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Evacuee #1
The Evacuee Christmas
A heart-warming story of friendship and family during the first Christmas of World War Two.
Autumn 1939 and London prepares to evacuate its young. In No 5 Jubilee Street, Bermondsey, ten-year-old Connie is determined to show her parents that she’s a brave girl and can look after her twin brother, Jessie. She won’t cry, not while anyone’s watching.
In the crisp Yorkshire Dales, Connie and Jessie are billeted to a rambling vicarage. Kindly but chaotic, Reverend Braithwaite is determined to keep his London charges on the straight and narrow, but the twins soon find adventures of their own. As autumn turns to winter, Connie’s dearest wish is that war will end and they will be home for Christmas. But this Christmas Eve there will be an unexpected arrival…
Autumn 1939 and London prepares to evacuate its young. In No 5 Jubilee Street, Bermondsey, ten-year-old Connie is determined to show her parents that she’s a brave girl and can look after her twin brother, Jessie. She won’t cry, not while anyone’s watching.
In the crisp Yorkshire Dales, Connie and Jessie are billeted to a rambling vicarage. Kindly but chaotic, Reverend Braithwaite is determined to keep his London charges on the straight and narrow, but the twins soon find adventures of their own. As autumn turns to winter, Connie’s dearest wish is that war will end and they will be home for Christmas. But this Christmas Eve there will be an unexpected arrival…
345 pages, Paperback
Published October 19, 2017
37 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Katie King
5 books4 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Katie King is a new voice to the saga market. She lives in Kent, and has worked in publishing. She has a keen interest in twentieth-century history and was inspired by a period spent living in South East London.
Katie King is a new voice to the saga market. She lives in Kent, and has worked in publishing. She has a keen interest in twentieth-century history and was inspired by a period spent living in South East London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 30, 2021
Oh, my! For a person like me who enjoys reading books about evacuees from the London Blitz, this book was a trip to a candy store! So many details about the lives of people from different parts of London, all having to make the decision of whether or not to send their children away. Parts of this book made me reach for the Kleenex box, as I had expected. However, there were also giggle-worthy scenes about the reactions of some of the young ones to new experiences, and some passages guaranteed to bring on “happy tears” and a big smile to my face! I absolutely cannot wait to begin the next one in this series!
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 319)-“Somebody the previous year had arranged two of the shepherd’s sheep in a very rude position in pride of place in the nativity scene, and it was only quite into the Christmas Eve carols that Roger had noticed, having been alerted to the fact by some chortling amongst the youngest members of the church choir. Then he had to make the choice of pretending he hadn’t seen, in the hope that the congregation wouldn’t notice either,or else going across to the nativity scene to remove the amorous ram to a less “frisky” position and thereby drawing everyone’s attention to the jape.”
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 319)-“Somebody the previous year had arranged two of the shepherd’s sheep in a very rude position in pride of place in the nativity scene, and it was only quite into the Christmas Eve carols that Roger had noticed, having been alerted to the fact by some chortling amongst the youngest members of the church choir. Then he had to make the choice of pretending he hadn’t seen, in the hope that the congregation wouldn’t notice either,or else going across to the nativity scene to remove the amorous ram to a less “frisky” position and thereby drawing everyone’s attention to the jape.”
December 5, 2017
I feel bad giving this a 2 star rating but that means 'it was ok' as opposed to 3 stars 'liked it', but really that is all I can say about it - with hindsight I should have learned more about it before choosing to read as it just didn't suit me.
The story centres on sister and brother twins, Connie and Jessie, who are evacuated at the start of the Second World War from Bermondsey Docks in East London. Along with their pregnant aunt Peggy they are billeted with a Vicar and his wife in the country. I really struggled with this book as it felt like about 90% narration with little actually happening. The description of life at that time is spot on and it’s a great history of that period if that is of interest to the reader. But I found the story quite uninteresting with really very little happening at all in the first half.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQStories@HarperCollins.co,uk for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I just wish it could have been more positive but this book just wasn’t for me.
The story centres on sister and brother twins, Connie and Jessie, who are evacuated at the start of the Second World War from Bermondsey Docks in East London. Along with their pregnant aunt Peggy they are billeted with a Vicar and his wife in the country. I really struggled with this book as it felt like about 90% narration with little actually happening. The description of life at that time is spot on and it’s a great history of that period if that is of interest to the reader. But I found the story quite uninteresting with really very little happening at all in the first half.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQStories@HarperCollins.co,uk for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I just wish it could have been more positive but this book just wasn’t for me.
October 21, 2017
I love books set around the war years and this was a lovely story about London children being evacuated to Harrogate. I could feel the tension as the children were waiting to be chosen and felt so pleased when the twins were taken to the local vicarage with a lovely couple. Their aunt who was expecting was also chosen to stay there.
