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Bay of Secrets
Spain, 1939.
Following the wishes of her parents to keep her safe during the war, a young girl, Julia, enters a convent in Barcelona. Looking for a way to maintain her links to the outside world, she volunteers to help in a maternity clinic. But worrying adoption practices in the clinic force Sister Julia to decide how far she will go to help those placed in her care.
England, 2011.
Six months after her parents' shocking death, 34-year-old journalist and jazz enthusiast Ruby Rae has finally found the strength to pack away their possessions and sell the family home. But as she does so, she unearths a devastating secret her parents, Vivien and Tom, had kept from her all her life.
Following the wishes of her parents to keep her safe during the war, a young girl, Julia, enters a convent in Barcelona. Looking for a way to maintain her links to the outside world, she volunteers to help in a maternity clinic. But worrying adoption practices in the clinic force Sister Julia to decide how far she will go to help those placed in her care.
England, 2011.
Six months after her parents' shocking death, 34-year-old journalist and jazz enthusiast Ruby Rae has finally found the strength to pack away their possessions and sell the family home. But as she does so, she unearths a devastating secret her parents, Vivien and Tom, had kept from her all her life.
519 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2013
187 people are currently reading
995 people want to read
About the author
Rosanna Ley
19 books223 followersRosanna Ley has worked as a creative writing tutor for over 15 years. Affiliated to several colleges and universities in England, she also runs her own writing courses in the UK and abroad. She has worked with community groups in therapeutic settings and completed an MA in creative writing for personal development in order to support this. Her writing holidays and retreats take place in stunning locations in Italy and Spain and whilst not teaching or writing she mentors and appraises the work of new writers. Rosanna has had numerous articles and short stories published in UK magazines, and 12 novels of contemporary fiction published in the U.K, Germany, Greece and the U.S.A under a pseudonym. Her books are inspired by the culture and landscapes of Italy, Sicily and the Canary Islands and feature strong female voices from the past and present, along with an intense undercurrent of mystery and romance. Rosanna spends some time every year travelling around Europe looking for writing inspiration and more tranquil settings for writing holidays. She loves cliff walking and her favourite writing place is somewhere with a sea view. When she is not travelling, Rosanna lives with her artist husband in a Victorian cottage in West Dorset by the sea.
(From the author's website)
(From the author's website)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
July 17, 2023
Three and a half stars
Six months after her parents sudden death in an accident, Ruby Rae comes home to Dorset.The year is 2011 and 34 year old Ruby, prepares to sell their house. There is no way she can live in that house without her beloved parents. While sorting through things she uncovers a huge secret. A secret from the past that affects more than just her.
Back in 1939 Julia entered the convent in Barcelona. She volunteers in the maternity clinic. What Sister Julia discovers there has far reaching effects for many people. But what, if anything, can she do about it?
This story is told in three time frames, from 1939, 1970s and 2011 onwards and moves between Barcelona Spain, Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands and England.
The characters of Ruby and Sister Julia, Ruby's friend Mel ,Andresand others are well drawn. The
settings were interesting and I learned a lot about the Spanish Civil war and other events I knew nothing about. It is a story of family, sacrifice, friendship romance, choices and, of course, secrets. Also the extent people will go to, to achieve their aims.
Although I enjoyed it, at times it did seem to drag a little. However towards the end it did have me turning pages faster. A good book but a bit uneven in pace. Still an interesting and thought provoking book worth reading.
Six months after her parents sudden death in an accident, Ruby Rae comes home to Dorset.The year is 2011 and 34 year old Ruby, prepares to sell their house. There is no way she can live in that house without her beloved parents. While sorting through things she uncovers a huge secret. A secret from the past that affects more than just her.
Back in 1939 Julia entered the convent in Barcelona. She volunteers in the maternity clinic. What Sister Julia discovers there has far reaching effects for many people. But what, if anything, can she do about it?
This story is told in three time frames, from 1939, 1970s and 2011 onwards and moves between Barcelona Spain, Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands and England.
The characters of Ruby and Sister Julia, Ruby's friend Mel ,Andresand others are well drawn. The
settings were interesting and I learned a lot about the Spanish Civil war and other events I knew nothing about. It is a story of family, sacrifice, friendship romance, choices and, of course, secrets. Also the extent people will go to, to achieve their aims.
