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The Girl Without a Name
A secret wartime love affair. A girl nobody can find. Is it ever too late to say you’re sorry?
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. And when Stevie does return, he has changed, and Ruby faces a difficult choice.
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 recognize, 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 Ruby.
As Billie uncovers Ruby’s tragic story, she is determined to find out what happened to the girl who went away for a weekend with the man she loved and never came home. 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 story of the bravery and courage of a young woman in wartime and another woman’s quest to put things right. Fans of The Letter and The Nightingale will be hooked on The Girl Without a Name .
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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. And when Stevie does return, he has changed, and Ruby faces a difficult choice.
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 recognize, 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 Ruby.
As Billie uncovers Ruby’s tragic story, she is determined to find out what happened to the girl who went away for a weekend with the man she loved and never came home. 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 story of the bravery and courage of a young woman in wartime and another woman’s quest to put things right. Fans of The Letter and The Nightingale will be hooked on The Girl Without a Name .
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Audible Audio
First published October 30, 2020
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About the author
Suzanne Goldring
13 books172 followersFollowing an eventful career as a public relations consultant, specializing in business and travel, Suzanne Goldring turned to writing the kind of novels she likes to read, about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. She writes in a thatched cottage in Hampshire and a cottage by the sea in North Cornwall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
November 4, 2020
Told in dual time lines, the girl without a name begins in 2004 when Billie finds her father after he has suffered a stroke, he is trying to say a name and her interest is even more piqued when she finds an old black and white photograph in his wallet. Who is this dark-haired girl? She looks happy in the picture. Why has her father secretly kept her picture in his wallet?
In 1939/1940, the bombs have fallen on London and many are sending their children away. Ruby has met Stevie and they form a close bond which turns to romance. When Stevie is sent abroad, they communicate via letters but Ruby soon finds that Stevie has changed.
As Billie tries to piece together her father's past, she becomes intrigued with Ruby, the dark-haired girl in her father's picture. With her Aunt's memories, she learns the girl’s name is Ruby and she begins to get an inkling about who Ruby was and what she meant to her father.
The book piqued my interest from the very beginning. I found all the women to be interesting characters except for one. If you read this, you may have a good idea who I am referring to. The book also looks at the effects of trauma, PTSD, abuse and war. This book is also about love, friendship, hope, fear, bravery, betrayal and new beginnings. You may not like the actions of some of the characters. You may not approve of their choices or behaviors. Will you be moved by the trauma these child evacuees endured? Will it affect how you feel about the actions they take as adults? Will you admire the courage that some show? Will you be moved by other character's kindness?
I also appreciated how Billie's character learned that her father was more than just her father, he was a man with a past which she knew nothing about. I liked this aspect of her realizing that she really did not know her father at all. She knew what type of father he was, but did she know what kind of man he was?
I found this book to be well written and I thought she did a wonderful job weaving the two timelines and did not see the ending. Thought provoking, captivating and heartbreaking at times, it was an enjoyable read which evoked emotion.
This was my first book by Suzanne Goldring and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
In 1939/1940, the bombs have fallen on London and many are sending their children away. Ruby has met Stevie and they form a close bond which turns to romance. When Stevie is sent abroad, they communicate via letters but Ruby soon finds that Stevie has changed.
As Billie tries to piece together her father's past, she becomes intrigued with Ruby, the dark-haired girl in her father's picture. With her Aunt's memories, she learns the girl’s name is Ruby and she begins to get an inkling about who Ruby was and what she meant to her father.
The book piqued my interest from the very beginning. I found all the women to be interesting characters except for one. If you read this, you may have a good idea who I am referring to. The book also looks at the effects of trauma, PTSD, abuse and war. This book is also about love, friendship, hope, fear, bravery, betrayal and new beginnings. You may not like the actions of some of the characters. You may not approve of their choices or behaviors. Will you be moved by the trauma these child evacuees endured? Will it affect how you feel about the actions they take as adults? Will you admire the courage that some show? Will you be moved by other character's kindness?
I also appreciated how Billie's character learned that her father was more than just her father, he was a man with a past which she knew nothing about. I liked this aspect of her realizing that she really did not know her father at all. She knew what type of father he was, but did she know what kind of man he was?
I found this book to be well written and I thought she did a wonderful job weaving the two timelines and did not see the ending. Thought provoking, captivating and heartbreaking at times, it was an enjoyable read which evoked emotion.
This was my first book by Suzanne Goldring and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 11, 2020
I can't get over how good this book was. The Girl Without a Name filled me with so many emotions. Emotions such as hatred and fear, to heartbreak. Then finally to acceptance.
A page-turner for sure as you are transported back and forth between past and present. You follow the lives of Ruby and Stevie from childhood during WWII, to modern day adulthood and beyond.
Suzanne Goldring's in depth research, character development, and plot execution has made me a big fan. An excellent read. Five amazing stars. I loved it!
I received a digital ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
A page-turner for sure as you are transported back and forth between past and present. You follow the lives of Ruby and Stevie from childhood during WWII, to modern day adulthood and beyond.
Suzanne Goldring's in depth research, character development, and plot execution has made me a big fan. An excellent read. Five amazing stars. I loved it!
I received a digital ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
November 4, 2020
August 2004. Dick Stevens is found slumped in his lounge chair by his daughter Billie, he can’t speak, he’s desperately trying to tell her something and Billie can’t understand him. He’s had a stroke and taken by ambulance to hospital, once her dad’s stable Billie gathers his things and she notices he has an old crumpled photo in his wallet. Billie is Dick’s eldest daughter, she knows the young lady in the photo isn’t her mum and who is the mystery woman?
September 1939. The children from Christchurch school are being evacuated to the country, Ruby Morrison is on the train with Joan and Stevie Sevens, the children are at first rather excited going on a trip and then they start to feel very anxious and nervous. They haven’t been to Devon before, Joan and Ruby stay together with a lovely older lady and poor Stevie isn’t as lucky.
The Girl Without A Name has a dual timeline it flows well between 2004, 1939 and into the early 1950’s in England. Billie is determined to discover father’s connection to the young woman in the photo, is she his friend Ruby and did they have a relationship before he married her mum? Stevie had a terrible experience as an evacuee, he returned home to London, here he worked as a teenage messenger during the bombing raids and when he turned 21 he was sent to Palestine to do his national service.
I haven’t read a lot about how people coped with what happened to them as children during WW II, it must have had a huge impact on the rest of their lives; by reading the book it makes you very aware of how a series of traumatic experiences can change a child, especially their behavior and morals! The Girl Without A Name, is a story with a very different perspective or insight into children evacuees experiences during WW II, what damage it did to a child’s soul and it’s so sad it happened to a whole generation of English children. The plot had so many twist and turns and the ending took me totally by surprise and five stars from me.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
September 1939. The children from Christchurch school are being evacuated to the country, Ruby Morrison is on the train with Joan and Stevie Sevens, the children are at first rather excited going on a trip and then they start to feel very anxious and nervous. They haven’t been to Devon before, Joan and Ruby stay together with a lovely older lady and poor Stevie isn’t as lucky.
The Girl Without A Name has a dual timeline it flows well between 2004, 1939 and into the early 1950’s in England. Billie is determined to discover father’s connection to the young woman in the photo, is she his friend Ruby and did they have a relationship before he married her mum? Stevie had a terrible experience as an evacuee, he returned home to London, here he worked as a teenage messenger during the bombing raids and when he turned 21 he was sent to Palestine to do his national service.
I haven’t read a lot about how people coped with what happened to them as children during WW II, it must have had a huge impact on the rest of their lives; by reading the book it makes you very aware of how a series of traumatic experiences can change a child, especially their behavior and morals! The Girl Without A Name, is a story with a very different perspective or insight into children evacuees experiences during WW II, what damage it did to a child’s soul and it’s so sad it happened to a whole generation of English children. The plot had so many twist and turns and the ending took me totally by surprise and five stars from me.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
November 5, 2020
DEEP AND REFLECTIVE HISTORICAL FICTION ABOUT TRAUMA AND PTSD
When I started this book I was certain it was just going to be a run-of-the-mill mystery book with some WWII scenery thrown in for the heck of it. Which is fine, I enjoy those books as well. But this one surprised me in a good way because it offered something more, something deeper.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Ending: I was pretty certain I had the ending all figured out. And in large part I did. But there was still a big surprise that not only really moved me but also felt extremely fitting.
Writing: Normally I don't often comment of writing unless something really sticks out - and here something did stick out. Because the writing was so easy and had such a great flow to it. It made reading through this book a comfortable and enjoyable breeze.
Research: As a historian I always care a lot about the amount of research that goes into a historical fiction novel. It was very obvious to me that Goldring did a lot of work when researching this book, which made it a lot more engrossing to read. I loved how how she illuminated a different aspect of WWII with focusing on the evacuated children of London. It made this a lot more original and engaging.