I loved the friendships and squabbles and the life lessons learnt whilst the children were there. It must have been a very scary time for some of the children and you want them all to have experienced a welcoming family.
The cover instantly drew me to the book and I would be keen to read more by Katie King.
You feel the real sense of community and how people drew together to get through the tough times facing them. The vicar was a true example of his profession throwing open his doors to those in need and making the time as painfree as possible whilst also providing lots of memories to take away from their time as evacuees.
I loved the friendships and squabbles and the life lessons learnt whilst the children were there. It must have been a very scary time for some of the children and you want them all to have experienced a welcoming family.
The cover instantly drew me to the book and I would be keen to read more by Katie King.
You feel the real sense of community and how people drew together to get through the tough times facing them. The vicar was a true example of his profession throwing open his doors to those in need and making the time as painfree as possible whilst also providing lots of memories to take away from their time as evacuees.
December 29, 2017
This short tale follows the fortunes of a Bermondsey London, family as evacuation is ordered in 1939. We see two children, their mother anxiously making preparations such as sewing labels onto clothing as ordered and trying to assemble the government-required list of goods. And their aunt, ordered to leave because she is pregnant, trying to make the best of it. They show us the hustle and bustle of preparations and journey, heading to Yorkshire where the people have been literally forced to take them in, but prefer older children who can do a day's farmwork. We get to see a culture contrast, including dialects.
Amid the listing off of all the government preparations and orders, such as having pets destroyed to save food, I found it hard to see why other precautions weren't taken, such as moving the imported spruce timber out of the Surrey Docks and redistributing it to where it was needed. After the first bombing raid it blazed for a week, guiding pilots back night after night. But this book ends before any bombing starts, with a rather contrived occurrence on Christmas Day for dramatic's sake. Still, it brings hope to a world facing war.
I downloaded a copy through Fresh Fiction and Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.
Amid the listing off of all the government preparations and orders, such as having pets destroyed to save food, I found it hard to see why other precautions weren't taken, such as moving the imported spruce timber out of the Surrey Docks and redistributing it to where it was needed. After the first bombing raid it blazed for a week, guiding pilots back night after night. But this book ends before any bombing starts, with a rather contrived occurrence on Christmas Day for dramatic's sake. Still, it brings hope to a world facing war.
I downloaded a copy through Fresh Fiction and Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.
December 7, 2017
I think there is a general misconception about the evacuations during the war, and King does go into that in the book. There seems to be this overall consensus that the majority of people or people in general were happy to accommodate complete strangers for there country. A sense of community spirit throughout the entire country, when in fact the opposite was the truth. Evacuation was forced upon both those being evacuated and those taking them in, obviously there were exceptions to the rule.
The government had been planning a mass evacuation since the early 1920s and the process, or first round of evacuations was started during 1939. This period is often referred to as the Phoney War, because the expected destruction and loss of life didn’t take place till later and not to the extent they expected. The man in charge of the evacuation, Sir John Anderson, had little foresight about the potential emotional distress and trauma the upheavals would cause, especially in the case of the evacuated children.
Many of the children ended up in the wrong place with insufficient rations and no homes to go to. The children were often lined up like cattle at a market place and people were asked to select them, hence the infamous phrase ‘I’ll take that one’ which already implies a lack of organisation.
Jesse and Connie are evacuated with their fellow school mates, the evacuation of whole schools was quite common, which meant any pre-existing problems automatically went with them. In this case the school bully, who has to deal with his own difficult issues at home, ends up on the receiving end of some of his own medicine. On a more serious note, Larry’s situation was a common fault of the operation. He ends up being neglected and mistreated, and although there is an adult to oversee and rectify the situation in this fictional scenario, that wasn’t the case for the majority of children.
The Evacuee Christmas is about family and friendship, and about sticking together and supporting each other in times of difficulty. Strangers and enemies can become friends in the direst of situations. When push comes to shove we are all capable of showing each other kindness.
*I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.*
The government had been planning a mass evacuation since the early 1920s and the process, or first round of evacuations was started during 1939. This period is often referred to as the Phoney War, because the expected destruction and loss of life didn’t take place till later and not to the extent they expected. The man in charge of the evacuation, Sir John Anderson, had little foresight about the potential emotional distress and trauma the upheavals would cause, especially in the case of the evacuated children.
Many of the children ended up in the wrong place with insufficient rations and no homes to go to. The children were often lined up like cattle at a market place and people were asked to select them, hence the infamous phrase ‘I’ll take that one’ which already implies a lack of organisation.