Although I enjoyed it, at times it did seem to drag a little. However towards the end it did have me turning pages faster. A good book but a bit uneven in pace. Still an interesting and thought provoking book worth reading.
June 3, 2013
I must admit, I had never read a novel by Rosanna Ley before. With all new authors I try, it is so exciting to start a book by someone you haven’t read before, I love ‘discovering’ them and potentially finding books I love and having new favourite authors! But after reading Bay Of Secrets, I can say I was so impressed and will definitely be buying Rosanna’s other novel, The Villa. The cover of Bay Of Secrets is STUNNING, I couldn’t stop staring at it and it had me intrigued and keen to start!
In 1939 in Spain, Julia is forced to enter a convent in Barcelona. She volunteers in a maternity clinic to keep links and communication with the outside world. But whilst she is there, Julia uncovers a secret involving adoption practices and has to decide how far she will go to help those in her care. In England in 2011, 34 year old journalist Ruby has returned to the family home in Dorset to pack away possessions and sell the family home after her parents death. However, whilst doing this, Ruby uncovers secrets that her parents had kept from her for all of her life…
I thoroughly enjoyed Bay Of Secrets.
The story of Julia and of Ruby are beautifully told, flowing effortlessly from Julia’s parts to Ruby’s. I was so swept up in the two stories that before I knew it, I had turned the last page. The novel was so easy to slip into, and the writing flowed wonderfully, so much so that it was a complete joy to be able to read this book.
The settings in particular were very-well written. I loved how in one chapter I was in Spain, and in the next I had been transported to the coast of Dorset. I particularly liked the setting of Dorset as i have visited many times for day trips and holidays, and so for me these scenes felt familiar and encouraged me to read on. Rosanna Ley brings every scene to life with her descriptions, at times throughout the book I genuinely felt as though I was in Spain, seeing the sights, hearing the sounds and watching the characters and their events unfolding in front of me.
The historical aspect of this book is fantastic. Rosanna Ley has obviously done a lot of research and it really shows because it made the book especially gripping for me. I became very caught up in the events and I had a string urge to read on and to find out what was going to happen next. I don’t want to say too much and spoil it because this is a novel where it is best going in without knowing too much, as then you can unravel and uncover things at your own pace and in your own time, and it’s all the more enjoyable that way. There is so much depth to this story, there is a lot to be explored and I went on a rollercoaster of emotions with both Julia and Ruby.
Bay Of Secrets is emotional, rich with historical details and features some very beautiful settings. It is a journey of discovery, with not only adventure, but romance and secrets too. Bay Of Secrets is a book that kept me turning the pages, desperate to know what way the story would go, and I would definitely recommend this. Bay Of Secrets is a firm favourite of mine.
In 1939 in Spain, Julia is forced to enter a convent in Barcelona. She volunteers in a maternity clinic to keep links and communication with the outside world. But whilst she is there, Julia uncovers a secret involving adoption practices and has to decide how far she will go to help those in her care. In England in 2011, 34 year old journalist Ruby has returned to the family home in Dorset to pack away possessions and sell the family home after her parents death. However, whilst doing this, Ruby uncovers secrets that her parents had kept from her for all of her life…
I thoroughly enjoyed Bay Of Secrets.
The story of Julia and of Ruby are beautifully told, flowing effortlessly from Julia’s parts to Ruby’s. I was so swept up in the two stories that before I knew it, I had turned the last page. The novel was so easy to slip into, and the writing flowed wonderfully, so much so that it was a complete joy to be able to read this book.
The settings in particular were very-well written. I loved how in one chapter I was in Spain, and in the next I had been transported to the coast of Dorset. I particularly liked the setting of Dorset as i have visited many times for day trips and holidays, and so for me these scenes felt familiar and encouraged me to read on. Rosanna Ley brings every scene to life with her descriptions, at times throughout the book I genuinely felt as though I was in Spain, seeing the sights, hearing the sounds and watching the characters and their events unfolding in front of me.