Mental health: Mental health is something I care deeply about and which is often left out of books or glossed over. Especially WWII books seem to neglect this, even though it is pretty clear, that many people, who were deeply affected by the war in one way or another, but have suffered from some kind of mental health issues. Here I really enjoyed that Goldring illuminated the effects of constant terror, bombings, death and war and focused on PTSD.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Ruby: Sadly, Ruby was not my favourite character. She was passive, meek and naive and that just doesn't appeal to me. I understood why Goldring wrote her that way and the story wouldn't have worked if she was any other kind of character. They just aren't traits that I like in a character, so I never really warmed to Ruby.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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When I started this book I was certain it was just going to be a run-of-the-mill mystery book with some WWII scenery thrown in for the heck of it. Which is fine, I enjoy those books as well. But this one surprised me in a good way because it offered something more, something deeper.
"Some people manage to bury the damage, but it can still break through."
👍 What I Liked 👍
Ending: I was pretty certain I had the ending all figured out. And in large part I did. But there was still a big surprise that not only really moved me but also felt extremely fitting.
Writing: Normally I don't often comment of writing unless something really sticks out - and here something did stick out. Because the writing was so easy and had such a great flow to it. It made reading through this book a comfortable and enjoyable breeze.
Research: As a historian I always care a lot about the amount of research that goes into a historical fiction novel. It was very obvious to me that Goldring did a lot of work when researching this book, which made it a lot more engrossing to read. I loved how how she illuminated a different aspect of WWII with focusing on the evacuated children of London. It made this a lot more original and engaging.
Mental health: Mental health is something I care deeply about and which is often left out of books or glossed over. Especially WWII books seem to neglect this, even though it is pretty clear, that many people, who were deeply affected by the war in one way or another, but have suffered from some kind of mental health issues. Here I really enjoyed that Goldring illuminated the effects of constant terror, bombings, death and war and focused on PTSD.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Ruby: Sadly, Ruby was not my favourite character. She was passive, meek and naive and that just doesn't appeal to me. I understood why Goldring wrote her that way and the story wouldn't have worked if she was any other kind of character. They just aren't traits that I like in a character, so I never really warmed to Ruby.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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October 19, 2022
Ruby is sent to Barnstaple during the war in order to keep her safe from the bombings in London. She is placed with Mrs. Honey along with an older girl, Joan. Joan's brother, Stevie, is at another farm and Ruby has a crush on Stevie. After her mom is killed by a bomb her Aunt Ida takes her back to London. Ruby is living above their pub. Aunt Ida sounds nasty and only cares for herself and what work Ruby can do to make her life easier. Ruby reconnects with Stevie and they fall in love but when Stevie comes back from his National Service he is a changed man and they break up.
One afternoon Dick is watching the news and sees a flood in Boscastle and he remembers a flood from 1952 in Lynmouth. It upsets him so much and when his daughter, Billie, finds him he has had a stroke. When she takes his wallet from him she finds a hidden picture of a young girl and determines to find out who she is and why it upsets him so.
I found the characters pretty well developed. Ruby and Joan were lucky to be placed with Mrs. Honey and they thrived in her environment. Ruby was a gentle soul who was orphaned early but she never became bitter but continued to strive for a better life. Stevie was a tragic figure having been sent to that farmer who was brutal to the children put with him and Stevie ran away and went back to London where he would go into bomb sites hoping to find coins left behind. He had a passion for life and always looking for an adventure. Billie was a little less defined. She was tenacious in trying to get to the root of what upset her father but her eating and weight was brought up a lot and I'm not sure why.
London during the war was depicted well I thought with the bombed out buildings and then the restructuring. The life in Barnstaple seemed enviable even though the work was hard there was a rhythm to everything they did.
There is a bit of a mystery involved when Billie reads about an unidentified woman who died in the 1952 flood and there were a couple of surprises that I didn't see coming.
I would recommend this book to friends.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me the opportunity to read this story.
One afternoon Dick is watching the news and sees a flood in Boscastle and he remembers a flood from 1952 in Lynmouth. It upsets him so much and when his daughter, Billie, finds him he has had a stroke. When she takes his wallet from him she finds a hidden picture of a young girl and determines to find out who she is and why it upsets him so.
I found the characters pretty well developed. Ruby and Joan were lucky to be placed with Mrs. Honey and they thrived in her environment. Ruby was a gentle soul who was orphaned early but she never became bitter but continued to strive for a better life. Stevie was a tragic figure having been sent to that farmer who was brutal to the children put with him and Stevie ran away and went back to London where he would go into bomb sites hoping to find coins left behind. He had a passion for life and always looking for an adventure. Billie was a little less defined. She was tenacious in trying to get to the root of what upset her father but her eating and weight was brought up a lot and I'm not sure why.
London during the war was depicted well I thought with the bombed out buildings and then the restructuring. The life in Barnstaple seemed enviable even though the work was hard there was a rhythm to everything they did.
There is a bit of a mystery involved when Billie reads about an unidentified woman who died in the 1952 flood and there were a couple of surprises that I didn't see coming.
I would recommend this book to friends.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me the opportunity to read this story.
November 1, 2020
I didn't know what to expect but I really enjoyed this. The writing style was easy to read and I somehow felt the jumps in time from Ruby being a young girl to a young woman. That kind of timeline combined with a dual timeline of present day could make for a jarring experience, but it wasn't. I could keep up just fine with the back and forth timelines and they complimented each other well.
I thought this was going to be a sweet story about two kids that fell in love and parted ways due to the war. In one aspect, it was, but it was also a lot more than that. It dances between love and infatuation and makes you think about what love is and what it should be.
I found myself getting increasingly angry as I read this because of Stevie's treatment of Ruby and as I got closer and closer to the end of the book, I was so freaking annoyed that he seemed to just get away with everything. Well, maybe not entirely since the book starts off with him having a stroke, but you know what I mean. I was so happy and relieved by the time I got to the end. That's not how I thought things were going to go and I thought it was such a peaceful ending that made me reflect more on love.
Overall, a pleasant read that was surprisingly satisfying.
I thought this was going to be a sweet story about two kids that fell in love and parted ways due to the war. In one aspect, it was, but it was also a lot more than that. It dances between love and infatuation and makes you think about what love is and what it should be.
I found myself getting increasingly angry as I read this because of Stevie's treatment of Ruby and as I got closer and closer to the end of the book, I was so freaking annoyed that he seemed to just get away with everything. Well, maybe not entirely since the book starts off with him having a stroke, but you know what I mean. I was so happy and relieved by the time I got to the end. That's not how I thought things were going to go and I thought it was such a peaceful ending that made me reflect more on love.
Overall, a pleasant read that was surprisingly satisfying.
November 3, 2020
I am sad to say . This book was just ok for me. I liked that IT was a little bit more realistic about what happened under the war. You get the more.gory glimps about ww2. I did not like the Main characters well except when they were young. I thought the female character was too weak and the male character was a douchebag. I liked the surprising ending Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion and thank you to the publisher bookouture
November 6, 2020
August 2004: Billie has rushed to her father's hospital bedside. He's had a massive stroke that's robbed him of his speech. But when Bille fins a photo of a dark haired girl she doesn't recognise, her father, Dick tries to talk. But all he can mumble is a name, Ruby.
September 1940: The bombs of the blitz are falling on London and childhood sweethearts, Stevie and Ruby. Stevie is sent abroad to a dangerous place. Ruby waits desperately for his letters, but they never come. When Stevie does return, he's changed and Rubynhas a difficult choice to make. As Billie uncovers Ruby's tragic story,she determined to find out what had happened to the girl whom went away for the weekend and never came home.
I wondered how the two stories were going to connect but the two timeliness flowed along seamlessly. There were a few loose ends that still needed to be tied up. I also thought the ending felt a bit flat. The descriptivly descriptivly written and intriguing. The characters are well rounded and believable.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #SuzanneGoldring for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 1940: The bombs of the blitz are falling on London and childhood sweethearts, Stevie and Ruby. Stevie is sent abroad to a dangerous place. Ruby waits desperately for his letters, but they never come. When Stevie does return, he's changed and Rubynhas a difficult choice to make. As Billie uncovers Ruby's tragic story,she determined to find out what had happened to the girl whom went away for the weekend and never came home.
I wondered how the two stories were going to connect but the two timeliness flowed along seamlessly. There were a few loose ends that still needed to be tied up. I also thought the ending felt a bit flat. The descriptivly descriptivly written and intriguing. The characters are well rounded and believable.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #SuzanneGoldring for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2020
They say you cannot judge a book by its cover. It was the cover that attracted me to this book and I am glad it did.