Jesse and Connie are evacuated with their fellow school mates, the evacuation of whole schools was quite common, which meant any pre-existing problems automatically went with them. In this case the school bully, who has to deal with his own difficult issues at home, ends up on the receiving end of some of his own medicine. On a more serious note, Larry’s situation was a common fault of the operation. He ends up being neglected and mistreated, and although there is an adult to oversee and rectify the situation in this fictional scenario, that wasn’t the case for the majority of children.
The Evacuee Christmas is about family and friendship, and about sticking together and supporting each other in times of difficulty. Strangers and enemies can become friends in the direst of situations. When push comes to shove we are all capable of showing each other kindness.
*I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.*
December 29, 2017
Culture clashes, and adjusting to a new way of life as inner-city London children are evacuated to Harrogate during in 1939.
The characters are well created, and the descriptions of life on Jubilee Street in Bermondsey are atmospheric as the realities of life in war time set in. Similarly, the descriptions of Harrogate are engaging and well created, and you do get a feel for the setting, and can imagine the idea of being uprooted from everything you’ve ever known, and suddenly being placed in a completely different, rural environment. Connie and Jessie seem typical children of the era, and it is understandable that they would be worried and apprehensive about going to a strange place, although, they do have the bonus of their pregnant aunt going with them, so they are not totally removed from all they know.
As the book is set right at the start of the war, there are none of the usual London based wartime plots involving bombings and air raids, and instead the children are evacuated early on as a precaution due to the dockyards being a likely target.
The plot is engaging, although it did seem to take a while to really get going for my liking, as we find Connie, Jessie and their Aunt Peggy settling into life in Yorkshire, and, although there likely wound be difficulties with dialects, it did seem a bit over done on the fact that people were having conversations where they apparently had little or no idea of what the other person was talking about.
Obviously, Connie and Jessie are lucky in the fact they have Peggy around, and they are taken in by the kindly local vicar and his wife (although their son turns out the be the villain of the peace), however, the story does also refer to the fact that others weren’t so lucky, and didn’t have the best of times.
An easy going, enjoyable read, although, for me, it needed some more depth to the plot, or something to happen, and, personally, I wasn’t keen on the cover, as it presents it as a story about children, when in fact it is as much about Peggy and Barbara as it was about Connie and Jessie.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The characters are well created, and the descriptions of life on Jubilee Street in Bermondsey are atmospheric as the realities of life in war time set in. Similarly, the descriptions of Harrogate are engaging and well created, and you do get a feel for the setting, and can imagine the idea of being uprooted from everything you’ve ever known, and suddenly being placed in a completely different, rural environment. Connie and Jessie seem typical children of the era, and it is understandable that they would be worried and apprehensive about going to a strange place, although, they do have the bonus of their pregnant aunt going with them, so they are not totally removed from all they know.
As the book is set right at the start of the war, there are none of the usual London based wartime plots involving bombings and air raids, and instead the children are evacuated early on as a precaution due to the dockyards being a likely target.
The plot is engaging, although it did seem to take a while to really get going for my liking, as we find Connie, Jessie and their Aunt Peggy settling into life in Yorkshire, and, although there likely wound be difficulties with dialects, it did seem a bit over done on the fact that people were having conversations where they apparently had little or no idea of what the other person was talking about.
Obviously, Connie and Jessie are lucky in the fact they have Peggy around, and they are taken in by the kindly local vicar and his wife (although their son turns out the be the villain of the peace), however, the story does also refer to the fact that others weren’t so lucky, and didn’t have the best of times.
An easy going, enjoyable read, although, for me, it needed some more depth to the plot, or something to happen, and, personally, I wasn’t keen on the cover, as it presents it as a story about children, when in fact it is as much about Peggy and Barbara as it was about Connie and Jessie.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2017
A charming tale of family, friendship and making do
This is the perfect read for a snowy afternoon. A lovely tale about two children who have to be evacuated to the countryside during the Second World War. London has become too dangerous as the bombing campaign escalates and, against their will, the Ross twins are packed up and sent away. Luckily their pregnant aunt, Peggy, gets to accompany them.
I had no idea that the government forced people to take in evacuees and that folks got to pick and choose the ones they wanted, like cattle at a market. Many people saw these children as cheap labour to work their farms and they were often badly treated. I was quite horrified to learn that these vulnerable children had very little support.
The story has so much lovely detail about life in and around Bermondsey and surrounds and the close family ties that held the locals together. The thought of having to send their precious children away to strangers is very difficult for them to deal with but the threat from the bombs leaves them little choice.
The government had even requested that pet owners have their pets put down, another fact I did not know. The story gives a glimpse into the reality of war from the view of a typical London working family and I loved the anecdotes and different characters.
