A Child Far from Home

The Wartime Evacuees Series #1

by Lizzie Page

England 1939: A heart-wrenching story of a mother and daughter separated by war, and finding hope in the darkest of times.

With the country on the brink of war, single mother Jean embraces her ten-year-old daughter, Valerie, before she puts her on a train to Somerset alongside hundreds of other evacuees. Jean’s heart breaks as she vows they’ll be together again soon, knowing it’s a promise she might not be able to keep.

Wrenched away from her mother and everything familiar, Valerie arrives in Somerset and nervously waits in the village hall to find a host family. When she is the only child left, she is sent to live with Mrs Woods, a woman so horrible that Valerie is desperate for Jean to bring her home. But as the weeks turns into months, Valerie finally accepts her mother isn’t coming.

Meanwhile in London, Jean’s life has been torn apart by the war. Desperate and with nowhere to live, she turns to someone from her past, someone she has always kept a secret from her daughter. But when Valerie finally visits and discovers the truth, both their worlds come crashing down. Questioning if she can ever be the mother that Valerie deserves, Jean makes a heartbreaking decision that will have consequences long after the war has ended.

A heartbreaking historical novel set in World War Two that will have you completely gripped. Perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Shirley Dickson and Sandy Taylor.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Amazon, World War II

492 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2024

About the author

Hello and thank you for stopping by.

I love reading ALL the books, and I've always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to me to write historical fiction.

I live with my family by the sea in South East England. And with my dog. How did I forget my dog? I enjoy traveling and lived in Japan for several years. I've had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling - but being a writer is my absolute favourite.

I hope my novels help shine a light on the achievements, love and relationships of twentieth-century women, and that the books are entertaining and moving.

I'd love to hear what you think - feel free to send me a message on twitter @LizziePagewrite or on FB or leave a review here.

Happy reading,

Love Lizzie xx

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was England in 1939 when the decision was made to evacuate all young children from London, to send them to the country where they'd be safe. Jean and her ten year old daughter Valerie, had been together, just the two of them, since Valerie's birth, and the thought of having to send her beloved daughter away was heartbreaking for Jean. But Valerie left on the train with the many other evacuees, heading for Somerset, where she was billeted with the cruel and vindictive Mrs Woods. Valerie was desperate for her mother to come and get her, but when she didn't even turn up for her birthday, she knew she wouldn't come.

Jean was doing her best in London, trying to earn pennies to pay the rent and ended up as a conductor on the buses. She quite enjoyed her work, chatting to the passengers but she was shocked one day, when a certain person was one of her passengers. And her life changed once again...

I was excited when I saw A Child Far from Home, the latest release by Lizzie Page, and was looking forward to reading it. I read the author's Shilling Grange Children's Home series and enjoyed it very much. But sadly, I was very disappointed in A Child Far from Home. The first third was great, but then it went downhill from there. I felt incredibly sorry for Valerie and couldn't believe Jean's actions, seeing as she was such a loving mother at the beginning.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue Plant · Rating 3 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

i always look forward to a lizzie page book and i had high hopes for this one but alas it was one that i really couldnt get on with

i really felt for valerie being one of the children evacuated from london... they were hard times for all and her mother jean i really couldnt understand

well there are always going to be books that grab you and ones that you have to let go and this one was mine

[Carol Mageean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I was initially pleased to be granted this book in return for an honest review. I have previously read Lizzie Page books and enjoyed them immensely. On this occasion I was so disappointed the synopsis looked very interesting. The book was based on the relationship between mother and daughter separated during the war but I felt it was extremely long winded and very boring, apologies but I plodded through but did not really enjoy.

[Di · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a great premise. During WW2, many families in England sent their children away, to live in the country, to keep them safe from the bombings expected in London. This book is about Jean, a single mother, who sends her 10 year old daughter away. She ends up being away for the duration of the war. This book is about the sometimes contentious relationship between Jean and Valerie. It is about how they each coped during the separation.

One of the reasons I chose this book is because one of the blurbs claimed that it is perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe. I am a fan of hers but I feel that this book falls short in some ways, it's not a great comparison.