Every time I think I’ve read enough about WW2, along comes another book to change my mind. This story is excellent.
Dual time lines, present day (actually 2004) and war times. Of course the war generated a lot of suffering but one of the most poignant points was of the children shipped away from home in
London to the country side (or Canada) for safety. Traumatic times, especially for younger children.
The present day timeline is a daughter trying to figure out her father's past after he had a stroke and is visibly upset as photos from the war are shown to him in order to help with his rehab. Naturally, the other time line is what happened to him as a young boy, leading up to his time in the armed forces.
Descriptive passages about cleaning up bombed out areas is a quite realistic. It might be a trigger for some.
I really enjoyed how this book followed the evacuated children through the war and further as they grew into adults. Very effectively, the author demonstrated the effects of war in the psyche. Now it is known as PTSD, but it can affect a person until the end of their days.
Finally, the ending was a huge shock. I did not see it coming, though it made me happy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy in exchange for a review.
Every time I think I’ve read enough about WW2, along comes another book to change my mind. This story is excellent.
Dual time lines, present day (actually 2004) and war times. Of course the war generated a lot of suffering but one of the most poignant points was of the children shipped away from home in
London to the country side (or Canada) for safety. Traumatic times, especially for younger children.
The present day timeline is a daughter trying to figure out her father's past after he had a stroke and is visibly upset as photos from the war are shown to him in order to help with his rehab. Naturally, the other time line is what happened to him as a young boy, leading up to his time in the armed forces.
Descriptive passages about cleaning up bombed out areas is a quite realistic. It might be a trigger for some.
I really enjoyed how this book followed the evacuated children through the war and further as they grew into adults. Very effectively, the author demonstrated the effects of war in the psyche. Now it is known as PTSD, but it can affect a person until the end of their days.
Finally, the ending was a huge shock. I did not see it coming, though it made me happy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy in exchange for a review.
November 10, 2020
This is the first novel I’ve read by Suzanne Goldring, and it will not be my last! Her writing is smooth and easy to read but does not lack depth and development.
While this novel is rot with deep and dark elements of trauma, PTSD, and other mysteries, there remains an element of love and hope that protects the reader from total despair.
This dual timeline, heartbreaking WWII novel is poignant and mysterious with eloquent writing and gripping lines. Goldring leaves little to the imagination as this story unfolds. It will sit with you for a long time and provoke periods of reflection on this devastating story.
Thank you Suzanne Goldring, NetGalley, and Bookouture for a copy of this book for review.
While this novel is rot with deep and dark elements of trauma, PTSD, and other mysteries, there remains an element of love and hope that protects the reader from total despair.
This dual timeline, heartbreaking WWII novel is poignant and mysterious with eloquent writing and gripping lines. Goldring leaves little to the imagination as this story unfolds. It will sit with you for a long time and provoke periods of reflection on this devastating story.
Thank you Suzanne Goldring, NetGalley, and Bookouture for a copy of this book for review.
November 5, 2020
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Suzanne Goldring's latest heartbreaking historical novel THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME.
"She left home, with the man she loved, and was never seen again..."
Wow! Where do I even begin? Suzanne Goldring never fails to disappoint. As with all her books, I was captivated from the very first page right up until the very last...and even then the story will remain with me. THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME has a little of everything - history, romance, mystery, tragedy, love, loss - all woven together by the deft hand of its author. And it is hard not to be touched by Ruby's story.
August 2004: Seventy-seven year old Dick Stevens sits down with his lunch when the news flashes on the TV. A devastating flood has hit the West Country not seen since 1952 and Dick is transfixed to the images on the screen as he is suddenly drawn back into the past. He points to the screen and cries "Ruby!" before an excruciating pain in his head renders him limp and lifeless, his eyes still seeing the horrifying images before him - both past and present. This is how his eldest daughter Billie finds him, slumped in his chair, the images still playing out on the screen. He points to them but all he manages are the unintelligible sounds "Roo...eey".
Whilst her father recuperates from his stroke in the care home, Billie discovers some old black and white photographs...one of which was of a young woman secreted in the back of his wallet. She doesn't recognise her and her father is unable to speak clearly enough to identify her, but it is not her mother. The photographs, some of which she has seen before but knows nothing of the story behind them, are from a time before her parents met. Some when her father was a child and some from his time in the National Service, something he never speaks of.
When Billie shows her father's sister, Joan, the photos she is able to determine one of them as a school photo taken just after they were evacuated to Devon during the early part of the war. The young woman in the other photo from her father's wallet Joan identifies as Ruby Morrison, a young girl she was billeted with in Devon and whom her father (known as Stevie) had befriended. She estimated that Ruby was about 16 in the photo which would have been around the time Stevie served in Palestine with the National Service. But why did her father still carry a photo of a girl he used to know? Had she been a girlfriend? And where was she now?
Billie knows nothing of her father's early life and with these photos in hand, she decides to try and uncover the mystery.
Devon 1939: The beginning of World War II saw children evacuated to the country to protect them from the impending onslaught of German bombs and ten year old Ruby Morrison was amongst those being relocated. Disappointed that her two best friends Grace and Joyce were not joining her, she found herself clinging to a friendly older girl who took her under her wing. Upon reaching Devon, families from far and wide came to view the children and choose the ones they wanted but still Ruby clung to her new friend Joan who assured her they would be billeted together. Joan's younger brother Stevie was picked off by a grumpy looking farmer's wife with another strapping young lad and they rode off together on the back of the farm truck, excited by their new adventure. But Ruby remained by Joan's side and the two girls were taken in by the kindly Mrs Honey.
Life in Devon was in complete contrast to that which Ruby had known in London. Here they had the vast countryside, fresh air and green hills as far as the eye could see. Mrs Honey even kept chickens that kept them in ample supply of eggs which were otherwise rationed and replaced by the powdered kind. Despite rationing, food was fresh and not in as short supply as it was in London and Ruby grew used to the fresh vegetables they had daily in stews and soup Mrs Honey cooked up. So when her mother came down to Devon for Christmas and suggested she return home as there had been no bombs, Ruby feared that she would have to leave her new home behind. But Ruby didn't want to return to London.
But sadly the following year, Ruby's mother was killed in the Blitz and her aunt Ida came down to Devon to collect her and took her back to London without even saying goodbye to Joan. Her aunt Ida and uncle Reg ran a pub called the Victoria and Albert so there were none of the home comforts she had known in Devon living above the pub. Before long, Ruby becomes an unpaid skivvy to her aunt as she is expected to wash and dry glasses and sweep the sticky floors on a daily basis. However, things seemed brighter when she runs into Stevie, whom she'd met in Devon, and together they would sneak off to the pictures on the afternoons her aunt thought she was at the library. And what began as friendship soon turns to love.
When Stevie joins the National Service at the end of the war and is sent abroad to Palestine, Ruby writes to him constantly and his replies are filled with anecdotes and love. But then his letters begin to dwindle and he no longer signs them with "all my love" or "your Stevie". Then Ruby discovers he has returned and never came to see her, but nothing would prepare her for what she was about to witness. Her Stevie, her one true love, the one she was saving herself for...broke her heart. Ruby walked out and never saw him again for some five years.
And when she did, it was like the flame had never gone out. Her Stevie was back. But was he really? Was he the same man that had left her for Palestine five years ago? The same boy she met in Devon? The same boy who had promised to build her a doll house? But Ruby believes that only she understands Stevie like nobody else can.
And all she wanted was the boy who promised to build her a dollhouse. But war changes people.
Alternating between the past and the present, THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME is a heartwrenching story of Ruby's coming of age through wartime Britain, her first love and all the emotions and experiences that come with it. But it is also Billie's journey for the truth in her desperate need to uncover the secrets her father has kept buried for over 50 years. When she comes across some old newspaper clippings her father has kept in a box at the back of her wardrobe detailing a devastating flood in Devon in 1952, she begins to wonder if the more recent flood has brought up memories of her father's past.
Contrary to its title, THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME is kind of a misnomer because you only discover the reason behind the title towards the end of the book. It isn't the main story as such but it is an important link.
I never tire of Suzanne Goldring's beautifully told historical novels and I thought it would be tough to top her debut "My Name is Eva" which was beyond brilliant, but I have to say that THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME comes pretty damn close.
As well as being a well written and beautiful historical tale, the book also illustrates what was then known as "shell shock" or "battle fatigue" but what we now call PTSD. Men didn't talk about their experiences or their emotions that went with them, and instead they turned to alcohol, women or violence. This was illustrated early on in the book with the farmer who violently abused Stevie, scarring him both physically and emotionally. The farmer had suffered in the Great War and as a result became an angry violent brute. Stevie's experience with "battle fatigue" was different, but it was brutal all the same.
