The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

Patti Callahan Henry’s new novel reminds us that stories are essential to the human experience. The sharing of stories provides connection and comfort, especially during troubled times. The Secret Book of Flora Lea is part WWII saga, part mystery and part character analysis. Except for a couple plot points, I found the story engrossing and quite enjoyable.

Hazel Linden and her sister Flora are sent by train from London to the countryside in September of 1939. This was under the English government’s Operation Pied Piper, a mass evacuation plan to protect children from imminent German bombings during World War II. To help her little sister cope with being separated from their mother, Hazel, age 14, tells her five-year-old sister stories about a magical land called Whisperwood. They close their eyes and visit this imaginary world and Hazel tells Flora,”You are always safe in Whisperwood.”

In 1960, Hazel found solace in a London bookstore. Her sister Flora was last seen sitting by the Thames River in the English countryside twenty years ago. The police believe she drowned. Since Flora’s disappearance, Hazel has trudged through her life, attending university, securing a job, and living independently. Yet, she is filled with grief and traumatized by what happened. She feels enormous guilt about her sister’s disappearance. When a manuscript titled Whisperwood and the River of Stars arrives at Hazel’s bookstore, Hazel embarks on a search to find out who wrote this book and if the arrival of the book means her sister might be alive.

Chapters rotate between 1940 and 1960, each one a testament to the power of storytelling. Henry’s writing and her depiction of Hazel’s internal life after her sister’s disappearance are described well. Yes, the ending might be too tidy, but I felt it was gratifying and plausible. More importantly, all the characters are decent people who want to be kind. In our own troubled times, a happy ending feels like a gift. 4/5