Once the evacuees finally arrive at Harrogate, after a gruelling journey, they are then subjected to being lined up and picked off. Most of them have no suitable clothing for the cold North of England and they are scared and uncertain as to what awaits them.
The story has a happy ending but it certainly does not hide the hardships faced by the children and the adults put in charge of them.
It gave me a totally different perspective on the war years and what the average folk had to deal with on a daily basis.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Gillian
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
This is the perfect read for a snowy afternoon. A lovely tale about two children who have to be evacuated to the countryside during the Second World War. London has become too dangerous as the bombing campaign escalates and, against their will, the Ross twins are packed up and sent away. Luckily their pregnant aunt, Peggy, gets to accompany them.
I had no idea that the government forced people to take in evacuees and that folks got to pick and choose the ones they wanted, like cattle at a market. Many people saw these children as cheap labour to work their farms and they were often badly treated. I was quite horrified to learn that these vulnerable children had very little support.
The story has so much lovely detail about life in and around Bermondsey and surrounds and the close family ties that held the locals together. The thought of having to send their precious children away to strangers is very difficult for them to deal with but the threat from the bombs leaves them little choice.
The government had even requested that pet owners have their pets put down, another fact I did not know. The story gives a glimpse into the reality of war from the view of a typical London working family and I loved the anecdotes and different characters.
Once the evacuees finally arrive at Harrogate, after a gruelling journey, they are then subjected to being lined up and picked off. Most of them have no suitable clothing for the cold North of England and they are scared and uncertain as to what awaits them.
The story has a happy ending but it certainly does not hide the hardships faced by the children and the adults put in charge of them.
It gave me a totally different perspective on the war years and what the average folk had to deal with on a daily basis.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Gillian
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
September 18, 2017
Thus is a really lovely story, very evocative of time and place. The east London children are forced into evacuation, because it is thought that the Docklands could be in serious danger of bombing, and you see the worries and fears from all sides, the parents worrying whether their children will be looked after, or that they will forget home, the children scared of the unknown, their hosts often not happy about accepting children as they would get more money by accepting an adult. Jessie and Connie are lucky, their parents have 'rainy day' savings, and make sure they have everything they need, but the book makes you aware that wasn't the case for all the children, some were ill prepared for the much colder Yorkshire climate.
You learn that travel was difficult, that people were frightened of being ill as it cost money to visit the doctor. You realise that when the children arrive in Yorkshire they don't understand what is being said to them, and the Yorkshire folk don't understand them either, which makes for a difficult start. Hostilities break out between the two factions of children when they have to share a school, and it gets quite violent.
Peggy goes with the children, her newly-enlisted husband Bill wants her out of danger away from London as she is pregnant with their long awaited first child, and you can feel and understand her misery and loneliness when he writes to her so rarely, hardly says anything, and never mentions the baby. She had thought that he was away fighting, but suspects he is still somewhere in England, training.
All in all, a lovely story, accurately relating a time that most of us can only imagine. Well worth reading.
You learn that travel was difficult, that people were frightened of being ill as it cost money to visit the doctor. You realise that when the children arrive in Yorkshire they don't understand what is being said to them, and the Yorkshire folk don't understand them either, which makes for a difficult start. Hostilities break out between the two factions of children when they have to share a school, and it gets quite violent.
Peggy goes with the children, her newly-enlisted husband Bill wants her out of danger away from London as she is pregnant with their long awaited first child, and you can feel and understand her misery and loneliness when he writes to her so rarely, hardly says anything, and never mentions the baby. She had thought that he was away fighting, but suspects he is still somewhere in England, training.
All in all, a lovely story, accurately relating a time that most of us can only imagine. Well worth reading.
November 12, 2017
Twins Connie and Jessie live with their parents Barbara and Ted at Number 5 Jubilee Street in Bermondsey, South East London, and are quite a close knit family. With War looming, the family face a tough decision - do they stick together during the bombing, or do they split up for safety reasons. Ten year old Connie is determined to prove to her parents that she can look after her quieter brother Jessie.
They get shipped off to Harrogate in Yorkshire with their pregnant Aunt Peggy and are billeted with the local vicar Roger, his wife Mabel and their troublesome son Tommy. Enemies and friendships are made but the city children discover that life is a little different to that back on the streets of London, and the Yorkshire children decide that they don't like the newbies taking over their town. Will life ever settle down especially in the run up to Christmas?
I really liked this book, it was heart warming, and written in such a lovely way that I really felt like I was actually part of the story. If I had one criticism it would be that Christmas isn't mentioned until you've read 90% of the book, and then the festive part is right at the end, and felt a bit squeezed in. If you're expecting a true festive read, just be prepared that it isn't a start to finish Christmas tale, but nonetheless please don't let that put you off as it's really a lovely book.