Suzanne Goldring's writing style is easy to read and all of her characters are well developed. It is so easy to get swept up into the story and lose yourself completely within the pages. I laughed, I cried and I cheered along with the characters. I even wanted to smack a couple.
The two timelines are woven together seamlessly bringing the reader to a surprising and thought-provoking ending which I did not see coming. THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME is captivating, compelling and heartbreaking at times but on the whole is a heartwarming read that will be sure to evoke emotion.
Absolutely brilliant read, I thoroughly recommend THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME to fans of historical wartime fiction.
I would like to thank #SuzanneGoldring, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlWithoutAName in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
"She left home, with the man she loved, and was never seen again..."
Wow! Where do I even begin? Suzanne Goldring never fails to disappoint. As with all her books, I was captivated from the very first page right up until the very last...and even then the story will remain with me. THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME has a little of everything - history, romance, mystery, tragedy, love, loss - all woven together by the deft hand of its author. And it is hard not to be touched by Ruby's story.
August 2004: Seventy-seven year old Dick Stevens sits down with his lunch when the news flashes on the TV. A devastating flood has hit the West Country not seen since 1952 and Dick is transfixed to the images on the screen as he is suddenly drawn back into the past. He points to the screen and cries "Ruby!" before an excruciating pain in his head renders him limp and lifeless, his eyes still seeing the horrifying images before him - both past and present. This is how his eldest daughter Billie finds him, slumped in his chair, the images still playing out on the screen. He points to them but all he manages are the unintelligible sounds "Roo...eey".
Whilst her father recuperates from his stroke in the care home, Billie discovers some old black and white photographs...one of which was of a young woman secreted in the back of his wallet. She doesn't recognise her and her father is unable to speak clearly enough to identify her, but it is not her mother. The photographs, some of which she has seen before but knows nothing of the story behind them, are from a time before her parents met. Some when her father was a child and some from his time in the National Service, something he never speaks of.
When Billie shows her father's sister, Joan, the photos she is able to determine one of them as a school photo taken just after they were evacuated to Devon during the early part of the war. The young woman in the other photo from her father's wallet Joan identifies as Ruby Morrison, a young girl she was billeted with in Devon and whom her father (known as Stevie) had befriended. She estimated that Ruby was about 16 in the photo which would have been around the time Stevie served in Palestine with the National Service. But why did her father still carry a photo of a girl he used to know? Had she been a girlfriend? And where was she now?
Billie knows nothing of her father's early life and with these photos in hand, she decides to try and uncover the mystery.
Devon 1939: The beginning of World War II saw children evacuated to the country to protect them from the impending onslaught of German bombs and ten year old Ruby Morrison was amongst those being relocated. Disappointed that her two best friends Grace and Joyce were not joining her, she found herself clinging to a friendly older girl who took her under her wing. Upon reaching Devon, families from far and wide came to view the children and choose the ones they wanted but still Ruby clung to her new friend Joan who assured her they would be billeted together. Joan's younger brother Stevie was picked off by a grumpy looking farmer's wife with another strapping young lad and they rode off together on the back of the farm truck, excited by their new adventure. But Ruby remained by Joan's side and the two girls were taken in by the kindly Mrs Honey.
Life in Devon was in complete contrast to that which Ruby had known in London. Here they had the vast countryside, fresh air and green hills as far as the eye could see. Mrs Honey even kept chickens that kept them in ample supply of eggs which were otherwise rationed and replaced by the powdered kind. Despite rationing, food was fresh and not in as short supply as it was in London and Ruby grew used to the fresh vegetables they had daily in stews and soup Mrs Honey cooked up. So when her mother came down to Devon for Christmas and suggested she return home as there had been no bombs, Ruby feared that she would have to leave her new home behind. But Ruby didn't want to return to London.
But sadly the following year, Ruby's mother was killed in the Blitz and her aunt Ida came down to Devon to collect her and took her back to London without even saying goodbye to Joan. Her aunt Ida and uncle Reg ran a pub called the Victoria and Albert so there were none of the home comforts she had known in Devon living above the pub. Before long, Ruby becomes an unpaid skivvy to her aunt as she is expected to wash and dry glasses and sweep the sticky floors on a daily basis. However, things seemed brighter when she runs into Stevie, whom she'd met in Devon, and together they would sneak off to the pictures on the afternoons her aunt thought she was at the library. And what began as friendship soon turns to love.
When Stevie joins the National Service at the end of the war and is sent abroad to Palestine, Ruby writes to him constantly and his replies are filled with anecdotes and love. But then his letters begin to dwindle and he no longer signs them with "all my love" or "your Stevie". Then Ruby discovers he has returned and never came to see her, but nothing would prepare her for what she was about to witness. Her Stevie, her one true love, the one she was saving herself for...broke her heart. Ruby walked out and never saw him again for some five years.
And when she did, it was like the flame had never gone out. Her Stevie was back. But was he really? Was he the same man that had left her for Palestine five years ago? The same boy she met in Devon? The same boy who had promised to build her a doll house? But Ruby believes that only she understands Stevie like nobody else can.
And all she wanted was the boy who promised to build her a dollhouse. But war changes people.
Alternating between the past and the present, THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME is a heartwrenching story of Ruby's coming of age through wartime Britain, her first love and all the emotions and experiences that come with it. But it is also Billie's journey for the truth in her desperate need to uncover the secrets her father has kept buried for over 50 years. When she comes across some old newspaper clippings her father has kept in a box at the back of her wardrobe detailing a devastating flood in Devon in 1952, she begins to wonder if the more recent flood has brought up memories of her father's past.
Contrary to its title, THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME is kind of a misnomer because you only discover the reason behind the title towards the end of the book. It isn't the main story as such but it is an important link.
I never tire of Suzanne Goldring's beautifully told historical novels and I thought it would be tough to top her debut "My Name is Eva" which was beyond brilliant, but I have to say that THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME comes pretty damn close.
As well as being a well written and beautiful historical tale, the book also illustrates what was then known as "shell shock" or "battle fatigue" but what we now call PTSD. Men didn't talk about their experiences or their emotions that went with them, and instead they turned to alcohol, women or violence. This was illustrated early on in the book with the farmer who violently abused Stevie, scarring him both physically and emotionally. The farmer had suffered in the Great War and as a result became an angry violent brute. Stevie's experience with "battle fatigue" was different, but it was brutal all the same.
Suzanne Goldring's writing style is easy to read and all of her characters are well developed. It is so easy to get swept up into the story and lose yourself completely within the pages. I laughed, I cried and I cheered along with the characters. I even wanted to smack a couple.
The two timelines are woven together seamlessly bringing the reader to a surprising and thought-provoking ending which I did not see coming. THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME is captivating, compelling and heartbreaking at times but on the whole is a heartwarming read that will be sure to evoke emotion.
Absolutely brilliant read, I thoroughly recommend THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME to fans of historical wartime fiction.
I would like to thank #SuzanneGoldring, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlWithoutAName in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
December 21, 2020
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.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheGirlWithoutAName #Bookouture #SuzanneGoldring #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@SuzanneGoldring @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
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.
https://suzannegoldring.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/suzannegoldring
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3kGjTKJ
Apple: https://apple.co/2ZE3rCo
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2WxpvwS
Google: https://bit.ly/32sA5cg
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.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheGirlWithoutAName #Bookouture #SuzanneGoldring #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@SuzanneGoldring @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
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.
https://suzannegoldring.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/suzannegoldring
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3kGjTKJ
Apple: https://apple.co/2ZE3rCo
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2WxpvwS
Google: https://bit.ly/32sA5cg
November 14, 2020
The Girl Without A Name by Suzanne Goldring is a powerful dual time-line novel that had me completely enthralled from the start.
The action begins in 2004 looking backwards to 1939 before working its way forwards. The voices alternate within the time periods.
This was a novel that I ‘lived’ as I read. I put myself in the role of the leading lady. Due to the artistry of words of Suzanne Goldring I ‘felt’ what the character felt – the highs and the lows, the loves and the losses.
London was seen as a dangerous place to be for the children and many were evacuated at the start of World War II. The clean air of the Devon countryside contrasted with the grime of London. Some evacuees found loving homes. Others were cruelly treated and my heart broke.
The reader witnesses the awful effects of PTSD on a young mind. A moment in time would be forever etched in a brain, lasting a lifetime. Subsequent events would compound the effect of the original event, changing a personality forever as the guilt piled up.
Young love budding and blossoming is beautiful to witness. The reader wants it to last a lifetime and not be tainted by the world. In contrast, serving men used the services of women to block out the horrors of war.
There are actual events incorporated within the story. This adds to the realistic feel of the novel.