I really enjoyed the storyline. But, I have problems with the writing style. It is very basic. In a few instances, important events happen “off screen”. The reader is left guessing how it played out. The reader gets to read about things that happen to the characters more than what they actually think and feel. It leaves us with one-dimensional characters. And, I was not prepared for the abrupt ending. I turned the page, thinking there would be a new chapter. Instead, it was over.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

[Caroline|Page~Turners · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jean a single mother, makes the hardest decision of her life. She decides to send her daughter Valerie by train to Somerset. Hundreds of other evacuees are on the same train, many of them are young children. They are hoping for freedom as Europe braces for war. Jean is hopeful that she will see her daughter one day soon, but as the bombs begin to fall from the sky, she wonders if they will ever be reunited again. Jean has kept a devastating secret from Valerie and she knows that if Valerie ever found out about the secret, not only will she lose Valerie forever but it would change her life forever.

A Child Far From Home authored by Lizzie Page, was a heartbreaking and emotional read that will definitely send the tears falling. I enjoyed this story and experienced a myriad of emotions as I flipped through the pages. I felt such sorrow for Jean as she took odd jobs in order to send money for Valerie’s care and never gave up the hope of reuniting with her daughter Valerie after the war ends. This heart-wrenching story is a must read for all historical fiction fans. I highly recommend it.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a fan of Lizzie Page's previous series so I was excited to begin her new series. This 1st book sets the stage for more books. Some of the characters were not very likable, which was hard for me and I know I can't compare this series to the previous one.
There are several conflicts going on with Jean and Valerie, with secrets and lies. One of which is a hot topic in today's world that some readers may not like reading about. But considering the time and events of WWII, it shows one of many tough decisions that has to be made.
I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Child Far From Home is the first in a new series, Wartime Evacuees, from Lizzie Page. I had really enjoyed her previous Shillings Grange series so I was eager to see what new direction she would next venture in and I have to say this story was even better than that series. From the outset, I will say the only slight issue I had with this was that it was too long and could have done with ending a bit sooner as I found the last quarter or so just a bit stretched out. But apart from that I was completely surprised by how engrossed I became in the story. I had expected another traditional wartime family saga which I do enjoy but to be honest at times I read a bit too much of them and I can become a bit jaded with the subject matter but this was much more than that. The development of the characters from beginning to end was fantastic. Both mother and daughter Jean and Valerie go on such a journey through their separation and different experiences of war that what the author set out to do was more than achieved. As she mentioned in her end notes that she wished to explore the effect evacuation as on a mother and child relationship and boy did it have an effect.

Summer 1939 and rumours of war swirl around the country. Fear grows daily that if war is declared then the Germans will invade Britain and life will never be the same again. Jean Hardman lives in the basement flat of a house with her ten year old daughter Valerie. The Salt family live on the top floor with their four children and the Froud family inhabit the ground floor and have two children. Theirs is a little community where they work hard but their peaceful existence is about to be shattered. Jean is widowed and Valerie never knew her father but there is more to this story than meets the eye. Jean works as a cleaner in several homes across London and does her best to provide a good childhood for Valerie. As Germany invade Poland and soon after war is declared, Operation Pied Piper comes into effect. Children are evacuated from London and sent to live in the country where it was presumed to be much safer as the threat of bombs raining down upon London was quickly going to become a reality. Jean is torn in two but with her neighbours sending their children away she acquiesces and sends Valerie to Taunton in Somerset.

