Paperback: 509 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Harper Collins 2022
Source: Tywyn Public Library
First Sentence: The woman on the deck glanced up as a dozen bad-tempered seabirds yelled and hooted.
Review Quote: ‘A richly atmospheric tale of grief, determination and hope’ Woman’s Own
Setting: England and Malta
Main Characters: Florence Baudin, Jack and Rosalie Delacroix
Series: Daughters of War (#2)
My Opinion: Dinah Jefferies has been a favourite author of mine, since 2014 when her debut novel 'The Separation'. Over the years she has transported me with her vivid descriptive prose to some wonderful locations, some which I have been lucky enough to visit and other places I now wish to see for myself. This time it was to Malta, somewhere I have been fortunate to visit and her descriptions are certainly evocative of my time spent there, though of course the island has fortunately long since recovered from the atrocities of WWII.
'The Hidden Palace', part 2 in The Daughters of War trilogy, carries on from where the previous novel finished, though I think it reads perfectly well as a stand alone. However I loved catching up with favourite characters Florence Baudin and Jack having been wondering where their story would take them both after escaping from war torn France. They are based in Devon for awhile, but as soon as it is safe to do so, they travel to Malta, in search of her Aunt Rosalie at the request of her mother. With very few clues to go on, it is a labour of love but one Florence feels is of great importance. The novel is a dual time line with Florences story starting at the end of WWII and Rosalie's from 1925. Eventually the time lines cross and we learn more of the family tensions.
Like the previous volume in this trilogy, it is a captivating read that makes the reader realise just how devastating life in such circumstances must have been. The story will thankfully continue in the final volume ‘Night Train To Marrakech’, which is due to be published later this year. I am already looking forward to catching up with the Baudins again. Highly recommended to fans of historical WWII fiction.
Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:
A rebellious daughter
1925. Among the ancient honey-coloured walls of the tiny island of Malta, strangers slip into the shadows and anyone can buy a new name. Rosalie Delacroix flees Paris for a dancer’s job in the bohemian clubs deep in its winding streets.
A sister with a secret
1944. Running from the brutality of war in France, Florence Baudin faces a new life. But her estranged mother makes a desperate request: to find her vanished sister, who went missing years before.
A rift over generations
Betrayals and secrets, lies and silence hang between the sisters. A faded last letter from Rosalie is Florence’s only clue, the war an immovable barrier – and time is running out…
Author Profile:
Courtesy of Twitter Profile
Dinah was born in Malaysia and moved to England at the age of nine.
As a teenager she missed the heat of Malaysia, which left her with a kind of restlessness that led to quite an unusual life. She studied Fashion Design and went to live in Tuscany where she worked as an au-pair for an Italian countess. There was even a time when Dinah lived with a rock band in a ‘hippie’ commune in Suffolk.
Although Dinah and her husband spent five wonderful years living in a small 16th Century village in Northern Andalusia, she's happy to say they now live close to her family in Gloucestershire along with two crazy Maine Coon cats.
Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:
Goodreads Author Profile Twitter Profile Dinah Jefferies - Official Website