I found The Girl Without A Name a really powerful read and one that played with my emotions. This was a wow, oh wow read as at one point I literally gasped out loud. Suzanne Goldring perfectly manipulated my emotional response throughout. She truly is a masterful author. I cannot wait to read more by her.
The Girl Without A Name will break your heart, lift your emotions and make your jaw drop. It really is a fabulous roller coaster read.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
The action begins in 2004 looking backwards to 1939 before working its way forwards. The voices alternate within the time periods.
This was a novel that I ‘lived’ as I read. I put myself in the role of the leading lady. Due to the artistry of words of Suzanne Goldring I ‘felt’ what the character felt – the highs and the lows, the loves and the losses.
London was seen as a dangerous place to be for the children and many were evacuated at the start of World War II. The clean air of the Devon countryside contrasted with the grime of London. Some evacuees found loving homes. Others were cruelly treated and my heart broke.
The reader witnesses the awful effects of PTSD on a young mind. A moment in time would be forever etched in a brain, lasting a lifetime. Subsequent events would compound the effect of the original event, changing a personality forever as the guilt piled up.
Young love budding and blossoming is beautiful to witness. The reader wants it to last a lifetime and not be tainted by the world. In contrast, serving men used the services of women to block out the horrors of war.
There are actual events incorporated within the story. This adds to the realistic feel of the novel.
I found The Girl Without A Name a really powerful read and one that played with my emotions. This was a wow, oh wow read as at one point I literally gasped out loud. Suzanne Goldring perfectly manipulated my emotional response throughout. She truly is a masterful author. I cannot wait to read more by her.
The Girl Without A Name will break your heart, lift your emotions and make your jaw drop. It really is a fabulous roller coaster read.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
February 27, 2023
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I am a huge fan of historical fiction especially books during WWII. Unfortunately, this one it was just okay to me.
Things I liked: the cover, chapters switching between two different time periods, some of the characters (Mrs Honey, Billie and Joan), the authors writing style and I guess the ending was satisfying in a way.
Things I didn’t like:
Let’s start with the characters-
*Stevie/Dick…personally I think he should have been called Dick when he was younger rather than as an old man. The way his character changed halfway through the book repulsed me! Also, unless I missed it, there was no explanation for the name change?!
*Ruby - I liked her in the beginning but as Stevie changed, I lost respect for her character and found her to be weak and pathetic.
*Aunt Ida - cruel
*Martha & Ted - evil
I also feel like the story starts off really well and then by 50% just takes a massive turn (not for the better) and it just all started to fall apart for me. Again, I absolutely hated the direction the author went with Stevie/Dick’s character….it is the main reason for a lower rating. I sadly have to say I would not recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Things I liked: the cover, chapters switching between two different time periods, some of the characters (Mrs Honey, Billie and Joan), the authors writing style and I guess the ending was satisfying in a way.
Things I didn’t like:
Let’s start with the characters-
*Stevie/Dick…personally I think he should have been called Dick when he was younger rather than as an old man. The way his character changed halfway through the book repulsed me! Also, unless I missed it, there was no explanation for the name change?!
*Ruby - I liked her in the beginning but as Stevie changed, I lost respect for her character and found her to be weak and pathetic.
*Aunt Ida - cruel
*Martha & Ted - evil
I also feel like the story starts off really well and then by 50% just takes a massive turn (not for the better) and it just all started to fall apart for me. Again, I absolutely hated the direction the author went with Stevie/Dick’s character….it is the main reason for a lower rating. I sadly have to say I would not recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2020
Exceptional.
An exceptionally moving and compelling time slip story, beginning at the onset of World War II through to 2005.
In 1939, children were evacuated to the country, new friendships were made, some of them continuing well after the war ended.
This brilliantly written and researched story tells of one couple's bond, their mistakes, ordeals, and heartwrenching decisions.
I thoroughly enjoyed Suzanne Goldring's first two books, but this one stands out; it is absolutely amazing, and very highly recommended.
An exceptionally moving and compelling time slip story, beginning at the onset of World War II through to 2005.
In 1939, children were evacuated to the country, new friendships were made, some of them continuing well after the war ended.
This brilliantly written and researched story tells of one couple's bond, their mistakes, ordeals, and heartwrenching decisions.
I thoroughly enjoyed Suzanne Goldring's first two books, but this one stands out; it is absolutely amazing, and very highly recommended.
November 6, 2020
The Girl Without a Name by Suzanne Golding is an emotional and heartbreaking story told in dual timelines between the present and the past. When Billie, Dick’s daughter, finds an old photograph in her father’s wallet after he suffers a stroke, Billie is determined to find out about her father’s past seeing as how the picture seems to upset him, but being unable to speak, Billie can’t get any answers. So she goes in search of the answers herself never realizing that she will unveil a tragic past, one her father never ever talked about.
It is the 1940’s and children are being evacuated from London to Devon on account of the war. Ruby is only eleven years old when she is sent away along with Joan and Stevie, a brother and sister who were on the same train as her. Joan took Ruby under her wing and Stevie and Ruby became friends and as they grew older they started to fall in love. But, war isn’t kind and can leave a lasting impression on those who witnessed the horrible aftermath of bombs and the destruction it causes to lives. Stevie, feels the brunt of this from a young age and we now recognize the distress he felt as PTSD. This is really a catalyst in the story as the story weaves its way to what happened between Stevie and Ruby during the 1940’s and 50’s.
I really wasn’t sure how this story would go and in a way, I thought it was going to be this beautiful love story like most books I have read during this time period. But, this story is so much more than that and i was often left feeling anger at some of the actions taken by the characters of this book. It was definitely a whirlwind of emotions I went through while reading and even though I may not have liked some of the decisions that were made, I still couldn’t help feeling sorry for them and for all they went through. This led me to try to understand why certain things happened in the story and in a way I could certainly find myself understanding them while not necessarily agreeing with them. While the ending came as a huge surprise, I also felt it was the perfect ending and one that needed to be said and really fit the overall tone of the book.
The Girl Without a name is gripping and emotional with rich and vivid writing that will pull you right in until the very last page is read. You will find yourself immersed with the characters, feeling their pain as well as their accomplishments. Another five star read for me!
It is the 1940’s and children are being evacuated from London to Devon on account of the war. Ruby is only eleven years old when she is sent away along with Joan and Stevie, a brother and sister who were on the same train as her. Joan took Ruby under her wing and Stevie and Ruby became friends and as they grew older they started to fall in love. But, war isn’t kind and can leave a lasting impression on those who witnessed the horrible aftermath of bombs and the destruction it causes to lives. Stevie, feels the brunt of this from a young age and we now recognize the distress he felt as PTSD. This is really a catalyst in the story as the story weaves its way to what happened between Stevie and Ruby during the 1940’s and 50’s.
I really wasn’t sure how this story would go and in a way, I thought it was going to be this beautiful love story like most books I have read during this time period. But, this story is so much more than that and i was often left feeling anger at some of the actions taken by the characters of this book. It was definitely a whirlwind of emotions I went through while reading and even though I may not have liked some of the decisions that were made, I still couldn’t help feeling sorry for them and for all they went through. This led me to try to understand why certain things happened in the story and in a way I could certainly find myself understanding them while not necessarily agreeing with them. While the ending came as a huge surprise, I also felt it was the perfect ending and one that needed to be said and really fit the overall tone of the book.
The Girl Without a name is gripping and emotional with rich and vivid writing that will pull you right in until the very last page is read. You will find yourself immersed with the characters, feeling their pain as well as their accomplishments. Another five star read for me!
April 24, 2024
Rounded up to 4 stars. Kept my interest. I little far fetched at times but pretty good storyline.
December 9, 2020
This story follows the live of Ruby and Stevie during the war and the present day through Billie, Dick's daughter pov. The present timeline is Billie trying to find out her father's past after something bad happened to her father. I like the timeline during the war more.
I don't like Stevie!! The way he treated Ruby after he came back from his National service is pretty fucked up. I hated him even after that!! Goshh I don't understand why Ruby is blind and dumb?
Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for The Girl Without A Name ARC!
I don't like Stevie!! The way he treated Ruby after he came back from his National service is pretty fucked up. I hated him even after that!! Goshh I don't understand why Ruby is blind and dumb?
Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for The Girl Without A Name ARC!
December 21, 2020
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.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheGirlWithoutAName #Bookouture #SuzanneGoldring #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@SuzanneGoldring @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
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.
https://suzannegoldring.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/suzannegoldring
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3kGjTKJ
Apple: https://apple.co/2ZE3rCo
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2WxpvwS
Google: https://bit.ly/32sA5cg
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.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheGirlWithoutAName #Bookouture #SuzanneGoldring #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@SuzanneGoldring @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
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.
https://suzannegoldring.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/suzannegoldring
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3kGjTKJ
Apple: https://apple.co/2ZE3rCo
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2WxpvwS
Google: https://bit.ly/32sA5cg
September 2, 2020
All she wanted was the boy who promised to build her a dollhouse. But...war changes people.
