Book Description:
September 1940. As the bombs of the Blitz fall on London, Ruby and Stevie are falling in love. United by a shocking experience when they were evacuees, Ruby believes that she understands Stevie like nobody else can. But then Stevie is sent abroad into danger and as Ruby waits, desperately, for letters with foreign stamps that never come, she begins to fear that he is lost forever.
August 2004. Billie has rushed to her father Dick’s hospital bedside. A terrible stroke has robbed him of his speech, and he is a shell of the man he was before. But when Billie finds a crumpled black and white photo in his wallet of a smiling, dark-haired girl she doesn’t recognise, Dick frantically tries to talk. Billie knows that he is trying to tell her something important, and she must ask the questions her father cannot. All she has to go on is the name he is just able to mumble. Ruby.
Billie tracks down Ruby’s aunt, her only surviving relative, and learns that Ruby’s life contained great love, but also great tragedy. Billie is determined to find out what happened to this brave woman, last seen leaving her home for a secret weekend away. Why did nobody miss her? And how is she connected to Billie’s beloved father? Can Billie lay the ghosts of the past to rest, even if it means revealing the darkest secrets of her father’s life and breaking her own heart?
A completely compelling and heartbreaking read, this is the story of the courage of a young woman in wartime and another woman’s quest to right the injustices of history. Fans of The Letter and The Nightingale will be hooked on The Girl Without a Name.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Girl Without A Name' by Suzanne Goldring.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 5th November 2020
This is the first book that I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing synopsis. I was looking for a different genre to my usual crime and this one definitely caught my eye. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 63 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in the UK 🇬🇧 . I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture the scenes.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Billy, Stevie and Ruby. The positives of third person perspectives with several protagonists are it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This novel is very well written with a beautiful cover that compliments the storyline well. The descriptions were vivid and it is obvious that the author has done her research. There's nothing worse than reading a historical novel which is littered with mistakes about that era.
I loved how the storyline weaved between the past and the present smoothly and at the correct timings not too give too much away. I also enjoyed the fact that there wasn't many gaps in time lines so you didn't feel you were missing bug chunks out. I really enjoyed reading how the characters grew from children to young adults and all the changes in their lives. It had me completely hooked and I really felt that I was going into the past with them. The only thing I will say is that i do think it may have read better in first person perspective during some parts to get a better grasp on what was going through their minds. I absolutely LOVED and did not expect that final chapter which left me gob smacked but also was very thought provoking. It left me with lots of questions about whether I think some people did the right thing and if they deserved it. I can't say more than that as I don't want to spoil anything for future readers.
THE characters were a large mix of personalities and my feelings towards the characters definitely changed throughout the book. There were parts where I really felt for Stevie but then afterwards I thought he was horrid and really did deserve what he got. I adored Mrs Honey and thought her name suited her perfectly. I really couldn't abide Ida and I had mixed feelings with Ruby throughout the book. The Barfords were horrid people but I also know that many people took evacuees for their own gain and without a care to the children.
I am looking forward to reading more books from this talented author and would love to see this turned into a movie!!
Overall an eye opening, gripping, emotion filled novel with an unexpected twist that will stay with you for a long time after you finished the book.
Genres covered in this novel include Romance Novel, Historical Fiction and Historical Romance amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as well as anyone looking for a gripping historical fiction
334 pages.
This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5/5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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@SuzanneGoldring @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
Author Bio:
Following an eventful career as a public relations consultant, specialising in business and travel, Suzanne Goldring turned to writing the kind of novels she likes to read, about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Whether she is working in her thatched cottage in Hampshire or her seaside home in North Cornwall, Suzanne finds inspiration in the secrets hidden by everyday life.
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3kGjTKJ
Apple: https://apple.co/2ZE3rCo
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2WxpvwS
Google: https://bit.ly/32sA5cg
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