They get shipped off to Harrogate in Yorkshire with their pregnant Aunt Peggy and are billeted with the local vicar Roger, his wife Mabel and their troublesome son Tommy. Enemies and friendships are made but the city children discover that life is a little different to that back on the streets of London, and the Yorkshire children decide that they don't like the newbies taking over their town. Will life ever settle down especially in the run up to Christmas?
I really liked this book, it was heart warming, and written in such a lovely way that I really felt like I was actually part of the story. If I had one criticism it would be that Christmas isn't mentioned until you've read 90% of the book, and then the festive part is right at the end, and felt a bit squeezed in. If you're expecting a true festive read, just be prepared that it isn't a start to finish Christmas tale, but nonetheless please don't let that put you off as it's really a lovely book.
September 16, 2017
A timely reminder of how primitive maternal medicine was in the 1940s - and how costly before the NHS, and thus we have the reluctance to seek medical help even when clearly necessary.
I loved the fact that both sides - the Yorkshire people and the Londoners - thought that the other was speaking a foreign language. Such broad dialects have now largely disappeared and you rarely hear a true Cockney, let alone broad Yorkshire with its old English/Viking words being used.
Funnily enough, I have kust read an article suggesting that there are some good words in English we can use that have gone out of fashion - and another suggesting that we can br broaden our language by using some foreign words that have meanings in one word that take us several to try and describe! However, some of these words are very difficult to pronounce eg those from the Inuit language!
One thing that I hadn’t realised about WW2 was that the Govt had suggested - firmly - that all pets be euthanized, to save food of course.
I felt that the childrens’ behaviour as described was very believable, and overall found this a heart-warming, cosy story with a good possibility of follow-up books. After all, who wouldn’t want to know what happens about the abusive but absent husband and the doctor’s romance...
I loved the fact that both sides - the Yorkshire people and the Londoners - thought that the other was speaking a foreign language. Such broad dialects have now largely disappeared and you rarely hear a true Cockney, let alone broad Yorkshire with its old English/Viking words being used.
Funnily enough, I have kust read an article suggesting that there are some good words in English we can use that have gone out of fashion - and another suggesting that we can br broaden our language by using some foreign words that have meanings in one word that take us several to try and describe! However, some of these words are very difficult to pronounce eg those from the Inuit language!
One thing that I hadn’t realised about WW2 was that the Govt had suggested - firmly - that all pets be euthanized, to save food of course.
I felt that the childrens’ behaviour as described was very believable, and overall found this a heart-warming, cosy story with a good possibility of follow-up books. After all, who wouldn’t want to know what happens about the abusive but absent husband and the doctor’s romance...
December 28, 2017
This is the first book by Katie King that I have read, but I settled in to it as though I already knew her writing style. It may have been the first, but I can safely say it won't be my last
I really enjoyed this book and it was a tough decision to give it 4 stars rather than 5 but I was quite disappointed, given the title, to find that Christmas day begins at midnight on the very last page. I wasn't expecting the whole book to be set at Christmas but I did think that there would at least be a few pages of Christmas day and how different it was from normal. If the title had been different (or I knew ahead of time from reviews) then I would have chosen to read it at a different point through the year, and I think I would have given the book 5 stars
I really liked the characters in this book, there were a good mix of personalities and it was interesting to see the effect of the war and evacuation on each of them. I felt I knew the characters pretty early on because the descriptions were fantastic and really led to me picturing them all and their surroundings. I would like to read more about what happened next, there is still a long time until they would have returned home and it would be interesting to see how that plays out.
I really enjoyed this book and it was a tough decision to give it 4 stars rather than 5 but I was quite disappointed, given the title, to find that Christmas day begins at midnight on the very last page. I wasn't expecting the whole book to be set at Christmas but I did think that there would at least be a few pages of Christmas day and how different it was from normal. If the title had been different (or I knew ahead of time from reviews) then I would have chosen to read it at a different point through the year, and I think I would have given the book 5 stars
I really liked the characters in this book, there were a good mix of personalities and it was interesting to see the effect of the war and evacuation on each of them. I felt I knew the characters pretty early on because the descriptions were fantastic and really led to me picturing them all and their surroundings. I would like to read more about what happened next, there is still a long time until they would have returned home and it would be interesting to see how that plays out.
September 16, 2017
Autumn 1939 and London prepares to evacuate its young. In No 5 Jubilee Street, Bermondsey, ten-year-old Connie is determined to show her parents that she’s a brave girl and can look after her twin brother, Jessie. She won’t cry, not while anyone’s watching.