When Billie finds her father slumped over in his chair, having suffered a stroke, she finds something in his wallet that leaves her with so many questions. As her father recovers, it’s quite clear that this picture as well as others found in the back of his closet trouble him greatly. Alternating from 1940’s & 50’s England and 2004, the author takes on the journey of Ruby and Stevie. Both evacuated from war time London to the countryside where they both have vastly different experiences, hers is wonderful, his is abusive. They both manage to make their way back to London and life takes them in vastly different directions but the love and affection they feel for each other remains...until...Stevie is sent to Palestine and experiences things so traumatic that his behavior becomes irrational and he all but abandons Ruby.
Billie is determined to get to the bottom of things and find out who the girl in the picture is. With the help of modern technology and memories from her aunt, she pieces together her fathers past and discovers he may not be the man she thought he was.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat as many WWII era books do but what it left me with is a greater understanding of PTSD and how it’s effects can go beyond the one that suffers from it. I was hoping for a little more finality but sometimes one never solves the mystery.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookuture for the chance to read this one a little early.
When Billie finds her father slumped over in his chair, having suffered a stroke, she finds something in his wallet that leaves her with so many questions. As her father recovers, it’s quite clear that this picture as well as others found in the back of his closet trouble him greatly. Alternating from 1940’s & 50’s England and 2004, the author takes on the journey of Ruby and Stevie. Both evacuated from war time London to the countryside where they both have vastly different experiences, hers is wonderful, his is abusive. They both manage to make their way back to London and life takes them in vastly different directions but the love and affection they feel for each other remains...until...Stevie is sent to Palestine and experiences things so traumatic that his behavior becomes irrational and he all but abandons Ruby.
Billie is determined to get to the bottom of things and find out who the girl in the picture is. With the help of modern technology and memories from her aunt, she pieces together her fathers past and discovers he may not be the man she thought he was.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat as many WWII era books do but what it left me with is a greater understanding of PTSD and how it’s effects can go beyond the one that suffers from it. I was hoping for a little more finality but sometimes one never solves the mystery.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookuture for the chance to read this one a little early.
December 13, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
Set over 2 timelines, this book seemed interesting but, I must admit, I was a little disappointed.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, learning about Ruby's childhood. The second half though was totally different. The story redeemed itself at the end but not enough for me to give it a higher rating.
Set over 2 timelines, this book seemed interesting but, I must admit, I was a little disappointed.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, learning about Ruby's childhood. The second half though was totally different. The story redeemed itself at the end but not enough for me to give it a higher rating.
April 12, 2021
A haunting historical love story
This is the third book I’ve read by Suzanne Goldring and I’ve loved every one of them. She has an incredible ability to weave together history, strong women and separate present and past story lines that eventually converge years later. She keeps me engaged until the end with a surprising turn of events. I recommend all of her novels and look forward to her next one!
This is the third book I’ve read by Suzanne Goldring and I’ve loved every one of them. She has an incredible ability to weave together history, strong women and separate present and past story lines that eventually converge years later. She keeps me engaged until the end with a surprising turn of events. I recommend all of her novels and look forward to her next one!
November 8, 2020
The Girl Without a Name is the third book from Suzanne Goldring and her best since her debut My Name is Eva. I enjoyed Burning Island but for me this new book is a return to form for the author. As soon as I began this story I was quickly engrossed in the trials and tribulations and ups and downs that Ruby Morrison experiences that ultimately led to a brilliant twist and cliff hanger that I didn’t see coming until the last possible moment. For the majority of the novel I was questioning how does the title fit in with the overall plot and themes of the book but when this becomes apparent, I thought it was pure genius. Only before the big reveal did I sense what was going to unfold and I like books with a satisfying plot twist to remain a mystery for as long as possible so I was really glad this was the case with this book.
The story moves back and forth between 2014 and the war years and on into the early 1950’s. The author moves seamlessly between the two time periods although the aspect of the story set in the past slightly edged it out for me in terms of me being hooked. The scenes and storyline set in 2014 were interesting and informative with well written characters who act as a go between linking the past and present. But I was always left wanting to get back to Ruby in the past in order to uncover her secrets and many connections to the modern day story. It was the inquisitive side of me that raced through Billie attempting to uncover what tormented her father Dick so much in order to go back in time and see how the threads of the story would eventually weave themselves back together to hopefully come full circle.
The book opens in August 2014 as Dick Stevens, a widower for the past three years, watches the events of the Boscastle flooding unfold before his very eyes on a news report on the TV. This catastrophic event stirs something in him, and not for the better as he has a stroke and his daughter Billie finds him on the floor. Dick is taken to hospital and survives but his recovery will be a slow and laborious process if he is to ever return to his full self. Billie constantly frets over Dick as she is the sibling who cares for him in his day to day life and this added burden does nothing to ease her conscience that she is not doing enough. To make matters worse, Dick’s speech is impeded and no matter how hard he tries to communicate something Billie cannot understand him. All she knows is she needs to decipher what he is trying to communicate or he will not rest and recover like he needs to. This sets in motion a series of events that will see Billie delving back into her family history and as she does so some startling revelations come to the fore. The father she knows was not always the man he is today and his experiences during the war have deeply affected him and these struggles and the deep scars he conceals can influence behaviour and relationships for decades.
Billie wonders if she pries into the past, will her opinion of her father be altered forever? Is it worth taking the risk to dig up secrets or perhaps best left lying well enough alone? Or is it worth embarking on the journey in order to sate whatever causes her fathers great upset. I thought Billie attempting to discover what tormented her father bridged the gap between the past and present perfectly. I loved how she showed such loyalty to her Dad and the love she had for him never dwindled. She hated seeing him reduced to a shell of his former self because of the stroke and if she could do anything to ease that pain and suffering she would. But would she reach the core of the problem and if she did would she be happy with what she discovered? Would the fall out of the revelations be too great to overcome?
In September 1939, Ruby is evacuated to Devon into the care of Miss Honey who has a lovely cottage and does her utmost best to care for Ruby and also fellow evacuee Joan. Ruby’s father had died at sea several years before and her mother Hilda feels it is best for her to get away from the dangers posed by the war in London. Joan’s brother Stevie is put up on a farm not too far from the girls and soon they settle into an idyllic existence in the countryside where food is plenty and the threats of bombs and destruction seem very far away. Ruby begins to feel guilty that she is enjoying her time away and thinks perhaps she does not want to go back. She is learning new skills and friendships are forming in particular with Stevie.
Despite her young age she seems totally enamoured with him. But Stevie doesn’t have as perfect a time of it as Ruby and Joan and soon he escapes back to his parents in London. As for Ruby, things don’t always go the way she wants them to at many junctures in her life and when her mother is killed in the blitz she is made return to London to live with her Aunt Ida and Uncle Reg who run a pub. She would give anything to stay with Miss Honey but sadly this is not to be. I think this return to London needed to happen for Ruby otherwise the events that unfold over the remainder of the book would never have happened.
In 1941 Ruby reunites with Stevie and their friendship deepens and they start taking trips to the cinema together. Stevie now acts as a messenger for the ARP bringing important information between them and the police and fire services after bombing raids. Stevie witnesses unspeakable horrors and his fears grow by what he has seen at bombsites but Ruby does her best to allay his worries and concerns. Suzanne Goldring highlighted that right down from the men away fighting on the front down to the person who thinks they are doing the most insignificant role in the war were none the less affected by what they had to go through. People could not recover from their experiences that quickly and they needed all the help and support that they could get. Ruby offered that to Stevie and when war was declared over she believed things could get even more serious between the pair.
I enjoyed seeing Ruby grow up and face the challenges that came her way. She didn’t lead the life she wanted instead having to work and help out in her Aunt’s pub but yet her devotion and loyalty to Stevie remained steadfast. Even though national service tore them apart for some time, it’s when Stevie returns from that duty that I felt the tone of the story altered in a dramatic way whether for the good or better you would have to read this story for yourself to discover. I was taken on a journey in the latter half of the book with both Stevie and Ruby very different from what I had expected upon initially starting this book. There was so much that happened that I never thought possible because initially I thought the entire focus would be on World War Two, it’s events and how the characters coped and amidst it all would be a sweet love story. Instead we are taken beyond this point and what unfolded made for a very surprising yet gripping read.
