Lucy Strange

Petra, youngest daughter of a British lighthouse keeper, is about to have her world turned upside down by World War II. She and her sister Magda have always loved their cozy home in the cottage attached to the lighthouse, near a small seaside town. However, their German-born mother is sent away to an internment camp at the start of the war, under suspicion of having passed maps and charts to the enemy. Somebody in their village is a traitor, and all Petra knows is that her mother would never do such a thing. But who would? If she can figure out the mystery, will she get her mother back?

I found this a compelling read. The lighthouse setting is intriguing and the mystery element is strong. There's some adventure and some tragedy, though many of the horrors of war are kept at a distance. It doesn't quite have the warmth of The War that Saved My Life, but readers who enjoy British home-front stories would do well to consider this one.… (mere)

It's funny, I don't really like adult literary fiction, but the kid version is totally intoxicating.

This story is hard and yet I could not put it down. Deals with themes of loss and mental illness and neglect. There's a lot of fear and sorrow in this book, but there's also a lot of bravery and hope, and unexpected allies, and a magical feel, even though it's an entirely realistic book. Set just after WWI in the British countryside, Henry's family is reeling from the death of her brother a year before, and have just moved to a seaside town. Her mother is lost to grief, her father seems unable to help and absents himself, and Henry and her baby sister Piglet are left with Nanny Jane in a new place with a frightening doctor and some mysterious characters in the woods and the town.

I love that Hen finds reserves of strengths within herself in a terrifying situation. I love that her initial, fearful judgements about strangers are nearly always wrong, and as she learns that lesson, her world starts to brighten up. The imagery is also just astonishingly lovely, from the caravan in the woods to the round window full of stars in a secret room, to the heavy scented roses of the garden. Fierce, loving, ultimately triumphant. Could not put it down.… (mere)