The historical aspect of this book is fantastic. Rosanna Ley has obviously done a lot of research and it really shows because it made the book especially gripping for me. I became very caught up in the events and I had a string urge to read on and to find out what was going to happen next. I don’t want to say too much and spoil it because this is a novel where it is best going in without knowing too much, as then you can unravel and uncover things at your own pace and in your own time, and it’s all the more enjoyable that way. There is so much depth to this story, there is a lot to be explored and I went on a rollercoaster of emotions with both Julia and Ruby.
Bay Of Secrets is emotional, rich with historical details and features some very beautiful settings. It is a journey of discovery, with not only adventure, but romance and secrets too. Bay Of Secrets is a book that kept me turning the pages, desperate to know what way the story would go, and I would definitely recommend this. Bay Of Secrets is a firm favourite of mine.
July 15, 2015
Finished reading: May 11th 2014
"He gripped her wrist and in that second she was so scared that she almost stopped breathing. But she did not back down. She would not back down. She stared right back at him. She knew now exactly what he was."
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
December 20, 2017
Bay of Secrets by author Rosanna Ley is a multi-generational story which uncovers family secrets and misunderstandings in layers through the years. The secrets of one generation to protect the innocence of the next generation can sometimes have very long reaching consequences.
Ruby is awakened early one morning by the horrible news her parents have been killed in an accident. She manages to make it through the funeral with the help of her best friend Mel. Now two months later she is back in Dorset to begin the chore of cleaning out her parent's house and deciding what to do with her life. She does not feel her two-year relationship with James is going to work out. Maybe she should stay at the family home for a while to sort out her feelings. She is thirty-five and enjoys her work as a freelance journalist and playing her saxophone with a band of friends for clubs or events.
Mel helps her organize the cleaning out of her parents' personal lives. In their bedroom, Ruby discovers a shoebox hidden away she had never seen before. SHe opens the box and finds old pictures of a lovely young couple on a Mediterranean beach. There is another picture of the same girl in her mid-twenties sitting in the driver's seat of a VW camper van. The third picture shows the girl with a group of hippies on a beach, she has a guitar and a baby. From the bottom of the box wrapped in tissue, there is a string of old love beads and a tiny crocheted bonnet. The last item in the box was a plectrum, just like the one she uses when she plays her guitar. Why was this stuff in the wardrobe of her parents' bedroom?
Meanwhile, on one of the Canary Islands in Spain, Fuerteventura, Sister Julia is thinking about her long life and how she has lived through so many changes. She is thinking about the book, a secret book where she had made a record of names and dates. Only she knew the meaning of the information in the book because she is the one who had written each entry over the years. Every day she prayed for guidance, for atonement, and her latest prayer "May God forgive us'.
Bay of Secrets is written beautifully from the different perspectives of the characters as they are involved in the unfettering of long-held secrets. The consequences of people with authority to take actions which can change young lives and the heartbreaking results.
Ruby is awakened early one morning by the horrible news her parents have been killed in an accident. She manages to make it through the funeral with the help of her best friend Mel. Now two months later she is back in Dorset to begin the chore of cleaning out her parent's house and deciding what to do with her life. She does not feel her two-year relationship with James is going to work out. Maybe she should stay at the family home for a while to sort out her feelings. She is thirty-five and enjoys her work as a freelance journalist and playing her saxophone with a band of friends for clubs or events.
Mel helps her organize the cleaning out of her parents' personal lives. In their bedroom, Ruby discovers a shoebox hidden away she had never seen before. SHe opens the box and finds old pictures of a lovely young couple on a Mediterranean beach. There is another picture of the same girl in her mid-twenties sitting in the driver's seat of a VW camper van. The third picture shows the girl with a group of hippies on a beach, she has a guitar and a baby. From the bottom of the box wrapped in tissue, there is a string of old love beads and a tiny crocheted bonnet. The last item in the box was a plectrum, just like the one she uses when she plays her guitar. Why was this stuff in the wardrobe of her parents' bedroom?
Meanwhile, on one of the Canary Islands in Spain, Fuerteventura, Sister Julia is thinking about her long life and how she has lived through so many changes. She is thinking about the book, a secret book where she had made a record of names and dates. Only she knew the meaning of the information in the book because she is the one who had written each entry over the years. Every day she prayed for guidance, for atonement, and her latest prayer "May God forgive us'.