The opinions I had of certain characters vastly changed, I found myself swaying between having loved them and cared for them at the beginning to being repulsed and hating some of them. Ruby too changed, her actions disappointed me but I suppose love is blind. She became almost gullible and like a slave to her devotion. All Ruby was searching for in her life was security, love and devotion but was she looking in the right places? Did she see just what she wanted to see and not what was really lying in front of her? Would her devotion prove fruitful or in vain? What price do we pay for our experiences as we move into the future perhaps thwarted by the past? All I really wanted to know was did Dick’s reaction in the present intertwine with the past? I would definitely recommend The Girl Without a Name, it is a great mystery packed full of surprises with a deeply gratifying ending.
The story moves back and forth between 2014 and the war years and on into the early 1950’s. The author moves seamlessly between the two time periods although the aspect of the story set in the past slightly edged it out for me in terms of me being hooked. The scenes and storyline set in 2014 were interesting and informative with well written characters who act as a go between linking the past and present. But I was always left wanting to get back to Ruby in the past in order to uncover her secrets and many connections to the modern day story. It was the inquisitive side of me that raced through Billie attempting to uncover what tormented her father Dick so much in order to go back in time and see how the threads of the story would eventually weave themselves back together to hopefully come full circle.
The book opens in August 2014 as Dick Stevens, a widower for the past three years, watches the events of the Boscastle flooding unfold before his very eyes on a news report on the TV. This catastrophic event stirs something in him, and not for the better as he has a stroke and his daughter Billie finds him on the floor. Dick is taken to hospital and survives but his recovery will be a slow and laborious process if he is to ever return to his full self. Billie constantly frets over Dick as she is the sibling who cares for him in his day to day life and this added burden does nothing to ease her conscience that she is not doing enough. To make matters worse, Dick’s speech is impeded and no matter how hard he tries to communicate something Billie cannot understand him. All she knows is she needs to decipher what he is trying to communicate or he will not rest and recover like he needs to. This sets in motion a series of events that will see Billie delving back into her family history and as she does so some startling revelations come to the fore. The father she knows was not always the man he is today and his experiences during the war have deeply affected him and these struggles and the deep scars he conceals can influence behaviour and relationships for decades.
Billie wonders if she pries into the past, will her opinion of her father be altered forever? Is it worth taking the risk to dig up secrets or perhaps best left lying well enough alone? Or is it worth embarking on the journey in order to sate whatever causes her fathers great upset. I thought Billie attempting to discover what tormented her father bridged the gap between the past and present perfectly. I loved how she showed such loyalty to her Dad and the love she had for him never dwindled. She hated seeing him reduced to a shell of his former self because of the stroke and if she could do anything to ease that pain and suffering she would. But would she reach the core of the problem and if she did would she be happy with what she discovered? Would the fall out of the revelations be too great to overcome?
In September 1939, Ruby is evacuated to Devon into the care of Miss Honey who has a lovely cottage and does her utmost best to care for Ruby and also fellow evacuee Joan. Ruby’s father had died at sea several years before and her mother Hilda feels it is best for her to get away from the dangers posed by the war in London. Joan’s brother Stevie is put up on a farm not too far from the girls and soon they settle into an idyllic existence in the countryside where food is plenty and the threats of bombs and destruction seem very far away. Ruby begins to feel guilty that she is enjoying her time away and thinks perhaps she does not want to go back. She is learning new skills and friendships are forming in particular with Stevie.
Despite her young age she seems totally enamoured with him. But Stevie doesn’t have as perfect a time of it as Ruby and Joan and soon he escapes back to his parents in London. As for Ruby, things don’t always go the way she wants them to at many junctures in her life and when her mother is killed in the blitz she is made return to London to live with her Aunt Ida and Uncle Reg who run a pub. She would give anything to stay with Miss Honey but sadly this is not to be. I think this return to London needed to happen for Ruby otherwise the events that unfold over the remainder of the book would never have happened.
In 1941 Ruby reunites with Stevie and their friendship deepens and they start taking trips to the cinema together. Stevie now acts as a messenger for the ARP bringing important information between them and the police and fire services after bombing raids. Stevie witnesses unspeakable horrors and his fears grow by what he has seen at bombsites but Ruby does her best to allay his worries and concerns. Suzanne Goldring highlighted that right down from the men away fighting on the front down to the person who thinks they are doing the most insignificant role in the war were none the less affected by what they had to go through. People could not recover from their experiences that quickly and they needed all the help and support that they could get. Ruby offered that to Stevie and when war was declared over she believed things could get even more serious between the pair.
I enjoyed seeing Ruby grow up and face the challenges that came her way. She didn’t lead the life she wanted instead having to work and help out in her Aunt’s pub but yet her devotion and loyalty to Stevie remained steadfast. Even though national service tore them apart for some time, it’s when Stevie returns from that duty that I felt the tone of the story altered in a dramatic way whether for the good or better you would have to read this story for yourself to discover. I was taken on a journey in the latter half of the book with both Stevie and Ruby very different from what I had expected upon initially starting this book. There was so much that happened that I never thought possible because initially I thought the entire focus would be on World War Two, it’s events and how the characters coped and amidst it all would be a sweet love story. Instead we are taken beyond this point and what unfolded made for a very surprising yet gripping read.
The opinions I had of certain characters vastly changed, I found myself swaying between having loved them and cared for them at the beginning to being repulsed and hating some of them. Ruby too changed, her actions disappointed me but I suppose love is blind. She became almost gullible and like a slave to her devotion. All Ruby was searching for in her life was security, love and devotion but was she looking in the right places? Did she see just what she wanted to see and not what was really lying in front of her? Would her devotion prove fruitful or in vain? What price do we pay for our experiences as we move into the future perhaps thwarted by the past? All I really wanted to know was did Dick’s reaction in the present intertwine with the past? I would definitely recommend The Girl Without a Name, it is a great mystery packed full of surprises with a deeply gratifying ending.
November 6, 2020
Yes, I'm swept away by this novel
#thegirlwithoutaname.
This novel has dual timeline which flows between 2004 and 1939-1952.
A story starts with Dick Stevens (Stevie) slumped in his lounge chair while his TV airing about the flood disaster which the scene seems stress him out. His daughter, Billie, found an old crumpled photo on her father's wallet, a woman photo and certainly it's not her mum, and everytime she shows this photo to her dad, he seems trying to say something but the stroke just made it hard for Billie to understand.
On 1939, Billie's father and his sister, Joan, were evacuated during the war, and this was when Stevie met Ruby. The friendship grows to love and even when Stevie went for National Service to Palestine, the love letters between both of them keeps flowing.
A sad story of how far you'll love someone. The ending is a huge shock which I didn't expect it at all, but made me happy.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookoture for ARC of this book.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
#thegirlwithoutaname.
This novel has dual timeline which flows between 2004 and 1939-1952.
A story starts with Dick Stevens (Stevie) slumped in his lounge chair while his TV airing about the flood disaster which the scene seems stress him out. His daughter, Billie, found an old crumpled photo on her father's wallet, a woman photo and certainly it's not her mum, and everytime she shows this photo to her dad, he seems trying to say something but the stroke just made it hard for Billie to understand.
On 1939, Billie's father and his sister, Joan, were evacuated during the war, and this was when Stevie met Ruby. The friendship grows to love and even when Stevie went for National Service to Palestine, the love letters between both of them keeps flowing.
A sad story of how far you'll love someone. The ending is a huge shock which I didn't expect it at all, but made me happy.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookoture for ARC of this book.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
June 14, 2021
I enjoyed this novel set mostly in England WWII time. I admit this book was not what I expected. I had expected a more detailed writing of the life during the London blitz and the years after. (There were details, just not the ones I expected.)
The accurate historical backround lent validity to the tale, which spands decades, but was not the main focus for the reader. British World War II history serves as the catalyst to bring the tale to the forefront. Even as I thought I had figured out the plot and ending, I was given a surprise! Well written, I slipped through the chapters with ease, always wondering whet the next chapter would bring. I was cheering for the underdog all the way. I gave Five Stars because I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the realistic characters and settings and I enjoyed the presentation as the years passed and I enjoyed the mystery throughout the novel.
I bought this novel - no freebie for me :-)
The accurate historical backround lent validity to the tale, which spands decades, but was not the main focus for the reader. British World War II history serves as the catalyst to bring the tale to the forefront. Even as I thought I had figured out the plot and ending, I was given a surprise! Well written, I slipped through the chapters with ease, always wondering whet the next chapter would bring. I was cheering for the underdog all the way. I gave Five Stars because I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the realistic characters and settings and I enjoyed the presentation as the years passed and I enjoyed the mystery throughout the novel.
I bought this novel - no freebie for me :-)
October 3, 2020
I had a strong reaction to this book. I felt sorry for Ruby who knew little love in her life until she became involved with Stevie. Everything was going along fine until about the middle of the book. Then I really began to dislike Stevie. In fact I loathed his character. He was a weasely coward whom I had no sympathy. I thought the story would end one way, but surprisingly it had a different conclusion. The ending was more to my liking than the one I originally thought. It's a decent read.