It’s clear from the outset that the choice Jean faced was not an easy one and she will have to deal with the repercussions for a very long time. Lizzie Page deftly weaves a story of secrets, abandonment, lies, hope, despair and longing and I found myself racing through the chapters and before I knew it I was at the last quarter of the book. My opinion of both Jean and Valerie changed several times over and it was thanks to the well plotted story and expertly developed characters that this was the case. Valerie arrives in Somerset as an innocent ten year old thinking it will be like a holiday and she will stay there for a few weeks but a few weeks turns into a few years. The innocence is quickly stripped away from her as Mrs. Woods who takes her in is not what Jean would have expected for her daughter. She is cruel, mean, horrid, nasty and foul expecting Valerie to sleep on the landing and spend every spare minute working in her hardware shop. Not to mention scant food is provided for a growing girl. The only solace that Valerie has is listening to the wireless and this will go on to play a pivotal role in her development and it’s the only hope she clings to in her darkest hours of loneliness and desperation. She misses Jean terribly but can’t tell her what she is going through which is in such stark contrast to her neighbour Lydia who seems to have fallen on her feet with Mrs. Howard and her son Paul who is often away at boarding school.

I felt nothing but pity for what Valerie was experiencing but I could sense there was an inner resilience within her that would see her through but that’s not to say she doesn’t put much of the blame on Jean for placing her in this situation in the first place. Jean has secrets and has kept them from Valerie and this will have a significant forbearing on their mother daughter bond as well as the enforced separation. This was all played out very well over the course of the book although as I have mentioned perhaps just stretched out too much towards the end. Struggling and enduring are two dominant themes for both Valerie and Jean and their contrasting experiences and emotions are deftly highlighted and explored. I do think Valerie was my favourite character and I wouldn’t have thought that at the beginning but she goes from a naïve young ten year old and blossoms into a remarkable young woman. Yes she is tainted in some ways but a change of fortune could very well set her off on the right path. But can the relationship she had with Jean ever return to what it was pre war or are they both undeniably changed forever?

Jean for me was a very divisive character, Yes I believed she made the right decision in sending her daughter away but overall I found her to be very fragile and vulnerable. She was tainted by decisions made in the past which will come back to haunt her and she never knows how to be strong enough and deal with them. I felt she could have done an awful lot more to be there for Valerie and keep communicating with her even though they were separated by many miles. Jean soon loses her cleaning jobs and finds a job as a clippie on the London buses where their motto is to always kept the city moving no matter what. As the bombs rain down day after day the stories that emerge from her time as a clippie were both horrifying and heart-warming in equal measure.

But yet there was an element to her story that I thought was dragging her back into the past that she had broken free from and here is where her vulnerability was highlighted. I thought she was being strung along and as she was quite frankly an emotional wreck for much of the story that she couldn’t see that what she was doing wrong. I felt she at times she purposefully left her relationship with Valerie slide as it was just too difficult for her. More of an effort could have been made but she choose to hide her head in the sand. In a way I had little sympathy for Jean because of how things developed between herself and Valerie and maybe because I don’t have children myself that I fell more on Valerie’s side. The chasm and disconnect grew even wider between them and I doubted that it could ever be breeched and repaired but perhaps as they say time is a great healer.

I really enjoyed A Child Far From Home and found the writing to be very strong. It’s an emotional read which really gets you thinking and I suppose in a way thankful that we have had not had to go through the same experiences. It serves as a reminder to never give up hope. I would definitely recommend this book and am already eagerly looking forward to book two The Wartime Nursery.

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much drama within this story. It really got me thinking about what families experienced because of operation Pied Piper. School classes just glossed over the situation. Many of the Historical Fiction books that I have read didn't spend much time on child evacuations and what happened to them after the war ended.

Jean is the single mother of Valerie. The reader follows their struggles as Jean decides to send her daughter away and Valerie's attempts to stay in London. If what happens to them is anything like even close to what happened I am simply amazed any of the relationships survived.

Jean was soon loosing cleaning jobs as the richer people fled a city at risk. She needed work. After all she had to send money to pay for Valerie's care. She missed her. She wanted her home, but could she make that happen?

Jean finally finds a job with the bus system as a clippie. Through Jean's eyes the reader learns of the damage, the loss, the continuing struggles. What she sees has her realizing that Valerie is safer in Somerset. When Valerie shows up unexpectedly, there was only one option--send her back. Jean's struggles continue to grow while her daughter's anger intensifies. The emotions became very intense. At times I found myself in tears. Pages later, I wanted to yell at someone. It was a great reminder of how I shouldn't put my values on the past. I just became so invested in many of the characters that it became a big challenge.

