This is the third, and final book in the Wartime Evacuees series, and I think it's possibly my favourite of the three. The Wartime Mother centers on Francine, the third and final main character child that we meet in the first book of this series, although she's only in it briefly. So I really loved getting to know her better. The pacing is great, and whilst some of the language felt too modern, I don't actually know if it is.

I absolutely adored Mr Cohen, I was so desperate to find out what happened to his daughter Ruthie, but the ending to that particular thread was heartbreakingly realistic. Mr Williams on the other hand had me raging. And scary that his opinions are becoming all too common again.

Overall, whilst it had moments of sadness, this has been a lovely cozy world war two series, which really reflects on the variety of experiences that evacuees had; and the sometimes devastating affect that the evacuation had on families.

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC of #TheWartimeMother

4 Stars!

The Wartime Mother concludes to Lizzie Page’s Wartime Evacuees series. The book skillfully explores themes of grief, survival, and the redemptive power of love. While some transitions—especially the leap from wartime struggles to post-war changes—can feel slightly rushed, these minor pacing issues do little to diminish the overall impact. The richly drawn characters and the sensitive handling of their inner turmoil create an engaging and heartfelt narrative.

Winnie is heartbroken after her husband left to fight for their country and died. Winnie is left to tend to the family pub all by herself. She can’t help but wonder how she can continue on.

Winnie hears about Francine a young girl that has lost her mother and siblings. She is only ten years old and is in need of a home. She can’t survive on her own. Winnie decides to take her in and become Francine’s family.

Winnie is about ready to give up on the pub. She doesn’t have the money to keep it going. Francine offers lots of great ideas to Winnie of how to keep the pub open. Francine is giving Winnie a purpose in life. But things change when Francine’s relatives arrive to claim her. Winnie can’t take more loss in her life.

The Wartime Mother, written by author LIzzie Page, is a beautifully written story of love, loss and hope. Winnie was a lovely character that I felt a great connection too. From the loss of her husband to her taking in Francine, she had a wonderful heart. My heart broke for her.

Francine was an amazing person and she showed so much bravery during such a horrible time. I was reaching for the Kleenex many times during this book. This heartwarming story had me flying through the pages. My heart broke over and over but I could not stop reading until I got to the very end. I highly recommend this awesome book.

Winnie is a heartbroken pub owner and widower whose husband died after he ran off to fight in WWII and was killed. She's matched up with Francice, a 10-year-old evacuee who'd recently lost her mom and siblings during a bombing and was evacuated to the country.

I loved this story! I loved the relationship between Winnie and Francine and how they helped each other heal after heartbreak and loss. I felt that the author did a great job of revealing the inner thoughts of the main characters. Francine went through so much after her loss: bullying and separation from her friends. Winnie and Francine go through a journey after dealing with their losses throughout the war and beyond. This series focuses on the perspective of 3 friends who were evacuated from the country to protect them. Each is fine as a standalone. I read the 2nd and 3rd, but I feel it might be helpful to read all 3 of them.

Thanks to @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author for his ARC.

The Wartime Mother is the third and concluding part to Lizzie Page’s Wartime Evacuees series and without doubt it is the best in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books but finally discovering what happened to Francine after her mother and siblings were killed when the air raid shelter they were in was destroyed proved to be a great read. Lots of serious themes were explored and anyone thinking oh this is just another run of the mill wartime family saga book than you are definitely wrong and would be missing out on a read that pulls at the heartstrings. The books can be read in any order as each book focuses on a different child and adult but whatever one you start with, you’ll find yourself wanting to go back and read the others. They aren’t the most taxing of reads but instead have the perfect balance between nice, gentle, relaxing moments and more tense and challenging subject matter.

