The Secret Book of Flora Lea

About the book

When a woman uncovers a rare book linked to her past, hidden truths about her missing sister and their childhood in the English countryside during World War II are unearthed in this captivating mix of hope, mystery, and genuine familial love (Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author).

In war-torn London in 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the terrors of World War II. Living with kind Bridie Aberdeen and her son Harry in a lovely stone cottage by the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her little sister, including one she invents just for Flora - a fairy tale about a magical realm, a hidden place they can flee to that is solely theirs.

Tragically, young Flora goes missing while playing near the riverbank. Devastated, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, carrying that guilt into adulthood as a silent burden she believes she deserves.

Two decades later, Hazel is in London, ready to leave her job at a charming rare bookshop for a position at Sotheby’s. With a wonderful boyfriend and a chic Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future appears secure. However, her tidy existence is upended when she receives a package containing an illustrated book titled Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never shared the imaginary world she crafted just for Flora. Could this book reveal clues to Flora’s vanishing? Is it a signal that her cherished sister is still out there?