The Song of the Lotus Flower by Lelita Baldock

                                             

Ebook:  392 pages                                                                         

Genre:  Adult Fiction, 20C Historical Fiction,

Publisher:  Storm Publishing August 2026

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentence:  Breaking through the thick foliage of the jungle, I spy the helicopter.

Review Quote: What a poignant and beautifully written book: Reader Review

Series:  Women War Reporters #1

My Opinion:

A new to me author, but I believe 'The Song of the Lotus Flower' is her eighth published novel.

It is a powerful dual timeline story set in war torn Vietnam in the fifties and sixties. The protagonist for the 1967 setting is American journalist Jude Murphy, who is fighting against all odds to report the truth. The earlier setting in the nineteen fifties is about Susan, a British woman who while working in Vietnam, starts to question what is really going on. The paths of these two strong women eventually cross as we learn more and more about the atrocities that occurred and the barriers these women came up against in trying to share the truth.

Some of the descriptions are very graphic and some readers may find them distressing, but they are necessary and the author portrays such scenes in a humane way.  Recommended to readers looking for compassionate historical fiction set in an unusual setting.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

An epic tale of courage, love and heroism inspired by the true stories of women working as journalists during the Vietnam War.

1967. Jude Murphy has never taken no for an answer. When her editor refuses to send her to cover Vietnam, she books her own flight to Saigon – typewriter in her luggage, borrowed camera over her shoulder, and every intention of reporting the truth of a war her country would rather sanitise.

But on arrival, she clashes with the stubborn military officer who blocks women from frontline reporting. Determined to break through every barrier, Jude fights the authorities for her right to report. Then, while waiting to join a platoon, she meets a young American soldier whose warmth and idealism starkly contrast her growing cynicism about the war, opening her eyes – and her heart – in ways she never expected.

When she’s captured behind enemy lines, Jude faces an impossible choice between protecting the people who saved her and exposing the devastating truths her reporting has uncovered.

A moving and utterly breathtaking story of loss, love and the determination of women to fight for freedom in a time of war, this unforgettable story will captivate readers of The Rose Code, The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Perfect for anyone who loves:

Strong, independent women defying the odds
Rich period atmosphere
Forbidden love in a warzone
Stories inspired by real women in history
War fiction with emotional depth and moral complexity

Author Profile:

                                                      

                                                          

                                                Photo and Bio Courtesy of Goodreads

Lelita Baldock was born in Adelaide, Australia, she is an author of historical and literary fiction. 

Raised in Australia, living between the capital cities of Adelaide and Melbourne. In 2018 Lelita relocated to Surrey. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English Literature and History, and a Bachelor of Education, specialising in English.

As a secondary school English teacher, Lelita taught across multiple disciplines, including High Level International Baccalaureate English Literature and A Level English, in both Australia and the UK.

Lelita's novels focus on lesser-known aspects of history and the incredible everyday people who endure and overcome.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Author Website.    Instagram Profile.   Facebook Profile.   Amazon Author Page

Goodreads Profile

Sawadika American Girl by Daria Sommers

                                                

Ebook:  284 pages 

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction,

Publisher:   May 5th 2026 by Vine Leaves Press

Source: My Kindle Library via NetGalley 

First Sentence: Long after the Vietnam War had ended, and the grand house near the canal had been torn down; after the stench of the buffalo slaughterhouse had evaporated from local memory and the summary of her Bangkok childhood had been zip-locked inside her brownie camera photos, the heaviness thirty-two year old Piper Lewis had carried for years lightened.

Setting:  Bangkok, Thailand

Review Quote: “A stunning historical coming-of-age novel offers an unexpected take on the US presence in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of Piper, an American diplomat’s daughter, thrust into a world unlike any she has ever known.” John Fried, author of The Martin Chronicles

My Opinion: 

'Sawadika American Girl' is a powerful novel set in Bangkok, Thailand in 1968 during the Vietnam War.