Francine is left alone upon the death of her mother and siblings. Her father who was originally from Holland is away fighting in the war and can’t be located to inform him of the tragedy which has befallen his family. A brief spell in the countryside with her fellow friends and evacuees Lydia and Valerie has come to an end for Francine and now she lives with Valerie’s mother Mrs. Hardiman in the building she once resided in with her own family. Francine has nothing left to tie her to anyone or anywhere and she feels immense guilt that she was not in the shelter when her mother perished. She had been sent out as she had chicken pox and her mother didn’t want her siblings catching it. She desperately wishes that she had been there so that she would have been taken also. Instead the ghosts of her mum and siblings haunt her throughout the book. They appear to her at different times and in various forms of distress. I found this to be quite chilling to be honest but it did only enhance the survivors guilt that permeates Francine’s every waking hour. For someone so young as she was only aged 10 when we meet her she shouldn’t really have to experience this.

Francine is very tough on herself and though it’s not specifically said I felt that she was suffering from some sort of malaise or depression which was only natural given her circumstances. She relies heavily on dice her father once gave her and she keeps them in her pocket and throws them every time she needs guidance or an answer to a question. But the dice don’t always give her the answers she wants. Francine is taken from London to Kettering where she meets social worker Scott who places her with an old man named Mr Cohen. What an unlikely pairing but somehow it works and Francine becomes like a little mini housewife tending to the house whilst going to school. She seemed settled and happy there but then one day she finds Mr Cohen has passed away sitting in his armchair. Tragedy has once again struck her life and the feelings of despair strike once again. Why is it she says that everyone she loves or who loves her has to die? Is she the cause of it? Here is where I felt things got dark for Francine as she won’t let love her into her life for if she does it will leave her again through death. She was so deep in thinking this and I was just so desperately hoping that her fortunes would turn around. She was like a lost little soul wandering along a path just waiting and hoping that someone would find and care for her and never leave her life.

This person that Francine had been longing for and whom she so desperately needed came in the form of Winnie. There were so many similarities between the older woman and the young child as both had suffered heart-breaking tragedy in their lives. Winnie lost her husband Trevor in the first year of the war and has been deep in grief ever since. His death has had a devastating impact on her and she no longer can put her heart and soul into the running of the pub The Castle. Her regulars come every day but footfall in general is low and the brewery has threatened her with closure. Winnie is no longer the carefree person she once was as now she sees everything as a risk and a danger. She is bereft, powerless and has nothing left to give to anyone not least a little girl. But how can she let the resilient little girl be sent away once again to god knows where to an unknown future?

Winnie was insistent that she hadn’t the capacity in her heart nor the where with all to care for someone else but Francine little by little broke down those barriers and it was as if the pair were kindred spirits each seeing in each other what they couldn’t personally see in themselves. I loved how their relationship was subtly developed and it flowed naturally and effortlessly throughout the book. I also thought it was brilliant that the timeline didn’t stay specifically in the war years as there was a danger of a bit too much repetition. Instead, as Winnie and Francine grow and adapt to each other and their new lives, the years move forward and we see the changes occurring within both of them. Francine takes a keen interest in the pub and is determined it won’t be the one the brewery shuts down. She was creative and inventive with her ideas for bringing the punters in. This also allowed for a new strand of the story to develop for Winnie which ebbed and flowed with its ups and downs but I was desperately hoping it would end up a certain away.

Life wasn’t all easy for Francine and again a darker and more sinister element to her story began to emerge. I could see what was happening and it was brilliant that the author included this as I think others would have shied away from this topic given the genre of the book in that it had the family saga strand to it. What happens to Francine only adds to her shame that she hadn’t previously died and I wanted Winnie to wake up and see what was going on and do something about it. As I’ve previously said the book did take place over several years and towards the end, I did think the final chapter two or three chapters were just that little bit rushed. The pre-war years colliding with Francine in the 1950’s well I felt the reader had been waiting for this throughout all three books and when you long for something and it’s what you have been expecting you expect due attention to be given to it. That’s my only minor criticism of the book in that this section needed some more fleshing out.

The Wartime Mother was the fitting conclusion that this series deserved. Francine will capture a piece of readers hearts as will Winnie. A powerful story full of friendship, community, loss, grief, survival and refuge and finding happiness.

