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The Shut-Away Sisters
Two ordinary sisters. A long and brutal war. A heroic sacrifice…
London, 1915. As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, fifteen-year-old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She has grown quiet, with dark shadows under her eyes, and has started leaving the house at night in secret. When Florrie follows her sister through the dark and winding streets of London, she is shocked by what she discovers. But she knows she must keep her sister’s secret for the sake of their family, even if she herself must pay the ultimate price…
Years later Kate, running from her broken relationship, is sorting through her dead aunt Florrie’s house, which she shared with her sister Edith. As she sits on the threadbare carpets, looking at photos of Florrie during the war, she notices the change in her aunt – from carefree young girl with a hopeful smile to a hollow-cheeked young woman, with dark sad eyes.
Determined to put her family’s ghosts to rest, Kate must unearth the secret past of her two aunts. Why is there a hidden locked room in the little house they shared? What is the story behind the abandoned wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied up with a ribbon? And when Kate discovers the tragic secrets that have bound her family together, will she ever be able to move on?
London, 1915. As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, fifteen-year-old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She has grown quiet, with dark shadows under her eyes, and has started leaving the house at night in secret. When Florrie follows her sister through the dark and winding streets of London, she is shocked by what she discovers. But she knows she must keep her sister’s secret for the sake of their family, even if she herself must pay the ultimate price…
Years later Kate, running from her broken relationship, is sorting through her dead aunt Florrie’s house, which she shared with her sister Edith. As she sits on the threadbare carpets, looking at photos of Florrie during the war, she notices the change in her aunt – from carefree young girl with a hopeful smile to a hollow-cheeked young woman, with dark sad eyes.
Determined to put her family’s ghosts to rest, Kate must unearth the secret past of her two aunts. Why is there a hidden locked room in the little house they shared? What is the story behind the abandoned wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied up with a ribbon? And when Kate discovers the tragic secrets that have bound her family together, will she ever be able to move on?
324 pages, ebook
Published June 29, 2021
1695 people are currently reading
837 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Goldring
13 books173 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 125 reviews
June 18, 2021
War and its after effects are not something we like to think about. Lives are lost, husbands, wives, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles, fathers leaving families bereft and facing deprivation. Hearts are broken, and many struggle to find their way ahead. Perhaps among the many affected, we don't give enough thought to those who are left behind, those whose lives are shattered, those who never recover.
In this story, The Shut-Away Sisters, the author tries to capture the loss and the very lives that survivors led. They were certainly not the ones that were planed, but the lives and choices they were given. Both Florrie, a girl of fifteen, and her sister Edith, were impacted by the war's aftermath. Florrie was left the responsibility of her family, since she lost her beloved mother to the Spanish flu. Edith, went through her young life convinced that her Frank was coming home to her. She was besotted and traveled, over the years down the road to solitude and writing poetry, never really venturing into the world, more or less living in seclusion. Florrie willingly gave up her life for she was the daughter who recognized responsibility and the care that her family needed and ultimately required. Florrie was a selfless individual; one whose duty was to family always and forever.
The book introduces us to Kate, a great niece of Florrie and Edith's. In her time frame, it is 1999, and she has just discovered her boyfriend, Dave, has been philandering, and realizes that she needs to get away from him and the flat she shared with him. Her father comes to her rescue as he is inheriting the house the sisters lived in and sends Kate for both solace and to get things in order. Kate finds many things that interest her and meets a man who is able to help her categorize the old items held within the house. As Kate gets deeper into the contents of the house and its belongings, her curiosity is peeked and she wants to know more about those reclusive aunts and their lives.
The story flips back and forth between 1999 and the beginning of World War 1, 1915. It is the one part of the book that is a tad disjointed. The rest of the book builds upon the admiration that the reader develops for Florrie and Kate. They were strong women who did what they had to even though it wasn't always in their best interests. The story was interesting particularly in the beginning as there was more action that piqued one's interest as to why the sisters remained as detached from the world as they did. This was a fine World War 1 story that made one think that the repercussions of war go on long after the last bullet is fired, the last cannon exploded, and the last person gives up their life in the cause of freedom.
Thank you to Suzanne Goldring, Bookouture, and NetGalley for a copy of the book due out June 29, 2021.
In this story, The Shut-Away Sisters, the author tries to capture the loss and the very lives that survivors led. They were certainly not the ones that were planed, but the lives and choices they were given. Both Florrie, a girl of fifteen, and her sister Edith, were impacted by the war's aftermath. Florrie was left the responsibility of her family, since she lost her beloved mother to the Spanish flu. Edith, went through her young life convinced that her Frank was coming home to her. She was besotted and traveled, over the years down the road to solitude and writing poetry, never really venturing into the world, more or less living in seclusion. Florrie willingly gave up her life for she was the daughter who recognized responsibility and the care that her family needed and ultimately required. Florrie was a selfless individual; one whose duty was to family always and forever.
The book introduces us to Kate, a great niece of Florrie and Edith's. In her time frame, it is 1999, and she has just discovered her boyfriend, Dave, has been philandering, and realizes that she needs to get away from him and the flat she shared with him. Her father comes to her rescue as he is inheriting the house the sisters lived in and sends Kate for both solace and to get things in order. Kate finds many things that interest her and meets a man who is able to help her categorize the old items held within the house. As Kate gets deeper into the contents of the house and its belongings, her curiosity is peeked and she wants to know more about those reclusive aunts and their lives.
The story flips back and forth between 1999 and the beginning of World War 1, 1915. It is the one part of the book that is a tad disjointed. The rest of the book builds upon the admiration that the reader develops for Florrie and Kate. They were strong women who did what they had to even though it wasn't always in their best interests. The story was interesting particularly in the beginning as there was more action that piqued one's interest as to why the sisters remained as detached from the world as they did. This was a fine World War 1 story that made one think that the repercussions of war go on long after the last bullet is fired, the last cannon exploded, and the last person gives up their life in the cause of freedom.
Thank you to Suzanne Goldring, Bookouture, and NetGalley for a copy of the book due out June 29, 2021.
June 22, 2021
I wish I could give this book more stars as it was so good. It was sad as well as interesting. It dealt with WW1, the bombs and the rationing and the starvation of families was interesting also this book dealt with the Spanish flu but, luckily only briefly high was a relief as I didn’t want to read too much of that what with our current situation. I was so sad to finish this lovely book as it was so good. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
May 25, 2021
My Sister's Secret
A country at war, a family trying to hold it together through, bombs falling, rationing, and the Spanish Flu. Fifteen year old Florrie is faced with one family tragedy after another. She faces challenges no fifteen year old should faced and ultimately must give up her chance at happiness to save her sister and keep a secret that can never be told.
Many years later, Florrie's great niece, Kate, reeling from a broken romance is asked by her father to sort out the home that Florrie and Edith lived in for so many years. She is intrigued to find out about her reclusive Aunts as she sorts through the home. A mysterious trunk, a locked door and what lies behind tell her of a family secret which must never be revealed.
The war took its toll on those who lived through it. People were changed by it in many ways. Young people grew up fast, education was put on hold and families struggled to survive in some very troubling times. Almost everyone was touched by the war in one way or another. This story is of one family trying to cope with the heartbreaking tragedies brought by war.
It is also the story of a young woman facing a personal life change and looking for a direction for her future. In finding out about her families past she finds the courage to rebuild her life and face the future.
I enjoyed reading this book and was inspired by the courage of the character of Florrie. It gave me a deeper understanding of some of the challenges faced by those living through those times .
Thanks to Suzanne Goldring, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in return for my honest review.
A country at war, a family trying to hold it together through, bombs falling, rationing, and the Spanish Flu. Fifteen year old Florrie is faced with one family tragedy after another. She faces challenges no fifteen year old should faced and ultimately must give up her chance at happiness to save her sister and keep a secret that can never be told.
Many years later, Florrie's great niece, Kate, reeling from a broken romance is asked by her father to sort out the home that Florrie and Edith lived in for so many years. She is intrigued to find out about her reclusive Aunts as she sorts through the home. A mysterious trunk, a locked door and what lies behind tell her of a family secret which must never be revealed.
The war took its toll on those who lived through it. People were changed by it in many ways. Young people grew up fast, education was put on hold and families struggled to survive in some very troubling times. Almost everyone was touched by the war in one way or another. This story is of one family trying to cope with the heartbreaking tragedies brought by war.
It is also the story of a young woman facing a personal life change and looking for a direction for her future. In finding out about her families past she finds the courage to rebuild her life and face the future.
I enjoyed reading this book and was inspired by the courage of the character of Florrie. It gave me a deeper understanding of some of the challenges faced by those living through those times .
Thanks to Suzanne Goldring, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in return for my honest review.
June 26, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
London, 1915: As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, fifteen year old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She starts leaving the house at night, and when Florrie follows her one night, she is shocked by what she discovers. Years later Kate is looking at photos of her aunts and decides to start digging into their lives as she's determined to find out their secrets and put the family ghosts to rest.
The story has a dual timeline 1915 and 1999. The story is told from Florrie and Kate's perspectives and the chapters alternate between 1915 and 1999. I didn't really like Kate's part of the story and the book seemed to drag out a bit in places. I'm sure I will be in the minority and there will be lots of readers who will enjoy this book.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #SusanneGoldring for my ARC of #TheShutAwaySisters in exchange for an honest review.