Bay of Secrets is written beautifully from the different perspectives of the characters as they are involved in the unfettering of long-held secrets. The consequences of people with authority to take actions which can change young lives and the heartbreaking results.
July 2, 2025
A story that pulled me and wouldn't let me go.
October 28, 2014
This novel has all the key ingredients to make for a really satisfying holiday read – skilful plotting, great characterisation and a believable romance. What takes this book further than most holiday romances, however, is the clever way Ley interweaves the historical element.
The central character, Ruby Rae, faced with her parents’ sudden death and the ending of an ill-fated relationship of her own, returns to the Dorset coast of her childhood and begins the task of sorting out her parents’ house. In a shoebox she discovers some old photographs featuring an unknown young woman holding a baby as well as a letter from the family doctor to her parents confirming their unexplained fertility. Understandably confused, this sets Ruby off on a quest to discover the truth. In Ruby, Ley creates a character we can understand and like; she is feisty with more to think about than falling in love.
The historical element of the book then takes us to Barcelona in the 1930’s and the life of Sister Julia, who is forced by her parents to enter a convent, as they can see no other way to keep her safe and provide for her. Sister Julia is sensitively drawn; Ley gives us a fascinating insight into the way someone can come to terms with a cloistered life, despite being resistant initially. Sister Julia makes the best of the hand she has been dealt and finds some comfort in her work in the maternity wards, where she is given the task of helping to look after “the fallen women”. In time, this leads to the appalling discovery of what the ghastly Dr. Lopez is really up to. Ley, here, has utilised the true story of the “Ninos Robados”, babies stolen from their single mothers after birth to be sold to wealthy childless couples deemed to be of the right political persuasion, a practice which began under Franco and supposedly continued until the 1990’s.
Bay of Secrets also delivers on the romantic front. The hero, Andres Moran is a charismatic character, with secrets of his own and a mystery about his own childhood that he is keen to unravel. The romance that develops between him and Ruby is believable, although not the main thrust of the book.
As you read, however, you find yourself wondering how Ley is going to interweave these two strands but she does at the end of the novel, when the action turns to Fuerteventura and all the characters are brought together in a very satisfying and quite unexpected denouement. Here, against the backdrop of the island’s white beaches and picturesque villages, Sister Julia finds a way of dealing with the knowledge she has carried with her all those years and Ruby Rae finally finds the answers to her questions, as well as her man.
The only drawback to the novel is that, being set in three places – West Dorset, Barcelona and Fuerteventura (Barcelona is barely glimpsed, since most of the time we are behind the secure walls of the convent or busy in the hospital) – this novel doesn’t really give us much of a feel of any of the places, but who cares, since it delivers so much on every other front?
The central character, Ruby Rae, faced with her parents’ sudden death and the ending of an ill-fated relationship of her own, returns to the Dorset coast of her childhood and begins the task of sorting out her parents’ house. In a shoebox she discovers some old photographs featuring an unknown young woman holding a baby as well as a letter from the family doctor to her parents confirming their unexplained fertility. Understandably confused, this sets Ruby off on a quest to discover the truth. In Ruby, Ley creates a character we can understand and like; she is feisty with more to think about than falling in love.
The historical element of the book then takes us to Barcelona in the 1930’s and the life of Sister Julia, who is forced by her parents to enter a convent, as they can see no other way to keep her safe and provide for her. Sister Julia is sensitively drawn; Ley gives us a fascinating insight into the way someone can come to terms with a cloistered life, despite being resistant initially. Sister Julia makes the best of the hand she has been dealt and finds some comfort in her work in the maternity wards, where she is given the task of helping to look after “the fallen women”. In time, this leads to the appalling discovery of what the ghastly Dr. Lopez is really up to. Ley, here, has utilised the true story of the “Ninos Robados”, babies stolen from their single mothers after birth to be sold to wealthy childless couples deemed to be of the right political persuasion, a practice which began under Franco and supposedly continued until the 1990’s.
Bay of Secrets also delivers on the romantic front. The hero, Andres Moran is a charismatic character, with secrets of his own and a mystery about his own childhood that he is keen to unravel. The romance that develops between him and Ruby is believable, although not the main thrust of the book.