December 7, 2020
2004: Dick suffers a stroke but is desperately trying to communicate something to his daughter about the photo of a young woman that he has carried in his wallet for years. 1939: Ruby and other London children are evacuated to Devon. A friendship between Ruby and Stevie develops intolove over the 1940s but will they survive the war and get a happy ending?
I was immediately drawn into The Girl Without A Name. The description of Dick's stroke felt very realistic and his attempts to communicate to his daughter Billie were heartbreaking. The mystery of the girl in the photo is introduced to further grab the reader's imagination.
Then we are introduced to the past: WW2 is breaking out and children are being torn from their homes to find safety int he country. But some of the billets are not as pleasant as others. Ruby misses her mother desperately but she is not beaten like her friend Stevie who eventually runs away back to London, preferring the threat of bombs to the threats of a beating.
The descriptions of life during war time were authentic and unpleasant, especially Stevie's experiences searching bombed properties in London and then later in post war Palestine. He suffers from PTSD which explains his actions later in the book as he attempts to forget the terrible things he saw.
We know that Ruby is not Billie's mum or Stevie's wife so are aware that something will drive the pair apart. I felt like I was emotionally preparing myself for their separation while also enjoying their gentle courtship. However, there are some unpleasant scenes and descriptions, and I found Stevie's growing selfishness very sad to read even though I understood his PTSD was behind it.
It is not until the very end of the book that we discover the reason behind the title. I found myself feeling sad but content at the ending. The author's note at the end informs readers of the basis for the novel: a real life mystery.
The Girl Without A Name is wonderfully written and evokes the time period really effectively, bringing the characters and events into life vividly. I felt a huge emotional investment in Ruby and Stevie's relationship and loved reading their story.
I was immediately drawn into The Girl Without A Name. The description of Dick's stroke felt very realistic and his attempts to communicate to his daughter Billie were heartbreaking. The mystery of the girl in the photo is introduced to further grab the reader's imagination.
Then we are introduced to the past: WW2 is breaking out and children are being torn from their homes to find safety int he country. But some of the billets are not as pleasant as others. Ruby misses her mother desperately but she is not beaten like her friend Stevie who eventually runs away back to London, preferring the threat of bombs to the threats of a beating.
The descriptions of life during war time were authentic and unpleasant, especially Stevie's experiences searching bombed properties in London and then later in post war Palestine. He suffers from PTSD which explains his actions later in the book as he attempts to forget the terrible things he saw.
We know that Ruby is not Billie's mum or Stevie's wife so are aware that something will drive the pair apart. I felt like I was emotionally preparing myself for their separation while also enjoying their gentle courtship. However, there are some unpleasant scenes and descriptions, and I found Stevie's growing selfishness very sad to read even though I understood his PTSD was behind it.
It is not until the very end of the book that we discover the reason behind the title. I found myself feeling sad but content at the ending. The author's note at the end informs readers of the basis for the novel: a real life mystery.
The Girl Without A Name is wonderfully written and evokes the time period really effectively, bringing the characters and events into life vividly. I felt a huge emotional investment in Ruby and Stevie's relationship and loved reading their story.
October 22, 2020
3.5 rating. out of a scale of 5 The book is well developed albeit it a bit too much. The story is about a young lady who is evacuated during WW2 to a country town. She is befriended by an older young lady and is housed with Joan. Joan's little brother Stevie is kind to Ruby and they have a friendship that blooms through tragic circumstances in to a bit more. Ruby is depicted as a star eyed child with no real grasp of life. She lost her father who was absent in her life and then during the bombing of London she loses her mother. Taken in by her Aunt she begins the harsh reality of life in London during and post WW2. Ruby is strong and hard working but still has the idealization of love, romance and being whisked away. She is still in love with Stevie who has been dealt too much of life's reality at such a young age and continues to be dealt a harsh hand.
Parallel to the story being developed in the past is the current story line of a father fallen ill and a daughter who takes responsibility. Her father, Stevie is older and suffers a stroke, which sends Billie (the daughter) on a discovery trip to learn more about her father and his past.
I like the point Billie makes that our parents are always our parents and often we don't take the time to discover who they were in their past lives. Additionally, I like that Billie is conscientious of her father and his time left.
Without providing spoilers I did like the pivotal ending and the portrayal of strength and realization.
Parallel to the story being developed in the past is the current story line of a father fallen ill and a daughter who takes responsibility. Her father, Stevie is older and suffers a stroke, which sends Billie (the daughter) on a discovery trip to learn more about her father and his past.
I like the point Billie makes that our parents are always our parents and often we don't take the time to discover who they were in their past lives. Additionally, I like that Billie is conscientious of her father and his time left.
Without providing spoilers I did like the pivotal ending and the portrayal of strength and realization.
December 5, 2020
Excellent
The girl without a name. Suzanne Goldring
Excellent.
The story follows the lives of two people. Beginning with the start of WWII, as school children were being evacuated from London to the countryside. It follows them throughout the war with death and destruction all around. Then we are reminded off the fact that compulsory national service was still in forced after peace was made and many of the army units were still sent abroad, including to British occupied Palestine. But it’s the description and dedication of the Lynmouth flood in 1952 that I learned the most from. I never knew about this tragedy until now and I’m grateful to the author for this education.
I have given this a four star rating due to the authors ability to bring the events and characters to life. I felt the story get a bit flat in the middle with a few repetitions in the descriptions of mundane life. Another reference that got my goat, and I know I’m being pedantic here, was the twice referred to Ruby Murray as the cockney rhyming slang for curry. Miss Ruby Murray was only around eleven years old when the timeline of reference is mentioned so it’s pretty unlikely she had made her name into the slang book.
On a personal note though, as I was born and raised in Ilford Essex and Gants Hill it is a treat to read about the area especially the department store Bodgers which unfortunately has since closed its doors permanently.
The girl without a name. Suzanne Goldring
Excellent.
The story follows the lives of two people. Beginning with the start of WWII, as school children were being evacuated from London to the countryside. It follows them throughout the war with death and destruction all around. Then we are reminded off the fact that compulsory national service was still in forced after peace was made and many of the army units were still sent abroad, including to British occupied Palestine. But it’s the description and dedication of the Lynmouth flood in 1952 that I learned the most from. I never knew about this tragedy until now and I’m grateful to the author for this education.
I have given this a four star rating due to the authors ability to bring the events and characters to life. I felt the story get a bit flat in the middle with a few repetitions in the descriptions of mundane life. Another reference that got my goat, and I know I’m being pedantic here, was the twice referred to Ruby Murray as the cockney rhyming slang for curry. Miss Ruby Murray was only around eleven years old when the timeline of reference is mentioned so it’s pretty unlikely she had made her name into the slang book.
On a personal note though, as I was born and raised in Ilford Essex and Gants Hill it is a treat to read about the area especially the department store Bodgers which unfortunately has since closed its doors permanently.
February 17, 2021
The Girl Without a Name is set in a dual timeline of WW2 and more current day. A daughter discovers her dad after he has had a stroke and cannot communicate with his family. The daughter discovers some information about her dad's past that does not align with her beliefs and knowledge about her father.
Ruby and Stevie met as long children and their relationship grew as they grew. Their lives intersected at many different points and they came to rely on each other. It appeared that they had a true love. Ruby was the one person that understood what horrors Stevie had seen during the war and was able to comfort him.
I understand that the horrors of war and conflict can change people. The impact can be devastating and this was no different for Ruby and Stevie's relationship.
This is a big disconnect for me between Stevie's pronounced love and adoration for Ruby and his total dismissal and lack of anguish at her perceived death. He just walked away. I understand it was a different time and affairs and divorce were hush hushed. But he just left. He didn't even try to find her or find out if she survived. I get there was a perceived assumption she was dead. This was the final act that made me come to dislike Stevie with a great passion.
And don't get me started on Aunt Ida. She was a horrid person.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher . All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Ruby and Stevie met as long children and their relationship grew as they grew. Their lives intersected at many different points and they came to rely on each other. It appeared that they had a true love. Ruby was the one person that understood what horrors Stevie had seen during the war and was able to comfort him.
I understand that the horrors of war and conflict can change people. The impact can be devastating and this was no different for Ruby and Stevie's relationship.
This is a big disconnect for me between Stevie's pronounced love and adoration for Ruby and his total dismissal and lack of anguish at her perceived death. He just walked away. I understand it was a different time and affairs and divorce were hush hushed. But he just left. He didn't even try to find her or find out if she survived. I get there was a perceived assumption she was dead. This was the final act that made me come to dislike Stevie with a great passion.
And don't get me started on Aunt Ida. She was a horrid person.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher . All thoughts & opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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