London, 1915: As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, fifteen year old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She starts leaving the house at night, and when Florrie follows her one night, she is shocked by what she discovers. Years later Kate is looking at photos of her aunts and decides to start digging into their lives as she's determined to find out their secrets and put the family ghosts to rest.
The story has a dual timeline 1915 and 1999. The story is told from Florrie and Kate's perspectives and the chapters alternate between 1915 and 1999. I didn't really like Kate's part of the story and the book seemed to drag out a bit in places. I'm sure I will be in the minority and there will be lots of readers who will enjoy this book.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #SusanneGoldring for my ARC of #TheShutAwaySisters in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2022
The Shut-Away Sisters by Suzanne Goldring is my first read by this author.
It is absolutely a heart-breaking read and leaves you questioning why life can be so unfair sometimes.
A dual timeline, we find ourselves spending time with Kate in modern times, she has just gotten out of a bad relationship and taking a break from a workhorse of a boss to clear out her recently deceased aunt Florrie's house for her father.
In past times her father grew up as the youngest child with two older sisters, that are seven years apart. When Florrie was fifteen years old her older sister Evie's beau Frank goes off to fight in WWI leaving her sad, lonely and waiting for him. The waiting turns into years and Evie becomes reclusive, rarely leaving her room, eating little while writing letters to her beau and poetry.
Years go by the parents pass away, the brother goes off to fight in the war and Florrie becomes the caretaker of Evie who has become an invalid. Florrie has a chance at marriage but feels obligated to care for her older sister as they spend the rest of their days together in this house.
It is an intriguing book to read as we see Kate discover a locked door in her aunt's house. What secrets will she uncover upon entering the unknown room. Very suspenseful book, the more I read the more I discovered and the more my heart broke.
I need more books by this author, NOW. All the rest of her books are on my wish list.
Pub Date 29 Jun 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
It is absolutely a heart-breaking read and leaves you questioning why life can be so unfair sometimes.
A dual timeline, we find ourselves spending time with Kate in modern times, she has just gotten out of a bad relationship and taking a break from a workhorse of a boss to clear out her recently deceased aunt Florrie's house for her father.
In past times her father grew up as the youngest child with two older sisters, that are seven years apart. When Florrie was fifteen years old her older sister Evie's beau Frank goes off to fight in WWI leaving her sad, lonely and waiting for him. The waiting turns into years and Evie becomes reclusive, rarely leaving her room, eating little while writing letters to her beau and poetry.
Years go by the parents pass away, the brother goes off to fight in the war and Florrie becomes the caretaker of Evie who has become an invalid. Florrie has a chance at marriage but feels obligated to care for her older sister as they spend the rest of their days together in this house.
It is an intriguing book to read as we see Kate discover a locked door in her aunt's house. What secrets will she uncover upon entering the unknown room. Very suspenseful book, the more I read the more I discovered and the more my heart broke.
I need more books by this author, NOW. All the rest of her books are on my wish list.
Pub Date 29 Jun 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
August 6, 2021
How I loved learning about the lives of Florrie and Edith who lived in London during the First World War and through the Spanish flu that followed. A timely novel, with twists and turns that connect the modern story line to the one set in the past. A thoroughly enjoyable read with a satisfying ending. What's not to like?
June 24, 2021
★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)
I've been an eager fan of Suzanne Goldring ever since her historical dual timeline debut "My Name is Eva" , which absolutely loved, and was excited to delve into yet another of her heartbreaking historical reads. But sadly I found this one failed to live up to her other preceding three. At first I thought it was just a slow build up with a promise of things to come but it never actually got there.
1999: Thirty-something Kate is shocked to discover her partner of five years is having an affair so packs herself up and makes the journey to Dorset to stay with her parents. Whilst there, her father tells her that her Great-Aunt Florrie is in hospital and unlikely to return home to her large sprawling Victorian house on the outskirts of London. He suggests that Kate move into Florrie's house while she takes stock of her life and sorts herself out and then when the time comes, to help her father by sorting through things.
Kate has vague memories of visiting her Great-Aunt there as a child but also remembers that both Florrie and her older sister Edith kept pretty much to themselves. In fact, she can't even recall a time she heard Edith speak. And Kate returns to the house and begins the process of creating an inventory of items before her brothers' horrid wives descend on the place like vultures picking at their prey. Soon after moving in, she visited Florrie in the hospital and appalled at the conditions and care she received there, made the necessary enquiries to relocate her to a comfortable nursing home. However, Florrie was only there a couple of days before she passed away and Kate berated herself for not being with her at the time.
Over time, she meets the neighbours - Marjorie, Peter, Tom and his wife, the widowed Dorothy and even the owners of the corner shop "All Hours" - who all remember Florrie fondly. It becomes clear that the residents of Coventry Road are a close-knit community that keep themselves to themselves but also look out for one another. But no one seems to remember much about Edith, who was too all intents and purposes, reclusive and only ventured out once a week for church at the end of the street.
It isn't long before Kate finds her demanding job as a public relations consultant is emotionally and physically draining and instead she finds solace in the peacefulness of Florrie's house. She meets antiques appraiser and dealer Nick at the church fete one day where she took an ugly looking vase along for appraisal. She was surprised to discover its value and wondered what else may lurk in the house of similar worth and although they continued to meet regularly, she never asked him to appraise anything else.
And yet, she found herself becoming restless in her work and her life. Is this all that there is? Is this all her life is going to be? She thought she was on the cusp of marriage and children with David but look how that turned out. Could she, should she dare to hope for more?
1915: The country is at war and families are trying to hold it through rationing, loss of loved ones and terrible hardship. Florrie Henderson is faced with one tragedy after another as she relinquishes her own chances at happiness for her sister. We first meet Florrie when she is 13 years old and helping her mother run their household whilst her 18 year old sister Edith shuts herself away in her room upstairs writing poems and letters to her sweetheart Frank who left to fight the year before. Every day Edith listens for the postman for letters from Frank and is dismayed when there are none but delighted on the days there are. Either way, she shuts herself in her room to reflect and to write...something which Florrie can see no use in. Her father is also sent away to fight some years later and soon returns home at the end of the war but not without scars. Her younger brother Georgie was too young to fight but instead learnt his father's trade so he could one day take over the business.
When their father returned home, Edith was beside herself asking him if he had seen Frank. Where was Frank? Was he on his way home too? But their father hadn't seen him, saying that there were thousands of men out there. As the days and weeks turned into months and still there was no news of Frank, Edith still shut herself away writing.
Florrie was 16 when the war ended and with it came the Spanish flu. When their mother collapsed and took ill, it was left to Florrie to keep the house and cook for them all, ensuring their father and Georgie were well fed while Edith only picked at her food...if she ever came down for meals at all. And then Florrie awoke one day after two weeks of sickness in which their father had to care for them all, and he was not well himself, what with the scars of the war he now carried from the mustard gas the Germans used. But now as she recovered from the Spanish flu, Florrie knew the responsibilities now sit on her shoulders as their mother had succumbed to it whilst Florrie was ill. All the while, Edith continued to believe that Frank was coming home to her and did little else but shut herself away and write day after day.
One day, when walking in the park with their brother Georgie, Edith spots some soldiers and boys gathered together and she smiles coyly at them. Soon after, she began to disappear every week and then almost every day, rain or shine, returning hours later and locking herself away once again. When Florrie confronted her about her daily jaunts, Edith gushed her relief at being able to confide in her that Frank had returned and she had been meeting him. Florrie thought this unlikely but accepted her sister's story. It had become clear that Edith was so deranged with grief she was convinced Frank had returned to her.
But what she didn't know was that Edith had a secret. A secret that could ruin her. And it is one that, once she discovered it, she would keep forever...to protect Edith. Even if it meant forgoing her own happiness.
Many years later, as Kate rifles through Florrie and Edith's possessions she comes across a locked door to which there is no key. Well, not one she has found anyway. What lies behind that door? What secrets does it hold? And will it reveal why the sisters never married?
THE SHUT-AWAY SISTERS is told in dual perspectives of Florrie in the years 1915 through to 1924 and Kate in 1999 and this is generally my preferred style of book for historical fiction. But it felt as if I were reading two different books. I felt no connection between Florrie and Kate, despite their relationship to each other, nor any between the two differing eras. I kept waiting for something to happen to weave the stories together but nothing came. Although there is a link between the stories, it is threadbare and barely there at all. This saddened me greatly as I so love Suzanne's books but for me this one missed the mark.
Florrie's narrative is told in the form of a diary though no diary had really been uncovered or read to connect the two stories. Kate did come across one diary but shut it quickly believing it to be private so therefore didn't think of it again. It would have connected the two stories better had she began reading her Great-Aunt's diaries as Florrie's story unfolded in the alternating chapters from then on. But then I was confused as to the second lot of diaries which were discovered toward the end and she spent the time pouring over them and the secrets it held. But by then it was too late to connect the stories. And I though Florrie's diaries were sitting on a shelf in the sitting room downstairs...so what were these diaries? It was never really made clear although it alluded to them being Florrie's. All Edith seemed to write was poetry...and letters to Frank. I found that a little confusing.