In the crisp Yorkshire Dales, Connie and Jessie are billeted to a rambling vicarage. Kindly but chaotic, Reverend Braithwaite is determined to keep his London charges on the straight and narrow, but the twins soon find adventures of their own. As autumn turns to winter, Connie’s dearest wish is that war will end and they will be home for Christmas. But this Christmas Eve there will be an unexpected arrival…
This is a nice heart warming story about a story of Evacuees at wartime, this book does have a nicer side than most types of this story and the twins Connie and Jessie are lucky to live with Mabel and Roger who look after them, also they have the bonus of the Aunt Peggy being with them.
I did feel as is the story stalled slightly and kept repeating itself, I didn't really enjoy the letters between Peggy and her sister Barbara.
In the crisp Yorkshire Dales, Connie and Jessie are billeted to a rambling vicarage. Kindly but chaotic, Reverend Braithwaite is determined to keep his London charges on the straight and narrow, but the twins soon find adventures of their own. As autumn turns to winter, Connie’s dearest wish is that war will end and they will be home for Christmas. But this Christmas Eve there will be an unexpected arrival…
This is a nice heart warming story about a story of Evacuees at wartime, this book does have a nicer side than most types of this story and the twins Connie and Jessie are lucky to live with Mabel and Roger who look after them, also they have the bonus of the Aunt Peggy being with them.
I did feel as is the story stalled slightly and kept repeating itself, I didn't really enjoy the letters between Peggy and her sister Barbara.
December 23, 2022
I haaaate giving 2 stars but I can't truthfully give it 3 I'm afraid. I would say it's a 5 out of 10. To justify, it's a beautifully charming story and a lovely easy-read but it's very poorly written.
Some things that happen are so unbelievable - not talking about the more clichéd moments that are entirely forgivable in a book like this - but the behaviour change in Tommy, for example, or Barbara's response to his threats.
Some of it is also so overwritten which I don't mind in an easy-read, but there is also so much not written about. I'm uncertain if more is revisited in Katie King's other books but a book still needs to wrap itself up and The Evacuee Christmas doesn't do this. It's not cliffhangers, it's just unpolished. There are also mistakes with names and things that look like the book has never seen a redraft.
Also be warned only the last couple of chapters of this book feature anything to do with Christmas so it's not particularly a Christmas read. It's a bit like die-hard of the book world 😅
It's a nice evacuee story and I recommend the read, I just can't say it's a tidy, clever or wonderful piece of writing.
Some things that happen are so unbelievable - not talking about the more clichéd moments that are entirely forgivable in a book like this - but the behaviour change in Tommy, for example, or Barbara's response to his threats.
Some of it is also so overwritten which I don't mind in an easy-read, but there is also so much not written about. I'm uncertain if more is revisited in Katie King's other books but a book still needs to wrap itself up and The Evacuee Christmas doesn't do this. It's not cliffhangers, it's just unpolished. There are also mistakes with names and things that look like the book has never seen a redraft.
Also be warned only the last couple of chapters of this book feature anything to do with Christmas so it's not particularly a Christmas read. It's a bit like die-hard of the book world 😅
It's a nice evacuee story and I recommend the read, I just can't say it's a tidy, clever or wonderful piece of writing.
October 12, 2017
Autumn 1939 and London prepares to evacuate its young. In No 5 Jubilee Street, Bermondsey, ten-year-old Connie is determined to show her parents that she’s a brave girl and can look after her twin brother, Jessie. She won’t cry, not while anyone’s watching.
In the crisp Yorkshire Dales, Connie and Jessie are billeted to a rambling vicarage. Kindly but chaotic, Reverend Braithwaite is determined to keep his London charges on the straight and narrow, but the twins soon find adventures of their own. As autumn turns to winter, Connie’s dearest wish is that war will end and they will be home for Christmas.
An endearing story about the Connie & Jessie, you could feel for them as they were sent into the country for safety. It set the scene & feelings of England during the early 1940’s. A very enjoyable read not my usual genre but well worth the change
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
In the crisp Yorkshire Dales, Connie and Jessie are billeted to a rambling vicarage. Kindly but chaotic, Reverend Braithwaite is determined to keep his London charges on the straight and narrow, but the twins soon find adventures of their own. As autumn turns to winter, Connie’s dearest wish is that war will end and they will be home for Christmas.
An endearing story about the Connie & Jessie, you could feel for them as they were sent into the country for safety. It set the scene & feelings of England during the early 1940’s. A very enjoyable read not my usual genre but well worth the change
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
November 24, 2017
I really wanted to like this. It ticked all the boxes for me when I read the blurb and I was feeling in a festive mood and thought it might be good to read something seasonal. I however struggled with this book right up to page 140 when I threw in the towel and gave up. It is not that it is badly written but it is slow, and not in a slow building up way. It was painfully slow. It was lacking in any sort of emotional depth for me and left the characters firmly on the page with no connection to them while reading it. I found the writing stilted too. I don't like being harsh, but what could have been something special is only OK.
