Girl with Secrets by Carol Rivers. #BlogTour

Girl with Secrets

A coming of age war story and family saga full of romance, mystery and danger in London’s East End. From the Sunday Times and ebook bestselling author of the Lizzie Flowers series and A Wartime Christmas comes a gripping NEW coming-of-age saga about love, loyalties and secrets.

IN THE TURMOIL OF WAR, CAN SHE KEEP HER FAMILY TOGETHER?

‘Surely one of the best saga writers of her time’ – Rosie Clarke

1938, East London. Nine year old Daisy Purbright is a country girl at heart and together with beloved brother Bobby, they’ve enjoyed the endless freedoms of rural England.

But when her father gambles the family’s fortunes on a speculative investment in London’s docklands, Daisy and her family are swept up into the intrigue, danger and excitement.Desperately the Purbrights attempt to settle to a new life in the East End, but the whisperings of war grow louder.

Then, one late afternoon in September 1940, Adolf Hitler conducts a paralysing bombardment on London and war tightens its grip. Life changes dramatically and closely guarded secrets threaten the Purbrights’ happiness.

Can Daisy and her family survive one of the most fateful events of the 20th century?

Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Pam Howes, Rosie Clarke and Dilly Court.

My Thoughts

I have read several of Carol’s books and have become a firm fan of her books, so I had been eagerly awaiting a new release, and it was undoubtedly worth the wait!.

Daisy Purbright is a character who secures a place in your heart from the very beginning of this story. Living in the Isle of Dogs in London with her parents Florence and Nicholas and her brothers Matt and Bobby. Being the only daughter in the Purbright family, Daisy is certainly the apple of her fathers eye, and is given all of the encouragement she could possibly need by her parents to make her believe she can achieve anything in life.

Rumours are already beginning to circulate about the war on the horizon in 1938, and with Matt eager to sign up to the RAF, but his mother insisting that he should step up to the family business alongside his father and uncle Ed, tensions begin to arise.

When Daisy and Bobby are sent to live in Poplar Park Row to live with their Aunt Pat and Grandma as the threat of war increase, they miss their old home dearly, but with London being a war zone they are far safer where they are, but that doesn’t make the situation any easier for this family.

This is such a beautiful, moving story that really captures your heart from the first page. The story is told through the eyes of a child -Daisy, and following the story in the ways in which she would have viewed the situations was heart breaking at times. When we learn that Daisy is also harbouring a secret about her Aunt Betty, it becomes abundantly obvious that this young girl has a lot to contend with.

With the storyline spanning over several years, you get a real sense as to the impact the war had on the family as a unit, alongside everyone else they knew. The author has such a remarkable writing style, you lose yourself within the pages of this book and feel such a deep connection to Daisy as her story unfolds. The characters are all so wonderfully fleshed out, with raw emotions and complex stories to tell, they add so much drive to this incredible story.

This story provoked so many emotions in me as I followed the lives of these intricate characters, and is undoubtedly a story that all lovers of historical fiction will hold close to their heart.

You can purchase a copy of this book by following the links below:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08P52GZKR/

US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P52GZKR/

About the Author