As you read, however, you find yourself wondering how Ley is going to interweave these two strands but she does at the end of the novel, when the action turns to Fuerteventura and all the characters are brought together in a very satisfying and quite unexpected denouement. Here, against the backdrop of the island’s white beaches and picturesque villages, Sister Julia finds a way of dealing with the knowledge she has carried with her all those years and Ruby Rae finally finds the answers to her questions, as well as her man.
The only drawback to the novel is that, being set in three places – West Dorset, Barcelona and Fuerteventura (Barcelona is barely glimpsed, since most of the time we are behind the secure walls of the convent or busy in the hospital) – this novel doesn’t really give us much of a feel of any of the places, but who cares, since it delivers so much on every other front?
May 12, 2013
Following the death of her parents, Ruby Rae is clearing out the family home when she discovers a small box of photographs but who is in them? Why has Ruby never seen these pictures before?
In a different era and country, Sister Julia is sent to live in a convent as her parents can no longer afford to feed her. While living there she helps out at a maternity clinic but all is not what it seems and Sister Julia finds some disturbing goings on.
I quite enjoyed this book, I loved the back and fore of the different era's, Ruby's being set in England 2011 and Sister Julia's being set in Spain 1939. At first I couldn't work out how they could be connected but with further reading all became clear.
I enjoyed all the characters, there were plenty of side characters but not enough to get confused as it was easy for me to keep them to their separate timelines.
Towards the end of the book, there was a twist that didn't make the story believable, up until that point it was all going well but that twist was just a bit to far fetched for my liking so did put a slight dampener on it.
Saying that I would recommend Bay of Secrets, a nice holiday read or a good read for a rainy day. Try it and see!
In a different era and country, Sister Julia is sent to live in a convent as her parents can no longer afford to feed her. While living there she helps out at a maternity clinic but all is not what it seems and Sister Julia finds some disturbing goings on.
I quite enjoyed this book, I loved the back and fore of the different era's, Ruby's being set in England 2011 and Sister Julia's being set in Spain 1939. At first I couldn't work out how they could be connected but with further reading all became clear.
I enjoyed all the characters, there were plenty of side characters but not enough to get confused as it was easy for me to keep them to their separate timelines.
Towards the end of the book, there was a twist that didn't make the story believable, up until that point it was all going well but that twist was just a bit to far fetched for my liking so did put a slight dampener on it.
Saying that I would recommend Bay of Secrets, a nice holiday read or a good read for a rainy day. Try it and see!
May 2, 2020
Don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is just another light, summery, romantic read. It has the essential, appealing location settings, and it has a will they, won't they romantic storyline. But, underlying that, and linking into a theme of families and who we are, is a deeper thread exploring the subject of the niños robados. This was the state sanctioned abduction of children from Republican parents that took place during the Spanish Civil War and throughout Franco's rule. As in many other countries the Catholic Church was complicit in this practice, which continued well into the 1980's.
I was immediately lured in by Ruby's faltering relationship with her boyfriend, one which was compounded by the death of her parents. Having made a decision that she thought would resolve her future, she finds herself delving into the past. It's a story based on secrets on lies and not just for Ruby.
The story had me engrossed and I happily recommend it.
I was immediately lured in by Ruby's faltering relationship with her boyfriend, one which was compounded by the death of her parents. Having made a decision that she thought would resolve her future, she finds herself delving into the past. It's a story based on secrets on lies and not just for Ruby.
The story had me engrossed and I happily recommend it.
January 19, 2016
This was an enjoyable enough read, but it could REALLY do with a good edit! It's a bit repetitive (if I had to read, 'her heart went out to...' one more time, I may have screamed!) and the 'twists' were all predictable. Given this, much less time could have been spent alluding to the various mysteries - or else more could have been revealed throughout the book. The end was quite anti-climatic and, given how long the book was, it seemed a bit abrupt. I would have liked it to carry on slightly longer to give more of a resolution to the events it had seemed to be building up to. Her style is also a little clunky – it says that the author runs creative writing workshops and it shows. It just feels too self-conscious and as though she is ticking off a creative writing checklist rather than flowing naturally. The subject matter is interesting though and it is worth reading
January 7, 2022
It’s started off very well and I found the jump backs to post civil war Spain very interesting but I struggled to really like the two main characters and found Ruby to be a bit selfish minded.
