the main character Ellen, who finds a little girl called Pamela on a bus, all alone. We jump back to Ellen’s struggling childhood and then the story moves eventually to the present time. We meet several characters who shaped Ellen and made her into who she is - she is a very lovable and resilient woman, you feel drawn to her instantly.
The story itself was very different than what I thought it was going to be, it’s a slow burning story, focusing on the characters and their development rather than the plot.
The writing is absolutely beautiful and lyrical and pulls you right in, the author makes a fantastic job at describing scenes, you feel like you are right there with the characters. Even the language she uses takes you back to a certain era. The chapters about WWII and Ellen’s struggling through her childhood sure made me grateful for what we take for granted in our lives - my family, peace, warm house and food on the table. This book definitely makes you appreciate many things!
It’s quite hard to describe this book more, not because I’d be giving away a huge twist (although the ending sure was unexpected for me!) but because it’s so complex and is all about the characters. You really just have to read it!

Thank you NetGalley, the publishers and the author for my free copy to read and review!

Loved this book and it had me in tears!!! Its a story of a mothers love and a story of friendship. Its beautifully written and tells such a lovely story its set in World War 2, Ellen finds a little girl asleep on a bus - where was her mother? Ellen looks after the child but knows it won't be forever.....

When I first started reading this book I thought it was one I wouldn’t enjoy because the language and style of writing seemed very simplistic,, but as I read I became quite involved in the story and ended up feeling I’d read a book I’d quite liked! I liked the way the story of Ellen progressed through the decades but found her at times to be a rather exasperating character, however that does not distract from the relationships she forms with the two young girls she takes under her wing, particularly Pamela. The love Ellen feels for Pamela shines brightly throughout the book, as does the pain of losing her. This is a story of enduring love - and loss that tugs at the heart strings.

Beautifully written story of a bygone age. Heartbreaking and compelling. I really cared about the characters & thoroughly enjoyed reading their story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of We Must Be Brave in exchange for an honest review.

WWII Historical Fiction is my go to genre, and I especially love novels set in the UK. Therefore, I expected to get totally wrapped up in We Must Be Brave, but found it extremely hard to get into and too slow moving. I think the story could've been told and all emotions could've been captured in about half the number of pages.

This story of Ellen and Pamela is absolutely heartbreaking, but I didn't feel my emotions come out as much as they usually do while reading. In fact, I can't even recall if I shed a tear, which is usually a guarantee in any WWII Historical Fiction novel! I think this is a result of the slow pace, but also of my inability to connect with Ellen. I didn't love her as a character and couldn't really figure out what type of person she was meant to be painted as.

On the contrary, I absolutely adored both Lucy and William Kennet and loved their consistency throughout the novel.

I haven't completely ruled out France Liardet and will definitely check out her work in the future; however, with so many other incredible WWII Historical Fiction options out there, I don't really see myself recommending We Must Be Brave.

This is a story that not only touched my heart it squeezed it dry. War stories are always tear jerkers and this one was no exception for me. It isn’t a front line story, this is a story of a childless woman and an abandoned three-year old girl wrapped in a blanket and left on a bus. But the story goes way past the end of the war.
Ellen was married and quite adamant that she did not want a family but the day she found Pamela she knew that she needed this little girl in her life as much as the little girl needed a family. The relationship that grows between the pair is as close as any mother and daughter with lovely tender moments. Three years later Ellen learns of a man looking for his daughter after he has returned from the war and she knows in her heart that he is Pamela’s real father.
The heart breaking scenes that follow really got to me and greatly impacted Pamela and Ellen. It really made me think deeper about the children that were sent to the countryside through the war years, not always to loving homes and how it must have affected the whole family. Then after the war the trauma of families being returned that were like strangers coming together. The loss felt by the families that had housed them too and friends that they had made.
The stories follow the lives of Ellen and Pamela and letters that made me cry. The emotions that were built up ready to explode and questions from a little girl now a woman. The end of this story is very, very emotional that had me sobbing. A truly amazing story.
I wish to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an e-copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly.

A beautifully heartbreaking novel, We Must Be Brave will surely leave you weepy, as I am now upon finishing it. If you fully immerse yourself in this world, and let it touch your heart, you will feel greatly enriched by it. It's a tender story of a woman who happens upon Pamela, a sleeping child, whilst helping WWII bombing refugees off a bus in the fictionalized village of Upton. We see what transpires after Pamela is found, reflect on Ellen's younger years of struggle and those that follow on to, nearly, current day.

The setting is in Hampshire, England. There is much mention of Southampton, which is not far from here. I can easily envisage the areas Ellen describes and the goings on of rural village life. I live in a similar village. The hardships they endure and the 'make due' attitude is brilliantly depicted and completely authentic. Yes, I know our Upton villagers hale from Hampshire but the voices, to me, feel very Dorset. The practicality of action and speech and the sweet country burr is so Dorset in my mind.

We Must Be Brave felt entirely earnest in the sweet relationship between Ellen and Pamela. Ellen loves her as a mother would her own child, maybe more so, and what happens to them is hard to bear. I had to pause for a good little cry but pressed on to see what would come of it. Much does and that is the magic of this yarn. The gentle appreciation of life and so many small things makes Ellen a well rounded, generously lovely person. She feels very much like your favourite aunt and you only want the very best for her.

I cannot recommend this novel strong enough. The gentle strength it delivers is the pure essence of British gumption and determination. The love conveyed throughout, not just of mother and daughter, but of friendship and all those relationships we hold dear, make this a powerful and stunning read that will stay with you for some time.

The story starts in WW2 when a bus bringing people from Southampton fleeing the bombs arrived in the little village of Upton and when everyone got off there was a six year old girl belonging to no-one still on there Ellen and her husband take her in. The girl called Pamela lost her mother in a raid and surprising herself Ellen becomes attached to her....... but does she have other family that might come and claim her?

An interesting story which also goes back in time to hear about Ellen's difficult childhood, a bit of a slow story but worth reading especially if you are interested in that era