Life doesn't get any easier with the end of the war. Jean finds herself without a job. After all the men have returned and life should go back to the way things were. Unfortunately too much has changed. My heart was crushed over Jean and Valerie's lack of a relationship. Jean tried, but was now so different from her little Valerie that had spent her formative years in a different socioeconomic situation.

Jean and Valerie will find themselves in close proximity. Both will have to face the past. Both will learn to be accepting and forgive. The drama and emotions occurring in the ending had me reading until I finished there story.

I need to thank the author for making me think past the stories my mum has shared about the war. She lived in Ipswich and was never evacuated, so I had to no personal references. My curiosity, thanks to this story, had be doing a deep dive into the evacuations. I was left speechless by the number of children that refused to return home.

[Heather Copping · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely great read centering around Valerie, her mother Jean, who is a single parent but somehow she couldn't tell Valerie the truth about her father. When war broke out and children were to be evacuated to safer parts of the country, Jean felt that she had no choice but to let Valerie join her neighbours and school friends and so she was sent to Somerset. Her first billet was with a shopkeeper who only wanted an evacuee as cheap labour and she certainly didn't treat her right, leaving her hungry and with no friends. When she eventually manages to find a new billet, she finds herself with Mrs Howard and she was so different, caring for Valerie in a way she hadn't been cared for, for so long. Valerie is friends with Paul, Mrs Howard's son but he is often away at boarding school but when he returns they love to listen to their favourite radio show together. Meanwhile Valerie is growing further and further away from her mother, who by now is working as a clippie on the buses as her contribution to the war effort. But will they ever have a special mother/daughter relationship that Valerie craves so very much?
As Valerie reaches adulthood she realises what she really wants to do with her life. But will the relationship between mother and daughter be strong now or has it completely broken down?
Spanning many years and covering Valerie's life from childhood to her early adult life. With good times and bad, happy and sad, I truly couldn't put this book down.
A really emotional read at times, I really enjoyed reading about Valerie and her life in London and Somerset.

A well deserved five star read from me, as it highlights the good and bad parts of what happened to so many children in the war years. Unfortunately not just the children but their mothers too, as they lost a vital part of their child's life.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional and heartbreakingly good.
London 1939.
Jean Hardman and her daughter Valerie live in Romberg Road, her sweetheart, her darling, her best friend they were a pair, and Evacuation for Valerie to join all the other children to leave on the train to Somerset, there is going to be another war and this time around Valerie wouldn't be away long so her darling mother told her, oh she is going to miss her so much.
Getting off the train in Taunton Town Valerie is taking in by Mrs Woods working in her hardware shop when she is not attending the school so she didn't really have much time to brood, but Mrs Woods has two settings nasty and really nasty and Valerie hates the woman.
Jean meanwhile back home takes on a new job working on the buses and her first promise is broken as she doesn't make it to Somerset for Valerie's birthday she couldn't get any time off.
Oh this book from once again this amazing writer will break your heart in two, harrowing accounts of not only the war years, but also the sorrowful storys of abuse and starvation of what a lot of the evacuees went through been away from their families.
But soon Valerie is taken in by Mrs Howard at Bumble Bee cottage and her life begins a happy one once again.
With a lot more secrets that are about to surface between mother and daughter, can Valerie be ever
be abled to forgive her mother?
This author and her style of writing always makes me cry not just sad tears but also many happy tears too the storys are so real while you carry on reading through, you forget the time as it rolls into just one more chapter.
I loved reading this book over a couple of days, it's unique, one of a kind, special and other readers will enjoy it too. Have to give it 5 stars from a happy contented Booklover.

[Leona · Rating 2 out of 5]

London 1939 and war has just broken out. Faced with a difficult choice but knowing it’s the right thing to do young single Mother Jean sends her only child Valerie to Somerset with other evacuee children. Jean feels so guilty about sending her child away but know deep down she will be safer in the country.