The story took forever to read, it wasn’t a page turner for me, I think there was a lot of unnecessary chapters that just made the book drag on and on and I was quite disappointed with the ending and the description about escaping to the the Beaches of Barcelona...we didn’t see one beach in Barcelona, the main characters never even made it to Barcelona!!
The story took forever to read, it wasn’t a page turner for me, I think there was a lot of unnecessary chapters that just made the book drag on and on and I was quite disappointed with the ending and the description about escaping to the the Beaches of Barcelona...we didn’t see one beach in Barcelona, the main characters never even made it to Barcelona!!
May 18, 2016
I enjoyed this book despite the rather far reaching, unbelievable coincidence (no spoilers, but you will know what I mean). I liked The mixture of the two stories and I had tried to guess how they intertwined but I got it wrong, which was a good thing. I also liked the main characters in each of the two stories, and found Sister Julia's story and the reason she ended up in the convent, so heartbreakingly sad.
July 14, 2021
The true story in this book gets lost in the constant back and forth between current thoughts and remembered ones. I had so much trouble working out where and when we were I almost gave up. This is also the second time I've read this book (I like to give them a second chance) and I've only just realised what the main story is - it just gets lost, which is a shame as it should have been a really moving and emotionally challenging one. Sadly I just couldn't wait to finish it.
March 25, 2016
Really enjoyed the theme of adoption and thought it was cleverly woven together throughout all the the characters. The book felt very drawn out, the rushed in the last one hundred pages which I find very annoying. Also Ruby's story was left unfinished, which was disappointing as she was the main character. Loved the description of Spain, the colours really popped!
August 14, 2020
I have not heard of this author before but was given this book by a friend and i must say i really enjoyed it. It has good separate story lines which all connect up towards the end and i found the book easy to follow, well written and although not what i could call a very meaty, punchy or thrilling book, nevertheless it is a very good read
November 18, 2020
This is exactly the kind of book it looks like. Easy read, perfect for not-too-focused days on the beach and it worked for me in rainy November too. I've read better books of this type, but I've also read way worse!
November 10, 2013
loved it but disappointed with the ending :(
July 29, 2018
It kept me intrigued and curious on how this story would end. It was slow going. But very disappointed with the ending.
May 6, 2018
Das Buch war, wenn ich das richtig weiß, ein Tipp von Frau Bücher-in-meiner-Hand und mit deren Tipps lag ich bisher meist richtig- so auch hier!
Das Buch wird in drei verschiedenen Handlungssträngen erzählt und am Anfang war mir nicht so recht klar, wie vor allem der spanische Strang da hereinpasst. Die Handlung spielt abwechselnd im Devon der späten 70ger-Jahre, in der Gegenwart und im Barcelona der 40ger-70ger Jahre.
Vom historischen Background und Spanien unter Franco habe ich bisher sehr wenig gewußt, das Buch hat mich aber durchaus inspiriert, dazu etwas mehr Infos zusammenzukratzen.
Eine Liebesgeschichte gibt es auch noch, wobei die für mich nicht unbedingt im Vordergrund stand und ich theoretisch auch darauf hätte verzichten können, das fand ich den schwächsten der Handlungsstränge und dafür gibt es auch ein bissle Abzug, so dass es kein 5 Sterne-Buch geworden ist für mich, sondern "nur" sehr solide 4.5 Sterne - durchaus eine Leseempfehlung!
Es war natürlich nett, dass einer der Handlungsstränge die Protagonisten auf eine spanische Insel führt und ich das Buch im Urlaub auf einer anderen spanischen Insel gelesen habe... ;-)
Das Buch wird in drei verschiedenen Handlungssträngen erzählt und am Anfang war mir nicht so recht klar, wie vor allem der spanische Strang da hereinpasst. Die Handlung spielt abwechselnd im Devon der späten 70ger-Jahre, in der Gegenwart und im Barcelona der 40ger-70ger Jahre.
Vom historischen Background und Spanien unter Franco habe ich bisher sehr wenig gewußt, das Buch hat mich aber durchaus inspiriert, dazu etwas mehr Infos zusammenzukratzen.