The characters were hard to connect with and I couldn't bring myself to like Edith as much as tried to sympathise with her. She came across as selfish and thoughtless, did nothing to help at a time the family needed to pull together. Florrie was younger than her and was keeping things together whilst Edith ran off to "meet Frank" or shut herself in her room. If she was questioned, she would say "I'm busy writing" as if that were an excuse for everything. I'm not sure I liked Kate much either. I honestly couldn't decide.
This book had so much potential and I honestly struggled to finish it. I love Suzanne's dual timeline historical tales but I was sadly disappointed in this one. It could have been so much more. Still...I eagerly await her next historical read which I'm sure will be as equally heartbreaking and heartwarming as her previous tales.
I would like to thank #SuzanneGoldring, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheShutAwaySisters in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
I've been an eager fan of Suzanne Goldring ever since her historical dual timeline debut "My Name is Eva" , which absolutely loved, and was excited to delve into yet another of her heartbreaking historical reads. But sadly I found this one failed to live up to her other preceding three. At first I thought it was just a slow build up with a promise of things to come but it never actually got there.
1999: Thirty-something Kate is shocked to discover her partner of five years is having an affair so packs herself up and makes the journey to Dorset to stay with her parents. Whilst there, her father tells her that her Great-Aunt Florrie is in hospital and unlikely to return home to her large sprawling Victorian house on the outskirts of London. He suggests that Kate move into Florrie's house while she takes stock of her life and sorts herself out and then when the time comes, to help her father by sorting through things.
Kate has vague memories of visiting her Great-Aunt there as a child but also remembers that both Florrie and her older sister Edith kept pretty much to themselves. In fact, she can't even recall a time she heard Edith speak. And Kate returns to the house and begins the process of creating an inventory of items before her brothers' horrid wives descend on the place like vultures picking at their prey. Soon after moving in, she visited Florrie in the hospital and appalled at the conditions and care she received there, made the necessary enquiries to relocate her to a comfortable nursing home. However, Florrie was only there a couple of days before she passed away and Kate berated herself for not being with her at the time.
Over time, she meets the neighbours - Marjorie, Peter, Tom and his wife, the widowed Dorothy and even the owners of the corner shop "All Hours" - who all remember Florrie fondly. It becomes clear that the residents of Coventry Road are a close-knit community that keep themselves to themselves but also look out for one another. But no one seems to remember much about Edith, who was too all intents and purposes, reclusive and only ventured out once a week for church at the end of the street.
It isn't long before Kate finds her demanding job as a public relations consultant is emotionally and physically draining and instead she finds solace in the peacefulness of Florrie's house. She meets antiques appraiser and dealer Nick at the church fete one day where she took an ugly looking vase along for appraisal. She was surprised to discover its value and wondered what else may lurk in the house of similar worth and although they continued to meet regularly, she never asked him to appraise anything else.
And yet, she found herself becoming restless in her work and her life. Is this all that there is? Is this all her life is going to be? She thought she was on the cusp of marriage and children with David but look how that turned out. Could she, should she dare to hope for more?
1915: The country is at war and families are trying to hold it through rationing, loss of loved ones and terrible hardship. Florrie Henderson is faced with one tragedy after another as she relinquishes her own chances at happiness for her sister. We first meet Florrie when she is 13 years old and helping her mother run their household whilst her 18 year old sister Edith shuts herself away in her room upstairs writing poems and letters to her sweetheart Frank who left to fight the year before. Every day Edith listens for the postman for letters from Frank and is dismayed when there are none but delighted on the days there are. Either way, she shuts herself in her room to reflect and to write...something which Florrie can see no use in. Her father is also sent away to fight some years later and soon returns home at the end of the war but not without scars. Her younger brother Georgie was too young to fight but instead learnt his father's trade so he could one day take over the business.
When their father returned home, Edith was beside herself asking him if he had seen Frank. Where was Frank? Was he on his way home too? But their father hadn't seen him, saying that there were thousands of men out there. As the days and weeks turned into months and still there was no news of Frank, Edith still shut herself away writing.
Florrie was 16 when the war ended and with it came the Spanish flu. When their mother collapsed and took ill, it was left to Florrie to keep the house and cook for them all, ensuring their father and Georgie were well fed while Edith only picked at her food...if she ever came down for meals at all. And then Florrie awoke one day after two weeks of sickness in which their father had to care for them all, and he was not well himself, what with the scars of the war he now carried from the mustard gas the Germans used. But now as she recovered from the Spanish flu, Florrie knew the responsibilities now sit on her shoulders as their mother had succumbed to it whilst Florrie was ill. All the while, Edith continued to believe that Frank was coming home to her and did little else but shut herself away and write day after day.
One day, when walking in the park with their brother Georgie, Edith spots some soldiers and boys gathered together and she smiles coyly at them. Soon after, she began to disappear every week and then almost every day, rain or shine, returning hours later and locking herself away once again. When Florrie confronted her about her daily jaunts, Edith gushed her relief at being able to confide in her that Frank had returned and she had been meeting him. Florrie thought this unlikely but accepted her sister's story. It had become clear that Edith was so deranged with grief she was convinced Frank had returned to her.
But what she didn't know was that Edith had a secret. A secret that could ruin her. And it is one that, once she discovered it, she would keep forever...to protect Edith. Even if it meant forgoing her own happiness.
Many years later, as Kate rifles through Florrie and Edith's possessions she comes across a locked door to which there is no key. Well, not one she has found anyway. What lies behind that door? What secrets does it hold? And will it reveal why the sisters never married?
THE SHUT-AWAY SISTERS is told in dual perspectives of Florrie in the years 1915 through to 1924 and Kate in 1999 and this is generally my preferred style of book for historical fiction. But it felt as if I were reading two different books. I felt no connection between Florrie and Kate, despite their relationship to each other, nor any between the two differing eras. I kept waiting for something to happen to weave the stories together but nothing came. Although there is a link between the stories, it is threadbare and barely there at all. This saddened me greatly as I so love Suzanne's books but for me this one missed the mark.
Florrie's narrative is told in the form of a diary though no diary had really been uncovered or read to connect the two stories. Kate did come across one diary but shut it quickly believing it to be private so therefore didn't think of it again. It would have connected the two stories better had she began reading her Great-Aunt's diaries as Florrie's story unfolded in the alternating chapters from then on. But then I was confused as to the second lot of diaries which were discovered toward the end and she spent the time pouring over them and the secrets it held. But by then it was too late to connect the stories. And I though Florrie's diaries were sitting on a shelf in the sitting room downstairs...so what were these diaries? It was never really made clear although it alluded to them being Florrie's. All Edith seemed to write was poetry...and letters to Frank. I found that a little confusing.
The characters were hard to connect with and I couldn't bring myself to like Edith as much as tried to sympathise with her. She came across as selfish and thoughtless, did nothing to help at a time the family needed to pull together. Florrie was younger than her and was keeping things together whilst Edith ran off to "meet Frank" or shut herself in her room. If she was questioned, she would say "I'm busy writing" as if that were an excuse for everything. I'm not sure I liked Kate much either. I honestly couldn't decide.
This book had so much potential and I honestly struggled to finish it. I love Suzanne's dual timeline historical tales but I was sadly disappointed in this one. It could have been so much more. Still...I eagerly await her next historical read which I'm sure will be as equally heartbreaking and heartwarming as her previous tales.
I would like to thank #SuzanneGoldring, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheShutAwaySisters in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
July 4, 2021
The Shut Away Sisters is the story of two sisters, Florence and Edith Henderson, told through journals discovered by their great-niece, Kate, in 1999, after the death of the last remaining sister at the age of 96.
When her long term relationship breaks down, Kate takes up residence in the great Victorian house where the sisters had lived all their lives. In a locked room Kate discovers journals written by her aunt, beginning in 1915 and ending in 1924. They describe Florrie's home life during World War I and its aftermath, including the Spanish flu pandemic, and reveal a traumatic event that sees Florrie abandon the life she would have had to remain in the family home. Reading the journals takes Kate back to the day her own dreams were shattered, from which point the story alternates between two time lines as Kate uncovers what happened to the sisters while discovering what is important in her own life.
Edith, older than Florrie by six years, spends her days writing poetry and letters to Frank, the man she hopes to marry. When no correspondence arrives from Frank, who is away fighting in France, Edith's anxiety about his welfare and whereabouts increases to the point where it becomes an obsession. She shuts herself away in her room, only leaving it to take meals with the family or a daily trip to the town hall to check the casualty lists.
Edith's mental state is largely ignored by their parents, who do not make the same demands of her as they do of Florrie, often allowing her selfish, sullen and rude behaviour to go unchecked. Although she loves her sister and is troubled by the person she has become, the dutiful and resilient Florrie feels resentful. She cannot understand why her sister shouldn't contribute to the running of the household or make use of the secretarial and bookkeeping training she had done so well at. Surely becoming more involved in the world around her would take her mind off Frank.
As the soldiers slowly return from the war, a change comes over Edith. She reverts to the joyful person she was before Frank went away. While Florrie is glad to see her sister restored, she is also alarmed when she discovers the reason behind Edith's new found happiness and is totally unprepared for what happens next.
What I liked most about this novel was the portrayal of family life during the war. I found this much more interesting than Kate's 20th century woes. So, I did favour the historical over the modern part.
I also liked Florrie who lived up to her resilient and dutiful nature, but also proved herself loyal and unselfish. Edith was a tragic character. I can't say I liked her that much, but I did feel sorry for her.