Wrenched away from her mother and everything familiar, little Valerie soon discovers that life in the countryside isn’t as idyllic as she first thought. Every night she dreams of returning home to the arms of her mother. But when she learns her old street has been devastated by the Blitz, it’s like her heart is torn in two. With no home to go to, where does this little girl belong?

Meanwhile in London, the chaos of war has unearthed a heartbreaking secret from Jean’s past she has kept hidden from Valerie for years. A secret that has the power to keep them apart forever.

With their old life in tatters, and hundreds of miles between them, will this mother and daughter ever be reunited? And if they are, will Jean’s secret change Valerie’s life forever – and will Jean lose the only person she has left in the world?

I’ve read a few of this authors books before and have always enjoyed them so was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately however I really struggled through this one and many times felt like giving up . The book blurb sounded great and for the first probably third of the book I was enjoying it but after that I just found it boring and a chore to finish. I couldn’t warm to the characters apart from young Valerie and just found it a long and drawn out read. This will bit stop me from reading other books by this author, just this one wasn’t for me.

[the aesthete nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember visiting a holocaust museum in Prague where they had displayed paintings by the captured Jewish children. They reeked of childhood destroyed, of the evil brutality of war, of the raw, metallic taste of blood, gunfire and hopelessness.

A Child Far From Home is a testament to the fact that those paintings are the universal flavours of war.
Even for less affected regions and demographics, the children are probably the worst affected and the sharp, cruel fangs of war gnaw into and rip apart their tender lives in a way that is utterly pathetic and permanent.

Lizzie Page brilliantly delivers this powerful, well-researched, moving and deeply evocative tale of a single mother and her daughter, separated due to evacuation during bombings in wartime London.
This essential piece of literature on the plight of evacuees beautifully explores the fierce strength of mother-daughter bonds, growing up in such tumultuous and turbulent times and also how shared trauma can form and transform relationships.

While we read a lot of stories about the atrocities of life at concentration camps, heroes of the resistance, this story tells the saga of those at the periphery of war and how the ones seemingly less exposed to the warfront bear the silent scars of destruction and devastation.

While I know this is the first in a series and cliffhangers are all the rage, I would have really appreciated a more conclusive ending to this particular book.

However, if war and war stories interest you, this indeed is a must read.

**Thanks to @bookouture for a gifted copy of the book, of which I am leaving here an honest review, voluntarily.**

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book "A Child Far From Home" from Netgalley. The book starts out in 1939 London. Jean and her daughter Valerie aged 10 are close. With world war two becoming more dangerous in London Jean makes the painful decision to send her daughter away with other children to keep her safe. Valerie one of the last kids on the train ends up at Mrs. Woods home a cruel woman who makes Valerie miserable. She says nothing to her mother Jean who is trying to keep going at her home. The book goes back and forth between Jean and Valerie. So we see Jean get a job on a busline she becomes very busy and see's very little of her daughter. They had always been close, jean raising her alone after giving birth to her as a teenager. Valerie is growing up thinking her father died as a hero. Jean has kept some secrets from her daughter about the birth father wanting to protect her. After being in the horrible foster home Valerie is sent to Mrs. Howard a kind woman who has a son {who is usually at boarding school} Valerie is much happier in this home but misses her mother who she rarely sees. The book starts in 1939 and we see Valerie grow up and to a young woman in her early 20s. When Valerie finds out some secrets her mother has kept from her it and not seeing her much over the years it is cause for a strained relationship. I liked reading this book since i like historical fiction. Don't want to reveal spoilers but found this to be a good read.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lizzie Page is one of my favourite authors and A Child Far from Home is a gorgeous start to a new trilogy of linked stories about evacuees in WWII. At the beginning of the book there is a paragraph about a study undertaken in 1941 which concluded that separation from their parents was a worse shock for children than a bombing. It must have been a terrible decision to make, especially for those living in large cities like London.