Eine Liebesgeschichte gibt es auch noch, wobei die für mich nicht unbedingt im Vordergrund stand und ich theoretisch auch darauf hätte verzichten können, das fand ich den schwächsten der Handlungsstränge und dafür gibt es auch ein bissle Abzug, so dass es kein 5 Sterne-Buch geworden ist für mich, sondern "nur" sehr solide 4.5 Sterne - durchaus eine Leseempfehlung!
Es war natürlich nett, dass einer der Handlungsstränge die Protagonisten auf eine spanische Insel führt und ich das Buch im Urlaub auf einer anderen spanischen Insel gelesen habe... ;-)
October 9, 2024
This book chops and changes between different time periods, locations, and POVs right from the start. And usually if I read that in a review it would put me off the book entirely, I would worry that I couldn't keep track, that it would be too confusing. But something about this book, and this author, makes or work. I found it so easy to immerse myself in this book, something which generally isn't easy for me, and I enjoyed the gentle mystery of it. The only thing that held it back from being 5 stars for me was the pacing, which just felt a little off. Big key plot points would be a little rushed, leaving me wanting more, but more minor things would be drawn out for longer than they perhaps needed to be. Maybe it felt like that because it was a little predictable, so the big moments didn't feel like much, and the small moments were just dragging out what I knew was coming. By the end I just didn't really care that much, which was a shame when it started out so promising. It became a chore.
May 25, 2018
Spain, 1939.
Following the wishes of her parents to keep her safe during the war, a young girl, Julia, enters a convent in Barcelona. Looking for a way to maintain her links to the outside world, she volunteers to help in a maternity clinic. But worrying adoption practices in the clinic force Sister Julia to decide how far she will go to help those placed in her care.
England, 2011.
Six months after her parents' shocking death, 34-year-old journalist and jazz enthusiast Ruby Rae has finally found the strength to pack away their possessions and sell the family home. But as she does so, she unearths a devastating secret her parents, Vivien and Tom, had kept from her all her life.
What I liked about the book:
- well written
- not too many characters
- even though there are two different stories set in two different time periods, both stories still come together and are related to one another.
What I did not like so much about the book:
I just felt that the secret was not not fully resolved and I felt I still wanted to read more of it to find out what happened to the other characters such as Isabella etc.
Following the wishes of her parents to keep her safe during the war, a young girl, Julia, enters a convent in Barcelona. Looking for a way to maintain her links to the outside world, she volunteers to help in a maternity clinic. But worrying adoption practices in the clinic force Sister Julia to decide how far she will go to help those placed in her care.
England, 2011.
Six months after her parents' shocking death, 34-year-old journalist and jazz enthusiast Ruby Rae has finally found the strength to pack away their possessions and sell the family home. But as she does so, she unearths a devastating secret her parents, Vivien and Tom, had kept from her all her life.
What I liked about the book:
- well written
- not too many characters
- even though there are two different stories set in two different time periods, both stories still come together and are related to one another.
What I did not like so much about the book:
I just felt that the secret was not not fully resolved and I felt I still wanted to read more of it to find out what happened to the other characters such as Isabella etc.
May 26, 2020
I loved this book. The connection between the different time frames and countries is interesting and clever. I have seen quite a bit of information from the civil war in Spain whilst visiting Madrid so knew something about the atrocities that happened at this time. The story connects Julia, who has to enter a convent as her family cannot feed or care for her. She is sent to work in a maternity hospital but is conscious that something is very suspicious as so many babies die at birth. There also seem to be a lot of wealthy visitors to the clinic. Why?
Ruby Rae loses her parents in an accident but when she returns home she finds out a terrible secret.
A lovely read that keeps you wanting to turn the pages until the end. I have just ordered some of her other titles and hope they are as enjoyable.
Ruby Rae loses her parents in an accident but when she returns home she finds out a terrible secret.
A lovely read that keeps you wanting to turn the pages until the end. I have just ordered some of her other titles and hope they are as enjoyable.