Piper Lewis is an American teenager living in Bangkok during this period because her father happens to be an American Diplomat in the city. The increased military presence and her father's expectations of her to behave perfectly, make her question her position of privilege. Meeting and becoming involved with Jack, a long American soldier on leave complicates life even further.

I enjoyed the setting of Bangkok and the historical background, but not so much the storyline. A coming of age story that I would suggest is suited to readers much younger than myself.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

In 1968 Bangkok, Thailand, 17-year-old Piper Lewis’ world is changing in unsettling ways. The U.S. Military’s expansion into Thailand in support of the Vietnam War is reshaping the city she loves. Her USAID Official father’s mysterious absences fray their once-close relationship. Her stepmother’s obsession with appearances suffocates her. Worse, she can’t summon the passion to bring Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata to life. Only her beloved piano teacher, a Thai Prince, senses the depth of her disconnect. 

One night, Piper ditches the American Teen Club to party with an older crowd. Sparks fly when she meets Jack, a 19-year-old GI on R&R from Vietnam. Defying the Army’s non-fraternization policy, they pledge to spend his leave together. As the hypocrisy of the war closes in on them, Jack’s name surfaces in a drug investigation and Piper discovers a disturbing truth about her father, forcing both to decide what they are willing to risk for a few more days together.

Sawadika American Girl is the story of a young American woman coming-of-age on the periphery of a brutal, unjust war.

Author Profile:         

                                                                                                                             

                                      Courtesy of Author's Facebook (Photo) and Website

Daria Sommers is an author and filmmaker who grew up in Bangkok, Thailand. A graduate of Oberlin College, she has received grants from NYSCA and the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Virginia Center for the Arts. Her essays, op-eds and reviews have been widely published, including Ginosko Literary Journal, Woman Around Town, The New York Times and Art New England. Daria is currently Managing Editor of VBC Magazine.

Daria Sommers is a writer and filmmaker whose work includes both fiction and non-fiction. Her novel Sawadika American Girl will be released from Vine Leaves Press May 5, 2026. Her essays, op-eds and reviews have been widely published including in the Ginosko Literary Journal, Woman Around Town, Art New England and The New York Times. Daria is currently the Managing Editor of VBC Magazine.

Her feature-length documentary Lioness, about women soldiers who served in the Iraq War won Duke University’s coveted Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award at the Full Frame Film Festival. Other films include the half-hour 35 mm drama Ready to Burn, winner of Panavision’s New Director Award; Three Trembling Cities, a web series on immigrants in New York City, winner of Best Drama at UK WebFest and Philly TV Fest; and Eastern Spirit, a profile of Chinese American artist Diana Kan.

Daria's work has garnered support from the NEH, the NEA, the Sundance Documentary Fund, the Fledgling Fund, Chicken and Egg Pictures, NYSCA and the John Whitney Payson Fund among many others. She has been an artist-in-residence at the MacDowell Colony, the Virginia Center for the Arts and Mass MoCA, served on the Metropolitan Museum's Program for Art on Film and been a juror for the UN's One In A Billion Film Series.

Her work has screened at festivals around the world including Tribeca, the London Human Rights Watch Film Festival and the Valencia Film Festival, and been broadcast internationally on PBS, BBC, CBC, and in France and Australia.

Daria is a graduate of Oberlin College.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Profile.    Goodreads Author Profile.   Instagram Profile.    Facebook Profile

The Girl From Lake Maggiore by Siobhan Daiko

 

                                            

Ebook:  314 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romantic Fiction, WWII, Italy,

Publisher: 9 January 2026  Boldwood Books

Source:  NetGalley

Location: Lake Maggiore, Northern Italy, 1943 

First Sentence:  Guilia pressed down hard on the brakes of her bike. A woman was running down the middle of the road!