It is London that houses the two main characters in this book, Jean and Valerie, mother and daughter. Jean makes the decision to send Valerie, aged 10, away to the Somerset countryside. Some children had a wonderful evacuation and others didn't fare so well. The book is told in chapters from both characters' points of view and so we see the highs and lows from both sides. I loved Jean and Valerie, and how this book follows them through the war and out the other side. This is a chunky book but I'd have been happy to carry on reading for longer. I suppose you'd call it a slice of life story, with the main focus being on the dramatic and long-lasting effects of the evacuation on both Jean and Valerie.

My heart broke for them but there are good times. Valerie finds solace in radio and I particularly enjoyed how it ended up being prominent in her life. Jean has a war that many women had, being needed and stepping into the breach, only to be cast aside when the men came home. It's hard to put myself in the place of either of them but with the help of Lizzie Page's empathetic writing I can at least understand it a lot better.

I really loved A Child Far from Home. Even the most minor characters stand out and are perfectly described, and the role of a woman in a man's world is explored to great effect. It's ideal for anyone who likes books about life on the home front. I'm very much looking forward to book two now.

[Rachel Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me coming back for more. It’s been a while since I have read a historical fiction novel that pulled me in from the start, so this was a welcome change. I was expecting a story that spanned the war and was then wrapped into a neat little package by the end. What I got was something entirely different.

A Child Far From Home spans just over ten years time, and explores the connection between a mother and a child, and how that connection is tested when there is a separation. The relationship between a mother and a daughter is already complex, but when you throw in a lengthy separation things get really muddled.

I appreciated the authors ability to evoke emotion in me, whether it was sympathy, or frustration, or even anger. I really enjoyed the book as a whole, but the ending was quite abrupt, and it left me wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read and review this novel!

[Sheila's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows Jean and her 10 year old daughter during WWll. It's 1939 in London, and the government is telling parents to evacuate the children before the bombing begins.

Jean is a low income, single parent, so when she makes the decision to put her daughter on that train to the countryside with strangers, it is the hardest thing she ever did.
How much will this sacrifice cost her?

The story spans a little more than 10 years and shows how the separation affects mother and child, and we see Valerie grow through the years into adulthood.

Lizzie Page's writing style will pull you by your heart strings and test your emotions. Her characters are real and relatable. I felt for Jean and understood her struggles of trying to protect her child and doing the best she could. And little Valerie, her pain just broke me. 💔

You will not want to miss out on this compelling, heartbreaking story. I could not put it down and am anxiously waiting for the next installment.

[Emma Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having loved everything Lizzie Page has written, I eagerly anticipated this new series. Her writing is so smooth that I am always instantly immersed in the story and characters. I always learn something new from a Lizzie Page novel and she has the remarkable talent of being able to take you on a journey into the past, while giving you something relevant for right now.

A story about a child evacuee is always going to be emotional, but seeing this from both the child’s and mother’s perspective gives a unique insight. Both Jean and Valerie are flawed, relatable characters who I grew to love as their stories unfolded. Page uses the dual narrative to great effect to show how we justify our actions to ourselves and how easily misunderstandings can arise. My heart ached for both of them.

War, friendship, motherhood, ambition and love. Another brilliant read from this author and now I’m desperate for the next one in the series!

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Child Far from Home is a WWII story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. By Lizzie Page the reader is given an inside look at the trama experienced by parents and children when separated in England during the war. Not that the English government wasn’t trying trying to protect the children whose families lived in London but because not everyone who was suppose to help was good and kind. Ten-year-old evacuee Valerie joined many other who took the train to the English countryside leaving behind single mother Jean.

As the war and the Blitz continues life becomes more difficult with personal struggles for both mother and daughter. An emotional and gripping read that is sure to pull at your heartstrings. It certainly did mine.

[PAMpublish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-rendering story about children evacuated from London to safer settings during WWII. Jean, a single mother with secrets, reluctantly lets Valerie, her ten-year-old, leave her as she settles into her job, avoiding and saving others from the blitzkrieg. Unfortunately, Valerie's first placement is cruel as she loses hope of reconciliation. However, it improves once discovered and she becomes close to her new guardian and her son. Making their way over time, Valerie's relationship becomes strained with her mother when secrets are leaked. Both hold out for loves that never materialize, giving them a commonality to heal together. A very long, but different WWII story that will hold your interest from beginning-to-end for those who prefer this genre and era.....

