The Wartime Evacuees

England 1939: A heart-wrenching story of a mother and daughter separated by war, and finding hope in the darkest of times.

With the country on the brink of war, single mother Jean embraces her ten-year-old daughter, Valerie, before she puts her on a train to Somerset alongside hundreds of other evacuees. Jean’s heart breaks as she vows they’ll be together again soon, knowing it’s a promise she might not be able to keep.

Wrenched away from her mother and everything familiar, Valerie arrives in Somerset and nervously waits in the village hall to find a host family. When she is the only child left, she is sent to live with Mrs Woods, a woman so horrible that Valerie is desperate for Jean to bring her home. But as the weeks turns into months, Valerie finally accepts her mother isn’t coming.

Meanwhile in London, Jean’s life has been torn apart by the war. Desperate and with nowhere to live, she turns to someone from her past, someone she has always kept a secret from her daughter. But when Valerie finally visits and discovers the truth, both their worlds come crashing down. Questioning if she can ever be the mother that Valerie deserves, Jean makes a heartbreaking decision that will have consequences long after the war has ended.

A heartbreaking historical novel set in World War Two that will have you completely gripped. Perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Shirley Dickson and Sandy Taylor.