There was one aspect of the novel that I found incongruous. This happened at the beginning and didn't fit with the overall tone of the novel. It wasn't enough to stop me reading and enjoying what was otherwise a compelling story, but it did make me wonder what type of novel I was about to read.
Overall, I found The Shut Away Sisters an emotionally engaging and satisfying read.
When her long term relationship breaks down, Kate takes up residence in the great Victorian house where the sisters had lived all their lives. In a locked room Kate discovers journals written by her aunt, beginning in 1915 and ending in 1924. They describe Florrie's home life during World War I and its aftermath, including the Spanish flu pandemic, and reveal a traumatic event that sees Florrie abandon the life she would have had to remain in the family home. Reading the journals takes Kate back to the day her own dreams were shattered, from which point the story alternates between two time lines as Kate uncovers what happened to the sisters while discovering what is important in her own life.
Edith, older than Florrie by six years, spends her days writing poetry and letters to Frank, the man she hopes to marry. When no correspondence arrives from Frank, who is away fighting in France, Edith's anxiety about his welfare and whereabouts increases to the point where it becomes an obsession. She shuts herself away in her room, only leaving it to take meals with the family or a daily trip to the town hall to check the casualty lists.
Edith's mental state is largely ignored by their parents, who do not make the same demands of her as they do of Florrie, often allowing her selfish, sullen and rude behaviour to go unchecked. Although she loves her sister and is troubled by the person she has become, the dutiful and resilient Florrie feels resentful. She cannot understand why her sister shouldn't contribute to the running of the household or make use of the secretarial and bookkeeping training she had done so well at. Surely becoming more involved in the world around her would take her mind off Frank.
As the soldiers slowly return from the war, a change comes over Edith. She reverts to the joyful person she was before Frank went away. While Florrie is glad to see her sister restored, she is also alarmed when she discovers the reason behind Edith's new found happiness and is totally unprepared for what happens next.
What I liked most about this novel was the portrayal of family life during the war. I found this much more interesting than Kate's 20th century woes. So, I did favour the historical over the modern part.
I also liked Florrie who lived up to her resilient and dutiful nature, but also proved herself loyal and unselfish. Edith was a tragic character. I can't say I liked her that much, but I did feel sorry for her.
There was one aspect of the novel that I found incongruous. This happened at the beginning and didn't fit with the overall tone of the novel. It wasn't enough to stop me reading and enjoying what was otherwise a compelling story, but it did make me wonder what type of novel I was about to read.
Overall, I found The Shut Away Sisters an emotionally engaging and satisfying read.
July 3, 2021
Beautiful and poignant and just so so stunning. An absolutely wonderful, thought provoking story. One to savour and re-read. This author is a marvel.
June 13, 2022
I loved the chapters about Florrie and their life in London in the early 1900s, even with the war, the flu of 1918, and the untimely deaths of her parents. The book would have received 4 or 5 stars if there was more of that. The chapters about Kate, the great-niece, set in late 1900s, were sadly disinteresting and silly compared to the other timeline. They really pulled the book down.
August 6, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.
Sweet story with dual timelines - Florrie and Edith during and after WW1 and their great-neice Kate in 1999. I found myself really disliking Edith but Florrie is delightful!
Sweet story with dual timelines - Florrie and Edith during and after WW1 and their great-neice Kate in 1999. I found myself really disliking Edith but Florrie is delightful!
August 8, 2021
I fell in love with Suzanne Goldring’s writing after reading The Girl Without a Name. Goldring just has this style that easily draws you right in and immerses you in her wonderfully crafted and oftentimes heartbreaking stories. Goldring’s newest release, The Shut-Away Sisters follows in those same footsteps and is once again another five star read for me.
The story shifts between dual timelines from the present 1999 and the past 1915 during WWI.
Kate, in the present, has been living with her boyfriend, Dave, for the past five years. But, all of that changes when Kate realizes Dave is not the man she fell in love with. Licking her wounds, she comes back to her family home while she decides on her future and what all that entails. In the meantime, her father gives her the keys to her great aunt Florrie’s home. The home Florrie shared with her sister, Edith, who has already passed on. Florrie is not far behind as she is now in the hospital and the end is quite near. Kate’s father gives her the task of documenting and categorizing the contents of the Florrie’s and Edith’s home and here is where she finds a locked room in the house. What secrets does this room hold? Florrie and Edith share their own secrets and have for many years. Their story is told from the time they were young in 1915 during the war and they are interwoven with Kate’s story in the present.
I have to say I really love the dual storyline between the past and the present. I definitely do not read a lot of books that center around World War I either, so this was refreshing and yet heartbreaking to read about. War changes people and not only just the soldiers who fought in the war, but also the people left at home…mothers, sisters, sweethearts, etc. The war affected everyone. This is plainly shown with Florrie and Edith and how they had to make sacrifices during this time such as food rationing and also how they feared the fate of their loved ones sent off to war. The war isn’t the only thing they have to worry about either. The Spanish Flu is also gaining momentum and wiping out people in their communities. Life during this time is definitely not easy especially for Florrie and Edith. Florrie really steps up here and makes one of the biggest sacrifices of all. Is this really where the story of two sisters begins?
If you love a story that pulls you in, character driven, and both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, then you definitely do not want to miss The Shut-Away Sisters by Suzanne Goldring. This story is another top read for me for the year.
The story shifts between dual timelines from the present 1999 and the past 1915 during WWI.
Kate, in the present, has been living with her boyfriend, Dave, for the past five years. But, all of that changes when Kate realizes Dave is not the man she fell in love with. Licking her wounds, she comes back to her family home while she decides on her future and what all that entails. In the meantime, her father gives her the keys to her great aunt Florrie’s home. The home Florrie shared with her sister, Edith, who has already passed on. Florrie is not far behind as she is now in the hospital and the end is quite near. Kate’s father gives her the task of documenting and categorizing the contents of the Florrie’s and Edith’s home and here is where she finds a locked room in the house. What secrets does this room hold? Florrie and Edith share their own secrets and have for many years. Their story is told from the time they were young in 1915 during the war and they are interwoven with Kate’s story in the present.
I have to say I really love the dual storyline between the past and the present. I definitely do not read a lot of books that center around World War I either, so this was refreshing and yet heartbreaking to read about. War changes people and not only just the soldiers who fought in the war, but also the people left at home…mothers, sisters, sweethearts, etc. The war affected everyone. This is plainly shown with Florrie and Edith and how they had to make sacrifices during this time such as food rationing and also how they feared the fate of their loved ones sent off to war. The war isn’t the only thing they have to worry about either. The Spanish Flu is also gaining momentum and wiping out people in their communities. Life during this time is definitely not easy especially for Florrie and Edith. Florrie really steps up here and makes one of the biggest sacrifices of all. Is this really where the story of two sisters begins?
If you love a story that pulls you in, character driven, and both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, then you definitely do not want to miss The Shut-Away Sisters by Suzanne Goldring. This story is another top read for me for the year.
May 31, 2021
The Shut-Away Sisters is quite a sad read, at least the part relating to two sisters, Florrie and Edith. The story jogs back and forth between 1999 and WWI era. Kate is tasked with inventorying her great aunts’ household while her own life gets sorted out as well. Florrie’s journal allows readers to share what happened from 1916-1920s. I liked both parts of the story. Florrie is a good solid sister who carries the weight of the family on her shoulders. Kate shared many of the same traits. I couldn’t bring myself to like Edith. She shirked her duties all the time and everyone enabled her, which didn’t help her at all. I suspected what the dark secret was. I hated that Florrie sacrificed herself to care for Edith. It was refreshing to read about the WWI experience instead of the oft written Second World War. I liked the ending for Kate; it was very appropriate. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advance read.
July 18, 2021
My Musings
3.5 rounded to 4 because I enjoyed the ending. It took some time for me to get into this book. The story is truly heartbreaking, and I ached for both sisters, but especially Footsie. She gave up so much for her sister. Few woman could have done it. While the novel isn't a happy one for most of it the ending is, so I am glad I found this one. Happy reading!
3.5 rounded to 4 because I enjoyed the ending. It took some time for me to get into this book. The story is truly heartbreaking, and I ached for both sisters, but especially Footsie. She gave up so much for her sister. Few woman could have done it. While the novel isn't a happy one for most of it the ending is, so I am glad I found this one. Happy reading!
July 3, 2021
Beautiful and poignant and just so so stunning. An absolutely wonderful, thought provoking story. One to savour and re-read. This author is a marvel.
November 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! I loved reading about the wartime girls as well as the modern day woman. Everything gelled really well for me. The wartime story was so sad and so painful, but beautifully told. I loved the ending! All in all it was a totally satisfying read and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
December 13, 2025
This book was ALL over the place. It tried to show how hard WWI was on many families but it just jumped and it was hard to feel for characters. Not a great read.
July 5, 2022
Not terrible. Not fabulous. Kind of sad. Would have liked to have seen more of the interactions between Kate and the neighbors as well as more of Kate and Nick getting to know each other.
July 1, 2021
The Shut Away Sisters by Suzanne Goldring is a dual time-line story set during World War One and the years after and the modern-day aspect is set during 1999. In the present day we are introduced to Kate. She works for a London PR company and is successful in her job, dedicated and very hard working. She has been in a relationship with David for five years but her world is about to be turned upside down. She logs into his emails to check the final details of a holiday they are about to embark on only to discover that David has been emailing back and forth with another woman. It’s quite clear that this and a lot more besides has been going on for some time right under Kate’s nose and despite not wanting a relationship to end she kicks him to the kerb.