[Rhonda Parkhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lizzie Page has a gift to bring you into the world she is writing about

I love her books, she can transport you to the time she is writing about thru emotions of the characters.
This is a full out cry your heart out. Valerie a sweet girl of 10 is being sent to the country to stay safe thru the war. Jean (Val’s mum) is a single Mum who wants to do what is best for Val but it never turns out right even though her intentions were to protect her little girl. The story spans over 10 years and mum and daughter go thru challenging, heart wrenching times.
I’m going to stop here don’t want to soil it.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a mother and daughter, separated by the evacuation of children from London to the countryside during world war 2.
The dual POV really worked for this book, and I really feel like I knew both Jean and Valerie really well.

Lizze has done a fantastic job of capturing how difficult it must have been in that situation, and the feelings of the child who preferred evacuation, and the Mother who was just trying to do her best and usually getting it wrong.

There were a couple of times when the timeline didn't quite add up for me, but they weren't a major issue.

[Michelle Cornish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Child Far from Home by Lizzie Page artfully captures the turmoil and heartache of war through the intimate lens of a mother-daughter relationship. Set against the backdrop of England in 1939, as the threat of war looms large, the story unfolds with a poignant farewell at a foggy train station, setting the tone for a narrative rich in emotion and historical ambiance. I love a story with a good secret, and A Child Far from Home doesn't disappoint! This novel is a must read for anyone who wants to be transported to another time and place.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean makes the heartbreaking decision to send her ten year old daughter Valerie away amidst the war, too keep her safe. This decision may have life changing consequences and secrets revealed. The author has written a book that I easily got lost in and time just wilted away. I cried tears of sadness and tears of happiness. I am a big fan of historical saga and this is one of the best. It's immersive, informative and entertaining!

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Child Far from Home is about the children in London being evacuated with the bombing starting up.
How the separation affects both parent and child is the basis of the story.
The story is very heartbreaking as we read about the struggles each endures.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Paula Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lizzie Page is a new author to me, but she gained a new fan in me with this heartbreaking & emotional novel set in World War Two. I understood the bond of a single mom with her daighter and couldn’t imagine the pain of Jean. How would I even cope? Another work of #historicalfiction during one of the worker times in history that should never have happened. These stories truly touch my soul.

This new series shall prove to be one to treasure. I’m eager for book 2 in The Wartime Evacuees series.

[Mrs MJH Compton-Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad story, could have been a lot better, but== Glaring error ==, it would not have been possible in the 40s to travel to Somerset and back to London in a few hours---it still isn't today. maybe by Helicopter but certainly NOT BY TRAIN . Do please check your facts when writing about the war years as there are still many of us around today that remember them very well, as we lived then and experienced it all.

[Barbara Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shocking Ending

I never heard before about children being evacuated from London during the war.I knew about trains from the continent, but not this. Some parts seemed realistic; some did not. I did not know why Mrs Woods kept Valerie only to mistreat her the way she did. In addition, there was no indication that the conclusion would turn out the way it did. Something seemed to be missing from the story, but the book was good, and it kept the reader wanting to read more.

[Courtney Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Child Far From Home is an emotional read. My heart broke for Jean & Valerie. The miscommunication due to them both trying to be positive and do what they felt was best was like a knife through the heart each time. It showcases the ups and downs of a mother/daughter relationship, exacerbated by war and loneliness. This book will give you ALL the feels.

[Melanie Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of a new series about evacuated children during WW2, Valerie and her mum Jean, and their displaced relationship, this was such a touching story, and was clearly well researched.
Lizzie Page is an amazing author who puts her heart and soul into her writing and it shows on every page!
Thoroughly enjoyed this, and can’t wait to see what’s next for the children

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart-wrenching story.

Brilliantly written by Lizzie Page, this heart-wrenching story focuses on Valerie who is evacuated from London to Somerset during World War II, and the ongoing conflicts with her mother Jean.
I thoroughly enjoyed this emotional story, and am looking forward to reading the next in this series.