Publishers Weekly
★ 01/02/2023
In the enticing latest from Kelly (The Last Dance of the Debutante), the lives of two star-crossed lovers are upended during WWII. In 1930s Liverpool, 18-year-old Viv Byrne dreams of expanding her world beyond the restrictions of her Catholic parents and her job at the post office. Viv meets jazz musician Joshua Levinson at a dance hall and gets pregnant after one night with him. Though Joshua is Jewish, her parents reluctantly approve of their marriage. Then, they offer Joshua money to leave her and their unborn child, and he takes off for New York with his sax. Four years later, with Joshua’s career flailing and the war looming, he returns to England to enlist in the RAF. Meanwhile, Viv sends her daughter, Maggie, to the countryside to keep her safe, but the hosts’ house is bombed. Viv and Joshua reunite, trying find out what happened to Maggie and hoping that somehow she survived the blast. In chapters alternating from Viv’s, Joshua’s, and Maggie’s points of view, Kelly unearths her characters’ deepest secrets and emotions. Readers will fall in love with unassuming Viv in particular; when faced with heartbreaking events, she exhibits incredible courage. This will hook readers from the first page. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
From the first pages, Kelly’s latest grabs readers’ attention with the character of courageous Viv Byrne as she strives to fight societal norms . . . fast-paced historical fiction with a hint of suspense.” —Booklist
“Readers will fall in love with unassuming Viv in particular; when faced with heartbreaking events, she exhibits incredible courage. This will hook readers from the first page." —Publishers Weekly starred review
“A fascinating novel about a woman’s struggle with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, her parents’ harsh treatment of both mother and child, and the separation from her child under the threat of an imminent war.” —Library Journal
“Well-paced, highly emotional... an excellent read with a satisfying ending.” —Historical Novels Review
"Enthralling." —Woman's World
“The Lost English Girl is a captivating story, full of tears, anger and love. It will take your heart for a ride and may make you cry, but it’s all worth it.” —Bookreporter
“This emotional novel about forgiveness honors the immense fortitude manifested by families separated during wartime.” —The Christian Science Monitor
Library Journal
02/01/2023
Kelly's latest work of historical fiction (after The Last Dance of the Debutante) takes place during World War II in Liverpool, England. Vivian Byrne, a young lady who met and fell in love with a musician named Joshua, finds herself with child after their short time together. To avoid the shame of being an unwed mother, Vivian marries Joshua at the register's office. But on the day of their wedding, Vivian's mother offers Joshua a large sum of money to disappear, now that Vivian's child will be born in wedlock. Soon Germany is threatening another war, and Vivian is encouraged by her family and parish priest to evacuate her four-year-old daughter to the countryside, before the whole planet is thrown into chaos as a new world war starts. VERDICT A fascinating novel about a woman's struggle with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, her parents' harsh treatment of both mother and child, and the separation from her child under the threat of an imminent war. For a different perspective of civilian life during the war, readers might try Maureen Lee's "Pearl Street" series, also set in Liverpool.—Victoria Kollar