Kate is a strong woman when we first meet her but this unexpected discovery knocks her for six. It leads her to questioning everything she has known. Is she destined to forever lie on the shelf? She becomes discontented, restless and unhappy in her life and returns to her family home to lick her wounds and recover from the pain and humiliation she feels. But more bad news is to come. Her Great Aunt Florrie is spending her last days in a hospice. Kate gets to visit her but soon after she passes away. Her father lets Kate stay in Florrie’s house on the proviso she will spend time going through everything and then the outcome for the house will be decided. The house is like a time capsule where nothing changed for many many years. Florrie had lived on her own after the death of her sister Edith but to the residents on the street Edith was always an enigma and a recluse. It was Florrie they met and interacted briefly with. Kate feels the house is calling her, it’s a refuge from the pain she is experiencing. She has always lived to work but now she wants a life and a future.
Considering you know from the start that this is a dual timeline story, as a reader you are constantly looking for little clues and hints that would suggest a link between the two strands. But honestly the two stories just seemed so disjointed and it felt like I was reading two different novels in one and I have seen other readers comment the same. I didn’t really care for Kate at all and had much more of an interest in Florrie’s story which was told through her diary entries. There were details about Kate’s job that didn’t seem necessary at all and I just wanted her to get on with finding out more about Florrie. There were times when she avoided clearing out things or in one case really breaking down something and it frustrated me I wanted her to get on with it so the reader could learn more. I felt Kate’s aspect of the story dragged the plot along as a whole. Perhaps if Kate was mentioned for a chapter or two in the beginning and then again at the end it would have tied the two stories better together. I did enjoy getting to know some of the residents on the street where Florrie lived through Kate’s eyes but still overall there was nothing truly significant to have me deeply invested in Kate’s story.
Whereas I much preferred reading of Florrie and her family during the years of World War One. Her diary entries built up a fascinating picture of a family living through the most turbulent of times. I felt Florrie had to grow up very fast learning the way to run the household especially when her mother passed away from the Spanish Flu. She stepped up to the mark even though Edith was the elder sister and really she had no other choice. Edith was lost in a world of longing and pain. Her sweetheart Frank is away fighting and she spends her days writing to him and checking the local casualty lists when they are published. Edith comes across as a truly selfish character, time and time again she is asked to help Florrie and the family but she refuses and is allowed get away with this attitude. Yes, some sympathy can be extended to her given she longs for some news of Frank but still surely everyone was to pull together during times of need in the war.
Florrie was the complete opposite. She grew in strength and determination throughout the book always putting her family first. Initially I thought her viewpoint was off to a very slow start and I did think given how young she was how could she sustain the entire story set in the past? But it does grow to work. Florrie makes so many sacrifices the magnitude of some of them you only truly appreciate as you near the end. She always put others before her own needs, wants and desires. She really has no female sympathy or support and when her father passes away she really has to become the matriarch of the family looking after both Edith and Georgie, her younger brother. She feels abandoned in a way but I think her parents would have been proud of the values and morals she upheld especially when she is faced with the most challenging of circumstances. The two sisters were truly torn apart by the war and the dark secrets they kept. If discovered the consequences would be disastrous but so many years later as Kate edges ever closer to the truth will the secrets remain that way, hidden and trapped or do they need to come to the surface?
I have enjoyed Suzanne Goldring’s books in the past and I love historical fiction but this one was not my favourite nor the most memorable story I have read this year. That said I will read more from this author in the future.
Kate is a strong woman when we first meet her but this unexpected discovery knocks her for six. It leads her to questioning everything she has known. Is she destined to forever lie on the shelf? She becomes discontented, restless and unhappy in her life and returns to her family home to lick her wounds and recover from the pain and humiliation she feels. But more bad news is to come. Her Great Aunt Florrie is spending her last days in a hospice. Kate gets to visit her but soon after she passes away. Her father lets Kate stay in Florrie’s house on the proviso she will spend time going through everything and then the outcome for the house will be decided. The house is like a time capsule where nothing changed for many many years. Florrie had lived on her own after the death of her sister Edith but to the residents on the street Edith was always an enigma and a recluse. It was Florrie they met and interacted briefly with. Kate feels the house is calling her, it’s a refuge from the pain she is experiencing. She has always lived to work but now she wants a life and a future.
Considering you know from the start that this is a dual timeline story, as a reader you are constantly looking for little clues and hints that would suggest a link between the two strands. But honestly the two stories just seemed so disjointed and it felt like I was reading two different novels in one and I have seen other readers comment the same. I didn’t really care for Kate at all and had much more of an interest in Florrie’s story which was told through her diary entries. There were details about Kate’s job that didn’t seem necessary at all and I just wanted her to get on with finding out more about Florrie. There were times when she avoided clearing out things or in one case really breaking down something and it frustrated me I wanted her to get on with it so the reader could learn more. I felt Kate’s aspect of the story dragged the plot along as a whole. Perhaps if Kate was mentioned for a chapter or two in the beginning and then again at the end it would have tied the two stories better together. I did enjoy getting to know some of the residents on the street where Florrie lived through Kate’s eyes but still overall there was nothing truly significant to have me deeply invested in Kate’s story.
Whereas I much preferred reading of Florrie and her family during the years of World War One. Her diary entries built up a fascinating picture of a family living through the most turbulent of times. I felt Florrie had to grow up very fast learning the way to run the household especially when her mother passed away from the Spanish Flu. She stepped up to the mark even though Edith was the elder sister and really she had no other choice. Edith was lost in a world of longing and pain. Her sweetheart Frank is away fighting and she spends her days writing to him and checking the local casualty lists when they are published. Edith comes across as a truly selfish character, time and time again she is asked to help Florrie and the family but she refuses and is allowed get away with this attitude. Yes, some sympathy can be extended to her given she longs for some news of Frank but still surely everyone was to pull together during times of need in the war.
Florrie was the complete opposite. She grew in strength and determination throughout the book always putting her family first. Initially I thought her viewpoint was off to a very slow start and I did think given how young she was how could she sustain the entire story set in the past? But it does grow to work. Florrie makes so many sacrifices the magnitude of some of them you only truly appreciate as you near the end. She always put others before her own needs, wants and desires. She really has no female sympathy or support and when her father passes away she really has to become the matriarch of the family looking after both Edith and Georgie, her younger brother. She feels abandoned in a way but I think her parents would have been proud of the values and morals she upheld especially when she is faced with the most challenging of circumstances. The two sisters were truly torn apart by the war and the dark secrets they kept. If discovered the consequences would be disastrous but so many years later as Kate edges ever closer to the truth will the secrets remain that way, hidden and trapped or do they need to come to the surface?
I have enjoyed Suzanne Goldring’s books in the past and I love historical fiction but this one was not my favourite nor the most memorable story I have read this year. That said I will read more from this author in the future.
June 21, 2021
The Shut-Away Sisters by Suzanne Goldring is an interesting dual timeline WWI-era and present day historical fiction that kept me entertained throughout.
This book weaves two tales of a family generations apart. The first taking place during the early 1900s during the time of upheaval and societal change of WWI and the Spanish Flu epidemic and late 1990s/present day.
Between the different generations of women: Florrie and Edith in the past, and present day Kate the reader is thrown into a story of love, loss, finding oneself, and learning to find a life in the aftermath of tragedy and change. There are a few twists, turns, and surprises that add to the mystery and suspense.
An enjoyable read.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Bookouture for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
From the Publisher:
Book Description:
Two ordinary sisters. A long and brutal war. A heroic sacrifice…
London, 1915. As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, fifteen-year-old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She has grown quiet, with dark shadows under her eyes, and has started leaving the house at night in secret. When Florrie follows her sister through the dark and winding streets of London, she is shocked by what she discovers. But she knows she must keep her sister’s secret for the sake of their family, even if she herself must pay the ultimate price…
Years later Kate, running from her broken relationship, is sorting through her dead aunt Florrie’s house, which she shared with her sister Edith. As she sits on the threadbare carpets, looking at photos of Florrie during the war, she notices the change in her aunt – from carefree young girl with a hopeful smile to a hollow-cheeked young woman, with dark sad eyes.
Determined to put her family’s ghosts to rest, Kate must unearth the secret past of her two aunts. Why is there a hidden locked room in the little house they shared? What is the story behind the abandoned wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied up with a ribbon? And when Kate discovers the tragic secrets that have bound her family together, will she ever be able to move on?
A heartbreaking historical novel of war, tragedy and the sacrifices we make for those we love. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah and Victoria Hislop will be hooked by The Shut-Away Sisters.
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://www.facebook.com/suzannegoldr...
https://twitter.com/suzannegoldring
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3vKLDSY
Apple: https://apple.co/3czVrZZ
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3wdnzcP
Google: https://bit.ly/3rAf5ZS
This book weaves two tales of a family generations apart. The first taking place during the early 1900s during the time of upheaval and societal change of WWI and the Spanish Flu epidemic and late 1990s/present day.
Between the different generations of women: Florrie and Edith in the past, and present day Kate the reader is thrown into a story of love, loss, finding oneself, and learning to find a life in the aftermath of tragedy and change. There are a few twists, turns, and surprises that add to the mystery and suspense.