Jessie and Connie are twins that are billeted to Harrogate during the outbreak of WW2. Their pregnant aunt also manages to get a place in the same household as them. Apart from that. Not a lot else going on.
Jessie and Connie are twins that are billeted to Harrogate during the outbreak of WW2. Their pregnant aunt also manages to get a place in the same household as them. Apart from that. Not a lot else going on.
January 2, 2020
I have loved reading this book over the Christmas holiday. The characters are all well formed and Katie is building a following by developing them each little by little. The children i think are interesting and its so nice to see them being guided through life but also showing very much each ones own character. Cant wait to see how they are developed in later books.
Its a very interesting period and part of out history and i have not read much about the evacuee angle before. I found it interesting that the children and adults had not travelled beyond London and indeed Harrogate. It seems impossible these days to think of such limited lives. I also loved the shopping trip that Barbara and Peggy did before being evacuated it gave a real flavour of this experience and seems miles away from the shopping experiences we have today. I am really looking forward to the next book.
Its a very interesting period and part of out history and i have not read much about the evacuee angle before. I found it interesting that the children and adults had not travelled beyond London and indeed Harrogate. It seems impossible these days to think of such limited lives. I also loved the shopping trip that Barbara and Peggy did before being evacuated it gave a real flavour of this experience and seems miles away from the shopping experiences we have today. I am really looking forward to the next book.
September 30, 2017
I loved this book ,I found it a heart warming story .It told the story of the early days of WW11 when East London children were evacuated for their own safety and were sent many miles away which tore their families apart .It must have been so hard for the children and their Families but Connie and Jessie got lucky and were billeted to a vicarage in Yorkshire with a kindly Vicar and his wife .The East End London children and the Yorkshire children found it hard to understand each others accent at first and difficult to get on with each other but eventually they ended up having a good friendship .I didn't want the book to end and hope that there might be a follow up as I would love to know how the characters got on .
November 20, 2017
I received a copy of this book for free through a giveaway at Goodreads.com.
If you ignore the blurb, this is an okay story. There's a few quirks (is Aiden's older brother called William or Kelvin? for example), some dodgy punctuation, a missing word ("into" or "in" hospital?), and a couple of really badly constructed sentences that could have used some jiggling.
But, the blurb issue. On reading, it sounds like Connie and Jessie are going to be the main focus of the story. They're not by any means. We don't even get to "witness" them being told about their evacuation; we hear their father tell their aunt about it. There's no doubt the story follows the twins, but more from the perspectives of the adults.
Really disappointing.
If you ignore the blurb, this is an okay story. There's a few quirks (is Aiden's older brother called William or Kelvin? for example), some dodgy punctuation, a missing word ("into" or "in" hospital?), and a couple of really badly constructed sentences that could have used some jiggling.
But, the blurb issue. On reading, it sounds like Connie and Jessie are going to be the main focus of the story. They're not by any means. We don't even get to "witness" them being told about their evacuation; we hear their father tell their aunt about it. There's no doubt the story follows the twins, but more from the perspectives of the adults.
Really disappointing.
December 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this story. This is my first war civilians/evacuee story and it was a perfect place to start. I mainly reached for this as it is December and I wanted a christmassy story but I really got into it and was glad to see that there are more installments for Connie and Jessie’s life in evacuation. I found this book managed to tackle the experiences of children who landed in good and bad billet but still manage to leave us with hope for all children involved. I also liked how Peggy was included as I have to admit I forgot that pregnant women and the elderly were also eligible for evacuation so it was a nice reminder and helped give the twins in the story a touch of home while away.
October 6, 2017
This is a fairly enjoyable book to read. I liked the early sections in the East End of London as the war is breaking out. Unlike many other books about evacuee children, this starts with the emotional turmoil from the perspective of the parents.
There are some amusing sections, like the sing-song as a way of bridging the 'language barrier' between the London and Yorkshire dialects.
The story is told in a cosy and chatty way. I felt that the ending was somewhat abrupt, although it does reflect the title of the novel.
Perhaps Katie King intends to continue the story?
My thanks to Netgalley and HQ for a copy in exchange for this review.
There are some amusing sections, like the sing-song as a way of bridging the 'language barrier' between the London and Yorkshire dialects.
The story is told in a cosy and chatty way. I felt that the ending was somewhat abrupt, although it does reflect the title of the novel.
Perhaps Katie King intends to continue the story?
