ABOUT THE BOOK
Caryl Hunter believes she lost her brother during the wartime evacuation of 1939. Her adoptive mother denies his existence and Caryl was too young to remember with certainty.
When she finds a black and white photograph of her family standing on a London station, in
the company of a mystery boy, her determination to find him reignites.
In 2020, Caryl’s daughter, Megan, takes up the search for her missing uncle. Confronted by
her own secret, will she ignore it or will she remember Caryl’s lifelong torment and avoid the
mistakes of the past?
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My THOUGHTS
I knew this one would be an enjoyable read as soon as I started it. I was intrigued as I read. First, we start off 3-year-old Caryl Hunter evacuated with many other children from London during the start of WWII to Wales. Her host, Gwen becomes her adoptive mother who is dealing with her own grief at the loss of her husband to the war. Told she was an only child Caryl always had a sense of loneliness growing up that continued into her adulthood. Searching for answers, she feels as though she remembers a brother but doesn’t remember the details. Wanting answers about her biological mother her adoptive mother is no help and shuts her down when she questions her. I could feel Caryl’s pain as she diligently and fruitlessly searches for answers as her life feels so incomplete.
The book is a dual timeline as it features Caryl’s daughters and the struggles they have as well. We revisit the pandemic and how the world shut down for a while as we quarantined and the struggles, we all went through. A secret buried so deep she thought it would never see the light of day, now she realizes her choices she made so many years ago have been laid bare with possible devastating consequences. Family secrets, lifelong searching, betrayal, a need for answers. A book I simply couldn’t put down! The characters faced a lot of adversities, so well written. I enjoyed the author’s writing voice and will be on the lookout for more by her.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
US Amazon buy link
287 pages May 1,2024 publication date Publisher : Wings ePress, Inc.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Before completing her debut novel, ‘The Photograph’, Diane’s writing journey began with short stories. Her writing credits include Flash Fiction and Short Stories published in several anthologies including success in the Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Competition – ‘A life Lesson’, 2nd Place (2019) and ‘Courting Danger’, Longlisted (2020).
Though happily settled in Brisbane, Australia since 1996, much of her inspiration comes from the UK. Using stunning locations as the backdrop, her novels feature restless women craving truth, identity and love. She propels her female protagonists into complex family predicaments where they must deal with the agony of missing siblings, absent fathers or ethical dilemmas. When not writing she takes long walks in the Australian bush, upcycles vintage furniture, spends time with family and friends and spoils her cavoodle puppy.
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