An enjoyable read.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Bookouture for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
From the Publisher:
Book Description:
Two ordinary sisters. A long and brutal war. A heroic sacrifice…
London, 1915. As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, fifteen-year-old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She has grown quiet, with dark shadows under her eyes, and has started leaving the house at night in secret. When Florrie follows her sister through the dark and winding streets of London, she is shocked by what she discovers. But she knows she must keep her sister’s secret for the sake of their family, even if she herself must pay the ultimate price…
Years later Kate, running from her broken relationship, is sorting through her dead aunt Florrie’s house, which she shared with her sister Edith. As she sits on the threadbare carpets, looking at photos of Florrie during the war, she notices the change in her aunt – from carefree young girl with a hopeful smile to a hollow-cheeked young woman, with dark sad eyes.
Determined to put her family’s ghosts to rest, Kate must unearth the secret past of her two aunts. Why is there a hidden locked room in the little house they shared? What is the story behind the abandoned wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied up with a ribbon? And when Kate discovers the tragic secrets that have bound her family together, will she ever be able to move on?
A heartbreaking historical novel of war, tragedy and the sacrifices we make for those we love. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah and Victoria Hislop will be hooked by The Shut-Away Sisters.
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://www.facebook.com/suzannegoldr...
https://twitter.com/suzannegoldring
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3vKLDSY
Apple: https://apple.co/3czVrZZ
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3wdnzcP
Google: https://bit.ly/3rAf5ZS
June 24, 2021
This book tells the story of two sisters during WWI and after, and of their great-niece Kate, living in 1999. Florrie and Edith's story is a sad one. The repercussions of war long out-last the sounds of the last bullet being fired. For Florrie and Edith the repercussions last a lifetime.
Edith's beau, Frank goes off to war and doesn't return. The result of this is crippling to Edith. Always the more sensitive, dreamy poetry writing sister, Edith simply can not and will not accept that Frank is never going to return to her. She withdraws inside herself and her room, rarely venturing out, writing endless letters to Frank, and non-stop poetry. On the few occasions she finally does venture out the result becomes devastating.
Florrie is the younger sister, but she is the responsible, sensible one. Having been taught by her loving mother how to run a household and take care of family she falls into this role easily when her mother passes away from the Spanish Flu and her father returns from the war frail and ill. Edith is not to be counted on for any help as she lives in a dream world of delusions, refusing to accept what is reality.
This is where the story is somewhat unbelievable to me. Florrie is way to selfless, always giving in to Edith's whims. Edith says and does as she pleases and Florrie just takes all the brunt of it on herself, doing all the chores, giving up on ever having a life of her own just so she can care for Edith. Well it just made me want to slap one or the other of them, I'm not sure which one. Edith to snap her out of her fantasy world, or Florrie for not confronting her and sticking up for herself.
Anyway, there is niece Kate also, who has caught her live-in boyfriend cheating on her. Kate moves out, and into Aunt Florrie and Edith's home when Florrie passes away. Kate is to eventually go through all of their stuff and decide what to keep and what to give away. As she lives there she finds the quiet life of the suburbs appeals to her more than the face paced, high pressure lifestyle she was living. And her biological clock is ticking, she fears she may end up a maiden spinster like her aunts.
This was an interesting storyline, there is a lot of what if questions raised, what if their decisions were different? How different would their lives have been?
Anyone liking historical fiction based during the time of WWI and the Spanish Flu epidemic will like this sad, poignant story.
Thank you to the publishers at Bookouture and to NetGalley for the free ARC of this book. I am giving my honest review in return.
Edith's beau, Frank goes off to war and doesn't return. The result of this is crippling to Edith. Always the more sensitive, dreamy poetry writing sister, Edith simply can not and will not accept that Frank is never going to return to her. She withdraws inside herself and her room, rarely venturing out, writing endless letters to Frank, and non-stop poetry. On the few occasions she finally does venture out the result becomes devastating.
Florrie is the younger sister, but she is the responsible, sensible one. Having been taught by her loving mother how to run a household and take care of family she falls into this role easily when her mother passes away from the Spanish Flu and her father returns from the war frail and ill. Edith is not to be counted on for any help as she lives in a dream world of delusions, refusing to accept what is reality.
This is where the story is somewhat unbelievable to me. Florrie is way to selfless, always giving in to Edith's whims. Edith says and does as she pleases and Florrie just takes all the brunt of it on herself, doing all the chores, giving up on ever having a life of her own just so she can care for Edith. Well it just made me want to slap one or the other of them, I'm not sure which one. Edith to snap her out of her fantasy world, or Florrie for not confronting her and sticking up for herself.
Anyway, there is niece Kate also, who has caught her live-in boyfriend cheating on her. Kate moves out, and into Aunt Florrie and Edith's home when Florrie passes away. Kate is to eventually go through all of their stuff and decide what to keep and what to give away. As she lives there she finds the quiet life of the suburbs appeals to her more than the face paced, high pressure lifestyle she was living. And her biological clock is ticking, she fears she may end up a maiden spinster like her aunts.
This was an interesting storyline, there is a lot of what if questions raised, what if their decisions were different? How different would their lives have been?
Anyone liking historical fiction based during the time of WWI and the Spanish Flu epidemic will like this sad, poignant story.
Thank you to the publishers at Bookouture and to NetGalley for the free ARC of this book. I am giving my honest review in return.
August 14, 2021
Can we find the key?
This book has two timeline. One was present day, 1999 when Kate, the great niece of Florrie Henderson moves into Florrie's old Victorian home. The other was 1915 - 1924 during WW1, the severe rationing of food that caused many to starve to death, the Spanish Flu that took so many and the years of recovery in the form of diaries that Kate's Great-Aunt Florrie kept.
Kate Miles was a very successful public relations consultant. She and David had been living together for five years and she was sure that they would soon marry and have children. David had arranged everything for their upcoming vacation and Kate needed to turn her itenary into her boss so she went to David's computer. Even though she and David knew each others passwords and had always felt free to check on information they needed: TODAY WAS NOT THE DAY! David was having an affair and had left everything on his computer on plain sight! Kate is sad then mad. Just before she leaves, she sends David a text and a Fax that the whole office can see and then washes all his white dress shirts and underwear with a red towel. Kate goes to her parents home for a few days.
Kate's father has a suggestion for her. Her great aunt Florrie is in the hospital and not doing very well. As a matter of fact the hospital is talking about calling in hospice. Would Kate consider living there, visiting her aunt and take on the task of sorting out everything there when the time comes. Kate agrees!!
Kate likes the neighborhood and meets some of the neighbors. As she talks to the neighbors, she realizes that there is so much about her aunts that she doesn't know. Especially Aunt Edith! Everybody loved Aunt Florrie but couldn't remember Edith ever speaking to them. The only time she was seen was when she and Florrie would go to church.
Florrie was only 13 years old at the beginning of WW1 and forced to grow up way too fast. Her sister Edith was in love with Frank and had to watch him go off to war with all the other young men. Their father had to go off to war and came home with mustard gas poisoning like many men who did return. Florrie:s mother died of the Spanish Flu and Florrie couldn't even attend the funeral since she was so sick.
This book was so well written it was very hard to put it down. This is my first book by this author but it will not be my last. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical stories.
This book has two timeline. One was present day, 1999 when Kate, the great niece of Florrie Henderson moves into Florrie's old Victorian home. The other was 1915 - 1924 during WW1, the severe rationing of food that caused many to starve to death, the Spanish Flu that took so many and the years of recovery in the form of diaries that Kate's Great-Aunt Florrie kept.
Kate Miles was a very successful public relations consultant. She and David had been living together for five years and she was sure that they would soon marry and have children. David had arranged everything for their upcoming vacation and Kate needed to turn her itenary into her boss so she went to David's computer. Even though she and David knew each others passwords and had always felt free to check on information they needed: TODAY WAS NOT THE DAY! David was having an affair and had left everything on his computer on plain sight! Kate is sad then mad. Just before she leaves, she sends David a text and a Fax that the whole office can see and then washes all his white dress shirts and underwear with a red towel. Kate goes to her parents home for a few days.
Kate's father has a suggestion for her. Her great aunt Florrie is in the hospital and not doing very well. As a matter of fact the hospital is talking about calling in hospice. Would Kate consider living there, visiting her aunt and take on the task of sorting out everything there when the time comes. Kate agrees!!
Kate likes the neighborhood and meets some of the neighbors. As she talks to the neighbors, she realizes that there is so much about her aunts that she doesn't know. Especially Aunt Edith! Everybody loved Aunt Florrie but couldn't remember Edith ever speaking to them. The only time she was seen was when she and Florrie would go to church.
Florrie was only 13 years old at the beginning of WW1 and forced to grow up way too fast. Her sister Edith was in love with Frank and had to watch him go off to war with all the other young men. Their father had to go off to war and came home with mustard gas poisoning like many men who did return. Florrie:s mother died of the Spanish Flu and Florrie couldn't even attend the funeral since she was so sick.
This book was so well written it was very hard to put it down. This is my first book by this author but it will not be my last. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical stories.