My thanks to Netgalley and HQ for a copy in exchange for this review.
November 18, 2017
Growing up in the backstreets of London Connie and Jessie are twins. Connie is the more outgoing one and is determined to prove to her parents that she can look after her quieter brother Jessie. With war looming though their parents decide to send them to Harrogate in Yorkshire
They are based with the vicar and his wife and their son Tommy and soon the twins find that living there is very different to living in London and Connie is sure that they will be back there for Christmas!
A good story with likeable characters and I enjoyed the historical aspect of living through the war and the differences between London and Yorkshire
They are based with the vicar and his wife and their son Tommy and soon the twins find that living there is very different to living in London and Connie is sure that they will be back there for Christmas!
A good story with likeable characters and I enjoyed the historical aspect of living through the war and the differences between London and Yorkshire
December 8, 2021
This was such a lovely book, and really capsulated an evacuee experience through the displacement of Connie and her twin brother Jessie from a busy London to Harrogate. It was really nice to read, uplifting and engrossing with a festive twist.
The audiobook I listened to was great and I really looked forward to returning to it whenever I took a break away. There was plenty of great content and enough to keep you on your toes and engaged, and I really enjoyed it. I definitely want to look into reading the others now!
The audiobook I listened to was great and I really looked forward to returning to it whenever I took a break away. There was plenty of great content and enough to keep you on your toes and engaged, and I really enjoyed it. I definitely want to look into reading the others now!
November 3, 2017
A very interesting Wartime story, on how the Evacuees were moved from London to Yorkshire. They were not received very well by the local children at first, but in the end they seemed to settle their differences, helped by the visiting mum of Connie and Jessie. It's not only the Evacuee children but their Auntie Peggy who also helps to make the read interest. Hopefully, there may be a follow up to this enjoyable story.
December 26, 2017
I have become a fan of books set in either war over the last few years, so snapped this up when I saw it on offer on Kindle.
The story follows the twins Connie and Jessie but also provides a wider insight into what evacuation was like on both sides. We learn more about host families and the less than pleasant experience some evacuees faced.
My only niggle is the book was deliberately written with a sequel in mind so now have to wait until Summer 2018 to find out what happens next
The story follows the twins Connie and Jessie but also provides a wider insight into what evacuation was like on both sides. We learn more about host families and the less than pleasant experience some evacuees faced.
My only niggle is the book was deliberately written with a sequel in mind so now have to wait until Summer 2018 to find out what happens next
November 8, 2017
I bought this as part of the Christmas collection for M&B and I'm confused with how this is a M&B book... Its not their usual..
Its a 3 star because I'm just not that into it, it wasn't what I was looking for so giving it lower seems unfair but it isn't my sort of thing anyway so I can't give it higher either.
Its a 3 star because I'm just not that into it, it wasn't what I was looking for so giving it lower seems unfair but it isn't my sort of thing anyway so I can't give it higher either.
January 8, 2018
Brilliant story.
The story was very uplifting as it just the sort off things went on in times of war. Although I find it sad about children being separated from there parents but they billeted to a lovely family who really did care for them and they made new friends. Enjoyed this book lots.
The story was very uplifting as it just the sort off things went on in times of war. Although I find it sad about children being separated from there parents but they billeted to a lovely family who really did care for them and they made new friends. Enjoyed this book lots.
May 12, 2020
Excellent Book
This book makes you realise how lucky we are not to have lived through the war. The thought of those poor children having to leave their parents and go and live with strangers is heart breaking, especially when some of the people were horrid to those children. Not like the vicar and his wife in this book. Well written book.
This book makes you realise how lucky we are not to have lived through the war. The thought of those poor children having to leave their parents and go and live with strangers is heart breaking, especially when some of the people were horrid to those children. Not like the vicar and his wife in this book. Well written book.
March 5, 2025
I was hoping for more info about how evacuee's felt at christmas away from parents with little to no gifts but it wasn't too be. I enjoyed seeing how some children landed on their feeet, like the twins did but also how the likes of Larry were most unwelcome by their hosts and weren't at all looked after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2017
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This is a very easy read giving a great feel for the early days of WWII and how it tore families apart with the evacuation of London.
Smashing story.
This is a very easy read giving a great feel for the early days of WWII and how it tore families apart with the evacuation of London.
Smashing story.
October 30, 2017
The evacuees Christmas
This story has given me many characters that came to life. I have cried, laughed and smiled with them. I am now looking forward to Katies next book. This is a fantastic story and I have loved every page. A must read book.
This story has given me many characters that came to life. I have cried, laughed and smiled with them. I am now looking forward to Katies next book. This is a fantastic story and I have loved every page. A must read book.
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