January 5, 2025
(Spoilers)
I love Rosanna Ley books usually. I love the story lines, the characters, the locations. I can read her books in a day or two but I have to say I struggled with this one and I’m not really sure why but it didn’t click for me. I found I couldn’t stay engaged with it, I thought there was too much going on and the very late twist I felt didn’t give time to play out. I also felt the ending was unsatisfying with Ruby never meeting her birth mother. It just felt there were so many bits of the story that were unresolved and for me, it just felt it didn’t end properly. As I say, I’m a huge RL fan, but this one I was glad to get to the end of and that’s never usually the case!
I love Rosanna Ley books usually. I love the story lines, the characters, the locations. I can read her books in a day or two but I have to say I struggled with this one and I’m not really sure why but it didn’t click for me. I found I couldn’t stay engaged with it, I thought there was too much going on and the very late twist I felt didn’t give time to play out. I also felt the ending was unsatisfying with Ruby never meeting her birth mother. It just felt there were so many bits of the story that were unresolved and for me, it just felt it didn’t end properly. As I say, I’m a huge RL fan, but this one I was glad to get to the end of and that’s never usually the case!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2017
A very enjoyable read. The storylines are interesting individually but are also woven together very cleverly. I found the insight into the illegal adoptions that took place in Spain during Franco's rule fascinating. Character description is one of Rosanna Ley's strengths and this is definitely the case in this book, I could easily picture all of the characters and their actions are believable. The story felt very real until the end where there was perhaps one co-incidence too many which I felt was unnecessary.
November 21, 2019
An interesting novel that cleverly develops two storylines involving adoption and family secrets. One is set in the present and the other adds the historical element to the book, set in Spain in the 1930's and moving forward to the present day where the two stories become intertwined. The historical content is based around the scandalous "Ninos Robados" (the lost and stolen children of Francoism) where babies were taken from single mothers and sold at great expense to childless couples.
Well written and engaging this novel is hard to put down once you get started.
Well written and engaging this novel is hard to put down once you get started.
September 12, 2019
This is a wonderfully written story that drew me in very early on so that I was intrigued and had a need to know where the story was going and what was going to happen to the characters. The author does a brilliant job of weaving the past and the present together to tell her story. There are some historical facts that are also included in this story and those help to place the time and reason for certain events. I really enjoyed this book.
June 23, 2023
When Ruby Rose learns that her parents are not her birth parents, she begins a quest to locate her birth mother. This book examines how families influence the identity of adopted children and the need for some to seek out their birth parents. Equally important, this book uncovers the corruption and tragedy of Los Ninos Robados, the stolen children, of Spain during Franco’s regime. The author examines a painful and scandalous event in Spain’s history that continues to ripple through time.
August 30, 2025
More like a 2.75 stars. I found the writing style of this book just a little irritating. Each chapter seemed to end with a raft of rhetorical questions which felt like a fade to black seen in a soap opera. It also felt a little melodramatic considering the serious topic of the book. I did enjoy how the stories intertwined but then this also felt too perfect and too meant to be. It also did not need to be 500 pages.
April 29, 2021
FIction and history
I enjoyed the book for its blend of history an fiction. I was aware of the history of the stolen children and the facts surrounding the era. It was very well threaded through the novel and I now want to delve further into the history of Spain pre and post Franco and follow up on the stolen childre
I enjoyed the book for its blend of history an fiction. I was aware of the history of the stolen children and the facts surrounding the era. It was very well threaded through the novel and I now want to delve further into the history of Spain pre and post Franco and follow up on the stolen childre
April 1, 2023
I really enjoyed this book - it was a nice quick easy read with engaging characters and a great interesting storyline. It made me think about the historical context as well which I really didn’t know much about. It was intriguing and I empathised with all the characters. I found it a bit of a page turner at the end wondering how the story would turn out. A lovely read.
August 2, 2024
It was a very good read, kept me captivated and wanting to continue reading, and I felt I didn’t want it to end. But then, without giving any spoilers, when I did finish it, I felt there were too many loose ends and I’m feeling if there’s a sequel.
I still recommend it, a very intriguing storyline to keep you guessing. But, like I say, I’m still guessing even now I’ve finished it.
I still recommend it, a very intriguing storyline to keep you guessing. But, like I say, I’m still guessing even now I’ve finished it.
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