October 10, 2021
The title of this book is somewhat misleading since the two sisters both voluntarily opted to become “shut away."Regardless, the story begins as the realities of World War I--bombs, food shortages, and punishing cold are beginning to hit the English family that is the story’s focus. The mother is energetic and conscientious, dedicated to keeping her family fed and comfortable. The father, a good provider. is drafted and returns with lungs ravaged by mustard gas.
The two sisters are the focus of the story--Edith and Florrie--who become somewhat tragic spinsters because of circumstances and choice. Florrie takes over the household after Spanish flu strikes, while Edith stays closed in her room writing letters to her soldier boyfriend and poetry. There are many twists and turns to the story as the war finally ends, but the result is a mentally-damaged sister and a staunchly loyal sister who gives up her opportunities to care for her.
Running concurrently with the sisters’ narrative is one set in 1999, when a very modern young woman, Kate, moves into the sisters’ large old house after Florrie dies. She herself is facing the trauma of a treacherous boyfriend and a high pressure job with a difficult boss, so her story alternates chapters with the sisters’ narrative as she slowly uncovers the dark secrets of their troubled past.
I think what I liked most about the book is its revealing portrayal of English life during the war. One cannot help but contrast it with the ease of Kate’s life aided by all the modern age has to offer, yet still driven to seek answers to the questions of her present and future life . Her world in 1999 seems to develop less character in her than the trials of the war years did for the sisters. Florrie is a model of loyalty, sacrifice and devotion, formed in the crucible of the difficult times she lived through. Edith, due to her reaction to the death of her soldier boyfriend, becomes as much a war casualty as he did. Against this backdrop, coupled with the admirable British characters who intersected with the sisters’ life, Kate’s relatively routine traumas don’t seem that compelling. Perhaps the story would have been better told through the sisters’ diaries rather than a modern day relative.
The two sisters are the focus of the story--Edith and Florrie--who become somewhat tragic spinsters because of circumstances and choice. Florrie takes over the household after Spanish flu strikes, while Edith stays closed in her room writing letters to her soldier boyfriend and poetry. There are many twists and turns to the story as the war finally ends, but the result is a mentally-damaged sister and a staunchly loyal sister who gives up her opportunities to care for her.
Running concurrently with the sisters’ narrative is one set in 1999, when a very modern young woman, Kate, moves into the sisters’ large old house after Florrie dies. She herself is facing the trauma of a treacherous boyfriend and a high pressure job with a difficult boss, so her story alternates chapters with the sisters’ narrative as she slowly uncovers the dark secrets of their troubled past.
I think what I liked most about the book is its revealing portrayal of English life during the war. One cannot help but contrast it with the ease of Kate’s life aided by all the modern age has to offer, yet still driven to seek answers to the questions of her present and future life . Her world in 1999 seems to develop less character in her than the trials of the war years did for the sisters. Florrie is a model of loyalty, sacrifice and devotion, formed in the crucible of the difficult times she lived through. Edith, due to her reaction to the death of her soldier boyfriend, becomes as much a war casualty as he did. Against this backdrop, coupled with the admirable British characters who intersected with the sisters’ life, Kate’s relatively routine traumas don’t seem that compelling. Perhaps the story would have been better told through the sisters’ diaries rather than a modern day relative.
July 23, 2021
Rated 3.75
World War I and Spanish Influenza. Throw in a father that goes of to war and a sister that becomes so withdrawn that it is difficult to understand. What actually happened to Frank during the war? A younger sister has to assume management of the entire family even though only prepared with the basics. Love for sisters can be difficult with its ups and downs. I truly appreciated how strong Florrie was during several traumatic situations. Giving up her dream to become individually financially strong and being the caretaker must have been so hard. Kate's story was certainly peripheral but interesting as well. This was an interesting read but probably not a memorable one.
Two ordinary sisters. A long and brutal war. A heroic sacrifice…
London, 1915. As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, fifteen-year-old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She has grown quiet, with dark shadows under her eyes, and has started leaving the house at night in secret. When Florrie follows her sister through the dark and winding streets of London, she is shocked by what she discovers. But she knows she must keep her sister’s secret for the sake of their family, even if she herself must pay the ultimate price…
Years later Kate, running from her broken relationship, is sorting through her dead aunt Florrie’s house, which she shared with her sister Edith. As she sits on the threadbare carpets, looking at photos of Florrie during the war, she notices the change in her aunt – from carefree young girl with a hopeful smile to a hollow-cheeked young woman, with dark sad eyes.
Determined to put her family’s ghosts to rest, Kate must unearth the secret past of her two aunts. Why is there a hidden locked room in the little house they shared? What is the story behind the abandoned wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied up with a ribbon? And when Kate discovers the tragic secrets that have bound her family together, will she ever be able to move on?
World War I and Spanish Influenza. Throw in a father that goes of to war and a sister that becomes so withdrawn that it is difficult to understand. What actually happened to Frank during the war? A younger sister has to assume management of the entire family even though only prepared with the basics. Love for sisters can be difficult with its ups and downs. I truly appreciated how strong Florrie was during several traumatic situations. Giving up her dream to become individually financially strong and being the caretaker must have been so hard. Kate's story was certainly peripheral but interesting as well. This was an interesting read but probably not a memorable one.
Two ordinary sisters. A long and brutal war. A heroic sacrifice…
London, 1915. As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, fifteen-year-old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She has grown quiet, with dark shadows under her eyes, and has started leaving the house at night in secret. When Florrie follows her sister through the dark and winding streets of London, she is shocked by what she discovers. But she knows she must keep her sister’s secret for the sake of their family, even if she herself must pay the ultimate price…
Years later Kate, running from her broken relationship, is sorting through her dead aunt Florrie’s house, which she shared with her sister Edith. As she sits on the threadbare carpets, looking at photos of Florrie during the war, she notices the change in her aunt – from carefree young girl with a hopeful smile to a hollow-cheeked young woman, with dark sad eyes.
Determined to put her family’s ghosts to rest, Kate must unearth the secret past of her two aunts. Why is there a hidden locked room in the little house they shared? What is the story behind the abandoned wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied up with a ribbon? And when Kate discovers the tragic secrets that have bound her family together, will she ever be able to move on?
June 18, 2021
This story is quite a sad and emotional read, it spans between before world war 1 and 1999-2003. It’s a dual timeline type book telling two different stories of sisters Florrie and Edith and their family and struggles and Kate and her more modern day struggles. I found it the story began well and I got hooked quite early, although I was a bit disappointed in the lack of events later on. I feel the book is better and a lot more eventful in the first half after that it either seems very predictable or a bit eventless. Saying that I did really enjoy the story altogether, just the ending was a bit more of a push to finish.
I loved Florrie’s character from the start, she was a young, independent girl who did what she could for her family and learnt how to keep a house from a young age which ultimately kept them alive when their parents died. It was amazing to see how different life was even with things like women voting and just how grateful they were that the war was over and how young women started to see more opportunities around them which later turned into what we know now as gender equality and fair work where women can do ‘male jobs’ and be paid the same.
I couldn’t bring myself to like Edith as much as I tried to feel sorry for her. She seemed selfish and not worried about all her family were doing to help and just took everything and gave absolutely nothing back. I respected George, he did his part and learnt the family business and obviously went on to have his own family. I also loved Kate and her bubbly independent personality and I’m glad the story ended the way it did for her.
I would read this again, and definitely want to check out more by this author. I’ve got one on my shelf waiting to be read so that’ll be one of my next reads I think. I enjoyed this dual timeline better than others I’ve read in this style and I thought the two stories flowed really well just wish a little more happened in the second half.
I loved Florrie’s character from the start, she was a young, independent girl who did what she could for her family and learnt how to keep a house from a young age which ultimately kept them alive when their parents died. It was amazing to see how different life was even with things like women voting and just how grateful they were that the war was over and how young women started to see more opportunities around them which later turned into what we know now as gender equality and fair work where women can do ‘male jobs’ and be paid the same.
I couldn’t bring myself to like Edith as much as I tried to feel sorry for her. She seemed selfish and not worried about all her family were doing to help and just took everything and gave absolutely nothing back. I respected George, he did his part and learnt the family business and obviously went on to have his own family. I also loved Kate and her bubbly independent personality and I’m glad the story ended the way it did for her.
I would read this again, and definitely want to check out more by this author. I’ve got one on my shelf waiting to be read so that’ll be one of my next reads I think. I enjoyed this dual timeline better than others I’ve read in this style and I thought the two stories flowed really well just wish a little more happened in the second half.
February 27, 2023
TOTALLY AWESOME READ. DEFINITELY A MUST READ FOR HISTORICAL FICTION BUFFS OR SISTERS.
The Shut Away Sisters: a gripping and utterly heartbreaking historical novel is by Susanne Goldring. This novel takes place in London during and after World War I. The story is very twisty and keeps the reader on their toes keeping it straight. It is told in alternating chapters from 1918 and 1999. Can the knowing the past help the future?
In July, 1999, Kate Mills, a public relations consultant, had what she termed the perfect life. She had a magnificent career that she loved in spite of the long hours, a beautiful apartment decorated just like she wanted, and David, her long-time partner. In a week, she and David would be lounging on the beach in Mykonos. After her dentist appointment that morning, she checked David’s email for confirmation of their reservations so she could give the info to her boss. Instead, she finds unaltered proof that David was cheating on her and had been for a while. Suddenly her life fell apart. She packed her bag, called her boss to arrange more time off, and headed for her parents’ house. Now, instead of a vacation, she had to find a place to live.
