Reviews

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

jennawhite0813's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Kidnapping

tshuping's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.5

sydneyfeinstein's review against another edition

3.5

I feel like it dragged on for too long once we meet Peggy. Like… I kept waiting for them to meet and then once we actually go find flora, there isn’t that much about hazel and floras reunion. Like in the two years later chapter I wish there was more about if dot ever remembered more/ what exactly she was remembering other than just the day she disappeared  

kallmekirby's review against another edition

5.0

4 stars for the writing but 5 stars because of how warm it made me feel

ect625's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

monsonkm22's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

bethsreadingjourney's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

spow's review against another edition

4.0

“Not very long ago and not very far away, there once was and still is an invisible place right here with us. And if you are born knowing, you will find your way through the woodlands to the shimmering doors that lead to the land made just and exactly for you”

These are the opening sentences of “The Secret Book of Flora Lea”, a story about the love of two sisters through the worst of times. Taking place at the start of WW2 in England, the reader gets a glimpse at the sacrifices that families made to keep safe when two sisters are evacuated from London into the country before the bombings. While there, one sister disappears and for 20 years the mystery of what happened to her hangs with all that love her. All until one day, a book appears that tells the tale of the alternate, fantastical world the sisters shared to escape the fear of the world around them. Convinced this is a sign, a reader is taken on the search for answers an is left asking “will we find out what really happened to Flora Lea?”

This book had a great blend of history, love, mystery, whimsy and loss. Dark moments of WW2 are balanced by the girl’s fantastic imagination. The love they have for each other is evident from the beginning, so when Flora disappears, it was easy for the reader to connect with Hazel, her loss, and how that may have changed how she lived her life. As Hazel searches for her sister, I felt so invested in the search and at times my hope for their reuniting seemed as strong as Hazel’s. Solving the mystery of what happened to Flora gives this book a fresh spin on traditional historical fiction novels. Were there characters in this book that weren’t necessary at all? Yes, but ultimately I don’t think they detracted from the beauty of the story. Simply put I really enjoyed going on the our new this book brought me on. 4/5 stars.

readingonmountains's review

4.0

I took my time reading this one and loved it from the very first page. Hazel and her little sister Flora are evacuated from London during the blitz to Oxfordshire. Hazel comforts her young sister by telling her stories of their own make-believe world, Whisperwood. One day Flora disappears and is thought to have drowned in the river Thames.

Flash-forward twenty years and Hazel is working in a bookshop specializing in rare books and first editions. A book comes into the shop and Hazel discovers it is about their Whisperwood! Reeling from the impossibility Hazel tries to contact the author and find out how she could possibly know the intricacies of her private make believe world only Flora knew about.

I absolutely loved getting lost in this story, wrapped up in the mystery of what happened to Flora Lea. Patti's writing is gorgeous.

Thank you NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

nichughes's review against another edition

3.0

I really wanted to like this more… too much repetition, flowery language, convenient coincidence, predictability. Characters felt too perfect and/or flat, I kept waiting for depth that never developed. Plus, every time “Whisperwood” was said three times it felt like Beetlejuice - I started to cringe.