*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.
Title: The Secret Sister
Author: Liz Trenow
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
Lizzie tried to put herself into her brother’s shoes,
imagining how she might feel facing those same dangers he’d witnessed. Scared
as anything, she thought. But if that was what was needed to win the war, she’d
do it. As she looked at herself in the mirror, wearing her brother’s coat, she
knew in that moment what she must do to protect him.
England, 1944:
As Lizzie looks around her twin brother’s room, she’s in a
state of shock. In the middle of the night Ed vanished,
leaving no forwarding address. Lizzie knows that he was tormented daily by what
he witnessed at Dunkirk four years before, helping his father steer their tiny
boat to rescue thousands of injured soldiers. He was never the same after that.
Then, Ed’s call-up letter arrives. Instead of being
assigned to one of the forces, he’s been told to report for work at a coal mine
– one of fifty thousand ‘Bevin boys’ chosen to help produce the fuel to power
the nation through the war. If he fails to turn up he will be arrested and
tried as a deserter. Staring at his abandoned clothes and knowing how alike
they are, Lizzie realises there is a way to save him.
Arriving for training, she meets a fellow Bevin boy
named Peter and is instantly drawn to his quiet, thoughtful
nature, so unlike the other men who share her dormitory. And as the two start
to adapt to their new lives underground, they develop a strong bond.
Lizzie knows the risks she is taking to save her brother.
If she grows too close to Peter her secret will almost certainly be revealed,
and they will both be imprisoned. But with the war raging and her beloved
country at risk, how much is Lizzie prepared to sacrifice to save those she
loves the most?
The Secret Sister
is an emotional story of courage, strength, sibling bonds and a sister’s
sacrifice from historical fiction author Liz Trenow. This was my first time
reading anything from the author, despite many of her books sitting on my TBR
list for many years but I instantly connected with her compelling storytelling
about a fascinating yet little-known area of Second World War history.
Despite considering
myself well-read around the Second World War, I hadn’t heard of the Bevin boys
and their contribution to the war effort before. As explored in the epilogue in
particular, they are very much some of the forgotten heroes of the Second World
War so it was wonderful to see them featured within historical fiction.
I would say that The
Secret Sister does read as more of a YA historical fiction novel than one for adult
readers. This was partially down to the age of the protagonists who both read
as very young and immature at times. It also is generally more light-hearted than
other novels in the genre, making it more suited to younger readers who have an
interest in the Second World War but perhaps couldn’t cope with more of the
darker subject matters you can see in adult historical fiction reads.
Both Lizzie and Ed
were well written characters whose strong sibling bond was clear throughout. I
liked that we got to explore both of their perspectives in different ways
throughout the narrative. There is also a great cast of supporting characters. I
particularly loved Peter as a character and the exploration of conscientious
objectors we got through him. His blossoming relationship with Lizzie was
well-written and felt authentic to their ages. Lizzie and Ed’s family were also
well-written and I liked their family dynamic. I would however have liked the wider supporting
characters to have been explored in greater depth, particularly the other Bevin
boys Lizzie trains with and the other miners working in the colliery she’s later
assigned to.
The mental health
representation we have through Ed’s character was a real highlight of the book.
Following his experiences supporting the Dunkirk evacuation when he was still
just a child, Ed is clearly experiencing what modern society will know as PTSD.
This is explored very well in the book, with us hearing both from Ed directly and
also from the outside perspective of his sister Lizzie, at a time where PTSD
was not recognised in the way it is today.
The ending does feel
very abrupt which was a shame. We do get some resolution in the epilogue but I
would have liked the ending to overall have been explored in a greater amount
of depth in order to tie the narrative off better.
Overall, The
Secret Sister is a compelling and easy read for fans of historical fiction.
This would be particularly ideal for teenage/young adult readers of the genre
or anyone with an interest in the Bevin boys and conscientious objectors.
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