As luck would have it, her dad told her she could live in Aunt Flo’s house. There were three conditions: 1) she visits Aunt Florrie in the hospital; 2) she starts sorting through the house after her death, which was most likely soon, and she keeps staying in the house a secret from her brothers and their wives for as long as possible.
Kate visits Aunt Florrie in the hospital and has her moved to a nursing home. She gives her a couple of days to acclimate and intends then to visit again. However, Aunt Florrie dies. Now, Kate feels bad about not visiting. As she begins going through the house, she gets to know her great-aunts much better. What does she find?
The Shut Away Sisters: a gripping and utterly heartbreaking historical novel is by Susanne Goldring. This novel takes place in London during and after World War I. The story is very twisty and keeps the reader on their toes keeping it straight. It is told in alternating chapters from 1918 and 1999. Can the knowing the past help the future?
In July, 1999, Kate Mills, a public relations consultant, had what she termed the perfect life. She had a magnificent career that she loved in spite of the long hours, a beautiful apartment decorated just like she wanted, and David, her long-time partner. In a week, she and David would be lounging on the beach in Mykonos. After her dentist appointment that morning, she checked David’s email for confirmation of their reservations so she could give the info to her boss. Instead, she finds unaltered proof that David was cheating on her and had been for a while. Suddenly her life fell apart. She packed her bag, called her boss to arrange more time off, and headed for her parents’ house. Now, instead of a vacation, she had to find a place to live.
As luck would have it, her dad told her she could live in Aunt Flo’s house. There were three conditions: 1) she visits Aunt Florrie in the hospital; 2) she starts sorting through the house after her death, which was most likely soon, and she keeps staying in the house a secret from her brothers and their wives for as long as possible.
Kate visits Aunt Florrie in the hospital and has her moved to a nursing home. She gives her a couple of days to acclimate and intends then to visit again. However, Aunt Florrie dies. Now, Kate feels bad about not visiting. As she begins going through the house, she gets to know her great-aunts much better. What does she find?
January 9, 2025
1915: Florrie and Edith are teenagers during the First World War. Edith is desperate for news of her sweetheart but is both disappointed and relieved each time the list of casualties and deaths is announced. 1999: Kate is their great niece and discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her. She moved into Florrie and Edith's former home and begins to sort through their possessions...
The Shut Away Sisters is a dual timeline novel set in the First World War and 1990s about different generations of a family in London. Both timelines were very emotional due to grief, fear, the hardships of war and the failure of a relationship in the present.
Grief significantly impacts the lives of Florrie and Edith and leads on to their status as maiden aunts as Kate knows them. I think there is an important message about seeing the elderly as people with life and loves as we have. War and society have changed significantly over the last century so it was fascinating to read the experiences of the teenaged girls.
Florrie is gentle and kind, and I would have love Kate to have had more opportunity to speak with her in the modern timeline. I struggled to like her sister Edith although I understand her grief shaped her actions and behaviour. Kate is a warm and loving character and I was incensed by her philandering boyfriend. I am relieved she had the courage to stand up for herself but wish she'd had the confidence to do it sooner as their relationship had been coasting for a while.
I loved the wartime perspective to see what life was like for the women and children left behind. We usually associate rationing with WW2 so it was a new angle to see it in place in the 1910s. The comparison between the Spanish Flu and recent covid was too close for comfort!
The Shut Away Sisters is an enchanting novel about love and family.
The Shut Away Sisters is a dual timeline novel set in the First World War and 1990s about different generations of a family in London. Both timelines were very emotional due to grief, fear, the hardships of war and the failure of a relationship in the present.
Grief significantly impacts the lives of Florrie and Edith and leads on to their status as maiden aunts as Kate knows them. I think there is an important message about seeing the elderly as people with life and loves as we have. War and society have changed significantly over the last century so it was fascinating to read the experiences of the teenaged girls.
Florrie is gentle and kind, and I would have love Kate to have had more opportunity to speak with her in the modern timeline. I struggled to like her sister Edith although I understand her grief shaped her actions and behaviour. Kate is a warm and loving character and I was incensed by her philandering boyfriend. I am relieved she had the courage to stand up for herself but wish she'd had the confidence to do it sooner as their relationship had been coasting for a while.
I loved the wartime perspective to see what life was like for the women and children left behind. We usually associate rationing with WW2 so it was a new angle to see it in place in the 1910s. The comparison between the Spanish Flu and recent covid was too close for comfort!
The Shut Away Sisters is an enchanting novel about love and family.
August 6, 2021
Kate’s two great-aunts, Florrie and Edith, are really the stars of this book. Watching them grow up through Kate’s eyes as she reads through a diary offers an interesting view into their lives. Kate is only going through the diary because her life is in a bit of turmoil as well, but her story really takes a back seat to the past.
Florrie and Edith’s family actually does quite well in the war compared to those around them. They have set up a garden and are raising rabbits. But the boy Edith loves has gone to war and they may never see him again. As the years go by, the worry and unknown eat at Edith, and she begins to act very oddly.
Florrie, on the other hand, is quickly thrust into the role of caretaker. Even though she is the younger sister, she seems to be the only one holding the family together at times. The relationship between Florrie and Edith is the central point of the story. The sisterly disputes never outshine the love and devotion they feel for each other.
Meanwhile, Kate is navigating her relationship and career crisis in the present. The way her life changed and she came to appreciate the little things as she learned more about the past was quite sweet. I don’t really understand why her brothers and their families were such a prominent piece of her narrative. I feel like they mainly served to distract from her storyline and make her seem like an incredible person by giving me some awful people to compare her to. The book could have done without them.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Florrie and Edith’s family actually does quite well in the war compared to those around them. They have set up a garden and are raising rabbits. But the boy Edith loves has gone to war and they may never see him again. As the years go by, the worry and unknown eat at Edith, and she begins to act very oddly.
Florrie, on the other hand, is quickly thrust into the role of caretaker. Even though she is the younger sister, she seems to be the only one holding the family together at times. The relationship between Florrie and Edith is the central point of the story. The sisterly disputes never outshine the love and devotion they feel for each other.
Meanwhile, Kate is navigating her relationship and career crisis in the present. The way her life changed and she came to appreciate the little things as she learned more about the past was quite sweet. I don’t really understand why her brothers and their families were such a prominent piece of her narrative. I feel like they mainly served to distract from her storyline and make her seem like an incredible person by giving me some awful people to compare her to. The book could have done without them.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
December 21, 2022
London, 1915. As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, fifteen-year-old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She has grown quiet, with dark shadows under her eyes, and has started leaving the house at night in secret. When Florrie follows her sister through the dark and winding streets of London, she is shocked by what she discovers. But she knows she must keep her sister’s secret for the sake of their family, even if she herself must pay the ultimate price…
Years later Kate, running from her broken relationship, is sorting through her dead aunt Florrie’s house, which she shared with her sister Edith. As she sits on the threadbare carpets, looking at photos of Florrie during the war, she notices the change in her aunt – from carefree young girl with a hopeful smile to a hollow-cheeked young woman, with dark sad eyes.
Determined to put her family’s ghosts to rest, Kate must unearth the secret past of her two aunts. Why is there a hidden locked room in the little house they shared? What is the story behind the abandoned wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied up with a ribbon? And when Kate discovers the tragic secrets that have bound her family together, will she ever be able to move on?
This book was ok...I can see how others might like it more than I did. It had an interesting plot, but I just couldn't get invested in the characters. Good story and setting.
Years later Kate, running from her broken relationship, is sorting through her dead aunt Florrie’s house, which she shared with her sister Edith. As she sits on the threadbare carpets, looking at photos of Florrie during the war, she notices the change in her aunt – from carefree young girl with a hopeful smile to a hollow-cheeked young woman, with dark sad eyes.
Determined to put her family’s ghosts to rest, Kate must unearth the secret past of her two aunts. Why is there a hidden locked room in the little house they shared? What is the story behind the abandoned wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied up with a ribbon? And when Kate discovers the tragic secrets that have bound her family together, will she ever be able to move on?
This book was ok...I can see how others might like it more than I did. It had an interesting plot, but I just couldn't get invested in the characters. Good story and setting.
June 30, 2021
This wonderful read is a dual timeline story that takes place between World War I and current day. Sisters Florrie and Edith are forever changed by the happenings of the War, especially with their father away from home, fighting in the War. Edith is sneaking out of the house at night while everyone is asleep. One night Florrie follows Edith to see where she is going and what she is doing. Once she discovers what is going on, she knows she can’t tell anyone for the safety and protection of her family. Years later, current day, Kate is going through the house that her aunts Florrie and Edith shared. She discovers a locked door in the house and wonders what could possibly be hidden in there. But when she finds the wedding dress wrapped in tissue and tied with a ribbon, solving the mystery of it all is her priority. And when Kate discovers the truth of her family’s past, her life as well, is forever changed. I enjoyed this dual timeline story, I found it to be very captivating. What a wonderfully written story, this book hits all the emotions and definitely pulls at the heartstrings in a massive way.
Thank you Suzanne Goldring for such a wonderful story. This story had all the feels of love, family, friendship, family secrets and forgiveness. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you Suzanne Goldring for such a wonderful story. This story had all the feels of love, family, friendship, family secrets and forgiveness. I highly recommend this book.
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