The Wartime Mother is part of Lizzie Page’s Wartime Evacuees. This WWII story is both a tragic one and heartwarming one in that it deals with loss of life. Still new opportunities and relationships are formed. It is a captivating story of how Winnie becomes a widow then a substitute caretaker for a ten-year-old who has been evacuated from London. Even more it is the child’s story.

Winnie’s perspective is both fateful as well as sad at the beginning. However, it is Francine’s story that is so compelling with the touching and tear bringing events in this young one’s life. The author has a splendid way of connecting the reader to Francine. Not all sad, Francine has ideas, wit, and a way of looking at life. An outstanding addition to the series. The Wartime Mother can be read as a stand-alone. Be sure to do so today.

I really enjoyed this series and this book. I like that the stories are from the POV of the girls that were sent away from home during the war to ‘protect’ them. This one is Francine’s story. She stayed in more than one place, originally sent away during the blitz because she had the chicken pox. She ends up with Aunt Winnie, a woman who ended up fostering her, somewhat against her will. We also get Winnie’s POV. She is a grieving widow with a grown child off supporting the war effort. She’s stuck where she is because of the bar and she doesn’t know how to move on with her life.

I loved the resilience that Francine had. She was only 10 years old, but she was forced to grow up way too fast. She made herself a home with Aunt Winnie and the Castle, Winnie’s bar.

This was an emotional story. I felt for both Winnie and Francine. The war changed them both so drastically but somehow they were able to continue on.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

I had read the other books in the series and looked forward to this one and Francine’s story.

But I was so disappointed - it was so slow and jumped about so much. I almost never give up on a book but I nearly did on this one but I wanted to know the outcome - and of course it brought the 3 evacuees, Francine, Lydia and Valerie from Somerset back together.
Francine had lost all that was dear to her, had no idea where her Dutch father was and had terrible survivor guilt.
She was also Jewish and came on the wrong side of a headmaster who rightly got his just desserts.

As with all of Lizzie Page’s books this was well researched but somehow the style of writing was very stilted.

Francine’s life with Winnie seemed odd at times but both were grieving for their past lives and sometimes unable to move forward though Winnie followed her heart and her Canadian soldier in the end.

But the book did close the loose ends of the previous books - but never quite explained why Francine ended up in Kettering?

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Bookouture.

This captivating WWII novel follows the lives of two main characters - Francine, who is left alone in the world, and Winnie, who is grieving for the loss of her husband, Trevor.

Francine struck me as a wonderfully perceptive character, and I enjoyed how the author brought the story to life through her eyes; through her experiences and memories.

Winnie was a character that I connected with in a different way. She seemed like a kindhearted and caring person, who enjoyed looking out for others and taking care of them. I appreciated that quality about her.

I enjoyed following both of these characters, to see how their lives became interlinked. It was heartwarming to see them grow and develop as the story progressed, and this book left me smiling.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

I love Lizzie Page and her cast of characters in this series. We are continuing to follow the story of Francine and how she is getting on in life since the end of book 2. This book had me by the shoulders and twisted my heart making me feel all the things. She has developed the characters and we can see this with the development between the books. I need more books surrounding these characters.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

It was such an emotional story.

I loved the characters and the community they lived in. The story had you turning the pages as.

It was interesting to read about what public houses were or were not able to do during WWII.

I highly recommend this book.

This is the third book in the Wartime Evacuees series.Francine comes to Kettering and is placed with old Mr Cohen who Francine has a lovely time with but he suddenly dies so a new home has to be found for her.Francine then goes to live with Winnie in the Castle public house and she likes living there.This story tells of her life living with Winnie in the pub which has its ups and downs. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture..

The Wartime Mother
By: Lizzie Page

I have just finished reading this wonderful book and am entirely emotional. This final book in the Wartime Evacuees saga was brilliant. It was heartwarming, charming, gut-wrenching, and finally, completely satisfying.
In this book, we follow the life of young Francine. At the time of this story, she has lost her mother and younger siblings to a bomb in London during WWII. She is sent to live in a small town away from the city. Winnie is the local pub owner. Her husband has just passed away, and she is trying to keep the pub going and emotionally survive this loss when she is asked to take on the added responsibility of looking after an evacuated little girl. How will they both manage such drastic changes in their lives?
I was totally blown away by Lizzie Page's ability to get inside Francine's mind and heart. The way she described her feelings of loss and abandonment was so honest and completely heart-wrenching. I also loved the relationship that Francine developed with Mr. Cohen and then with Winnie. It really was a beautiful reciprocal relationship for both of these adults in her life. Francine brought them so much joy despite all of her losses.
This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster. You will feel bereft at the loss of life and angry at the cruelty directed at people during the war. However, it will leave you with a quiet, sober satisfaction that life continues despite the loss of our loved ones and in the end, happiness is a choice we make for ourselves.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for letting me read this awesome book

what a compelling storyline this one was....

francine is all alone... her mom and brothers and sisters had been killed in the shelter whilst the bombs were landing around london... she was the only one spared because of chicken pox

at first francine was placed with an old man and it did work out but shortly he died and francine was eventually placed with winnie the pub landlord....

winnie herself was also grieving for the loss of her husband... and she hadnt wanted to take in francine but at that moment in time she did....

what was to happen was to change their lives....

its a powerful story about loss and love and finding that family with others it will bring a tear to your eye...

cant wait to see what is next from this author..

Such a heartbreaking WWII story of a widow and her child. Lizzie page is a great author. I suggest reading her other books too.

It was a very well written energetic book. Great vocabulary and unique words were used. I love the aspect of adventure as a young child tries to find her place in this new town away from her beloved home.

Winnie has recently lost her husband and little Francine has lost her entire family but these two lost souls may be able to help each other heal. A cast of wonderful characters including a obtuse cat fill this story with compassion and warmth. It's a heart-warming tale that made me smile and cry at the same time.

A up=lifting WWII historical novel with many heart wrenching moments.
The story revolves around Winnie and Francine and how they navigate through the hardships and horrors of the War.
The story shows how resilient one has to be to survive and go forward in life.
A heartwarming story that will pull on your heartstrings.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is part of a trilogy and I have read the second part but not the first. However, it is really more the theme versus the characters that is continued in the series versus the characters, so it can be read stand alone or out of order. In each book, a child who is an evacuee in WW II comes to live with someone and the characters form a relationship.
I think I preferred the second book to this third book, though it picked up steam later on. We meet Winnie, the adult, who is widowed and is in need of someone to connect to, and Francine, a 10 year old girl who needs a home. We follow the relationship that is formed between them and see Francine grow into an adult. Later on, Winnie needs to make a major life decision.
This is more or less a "formula" novel, but it is a good one. You know that it is going to be a heartwarming, feel good story, which is a nice change. The characters are fully developed, more through actions and dialogue than through exposition. I would rate this 4 1/4.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with early access to this novel in exchange for my honest review.

After looking it up I saw this was book 3 in wartime evacuee stories. I managed to follow fine, bit I think I'd get more if I'd read the others. And shall be sure to go back and do so and I can't wait after just this one.
This time it's Francine who is the evacuee. She's come to the village after losing her mum and siblings in the blitz.
She is taken in reluctantly in parts due to just losing her husband. She doesn't know quite how to love but knows she has to for this little girl who's also lost so much.
Winnie runs the local pub. And surprisingly with Winnies help things start to look up both at work and home. They both give eachother so much. In both heartbreaking and tender moments we join these two. Healing,hurting but supporting eachother too.
I can't imagine losing the people you love. And so many did at this time. I'm grateful for those who reached out to help others in need. Those little kiddies must be beyond frightened as evacuees.

Winnie loves Francine instantly and it was beautiful to see. Her loves shines off the pages.
An emotional but gorgeous read.