Review Quote: 'an exciting, impeccably-researched wartime adventure with lots of heart ... the perfect mixture of tragedy and happiness':  Reader Review

My Opinion:  

Siobhan Daiko was inspired to write this wartime novel set on the shores of Lake Maggiore after reading about the atrocities committed by the Nazis in the area during WWII. The author personally knows the area from a childhood summer spent there and has based the fictional town of Marta on her memories of Meina, where a local hotel hosted Jewish refugees that were brutally killed by the Nazis.

Some of her protagonists such as Raffaele and Aquila are based on real partisans active in the region. The novel is the story of how when Raffaele and Guilia, the daughter of the hotel owner start sheltering Jews, their lives change dramatically. Consequently their actions lead them into great danger.

A comprehensive and realistically, at times harrowing account of the day to day routines of those involved in the resistance, with as well a blossoming love story. Worth a read if you are interested in life in Italy during WWII.

With thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

A breathtaking story of friendship, love and impossible choices, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Lucinda Riley, and All the Light We Cannot SeeLake Maggiore, Northern Italy, 1943 🇮🇹

In a quiet lakeside hotel nestled in the shadow of the Italian Alps, seventeen-year-old Giulia Leone lives a life untouched by war – until the day ruthless German SS officers arrive in the village.

Her father’s hotel is no longer a place of peace, but a trap for the Jewish guests who have taken refuge there. Among them is Ester, the bright, spirited girl who has become Giulia’s closest companion.

When a daring plan to help Ester’s family escape spirals into chaos, Giulia is the only one who gets away. Heartbroken but determined, she flees into the mountains and finds shelter with a band of courageous partisan fighters, led by Raffaele Ferrero, the hotel manager’s son.

Haunting memories of her family and best friend plague Giulia’s every waking thought, and she knows she must risk everything to fight back. But as a wanted person, finding where her loved ones have been taken – let alone saving them – may be impossible…

Inspired by true events, The Girl from Lake Maggiore is a moving and powerful story of resistance, resilience and the extraordinary lengths we go to for love.

Previous Review:  Daughter of Hong Kong

Author Profile

                                                    

                                                            Courtesy of Amazon

Siobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a Siberian cat. Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK — where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh high school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and living the dolce vita sweet life near Venice. Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page.  Author Official Website.   Goodreads Author Page

Twitter Profile

The Treasures: The Sevenstones Trilogy Book One by Harriet Evans

                                          

Ebook: 435 pages                                                                                             
Genre: Fiction, Family Saga, 20C Historical Fiction.
Publisher:  2025 by Headline Review
Source: NetGalley
First Sentences: Emma Raven sat by the window, listening for the sound of the cab. Her back ached, as it did when she sat for too long.
Review Quote: ‘Razor sharp . . . an enjoyable family saga with some modern twists . . . quite delicious’ THE TIMES

My Opinion: 

This author has been a firm favourite since I first read one of her novels back in 2018 and discovered that she writes just the sort of family drama that I love immersing myself in.

' Treasures' is the first novel in The Sevenstones Trilogy, a multi generation family saga set around a very special house ' Sevenstones'.  Following the lives of Alice Jansen and Tom Raven, it is not always an easy story to read as there are some traumatic themes dominant in both their lives.

To start with I found the story rather slow but eventually found myself fully immersed in this beautiful novel. The ending definitely left me wanting more, so am delighted this is the first in a trilogy. Highly recommended,

With thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Books Ltd and Harriet Evans for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Every family’s story starts somewhere.
Alice and Tom’s begins here.

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Alice Jansen collects her treasures – the keepsakes, figurines and momentoes that help her make sense of her fragile family. But the next day her heart is broken, and the final treasure, a gift from her father, is lost. Two years later, Alice answers a phone call from a stranger and runs away to New York, and tries to forget her last golden summer at the orchard on the banks of the Hudson.

Tom Raven can’t understand why he keeps losing so many of the things and people that really matter to him, but he knows for certain that something important is missing from his life. One day, he remembers a forgotten letter and makes a phone call, then leaves Sevenstones, the only place that feels like home, for a strange city . . . 

An enchanting, unputdownable new novel about two people finding one another and the sweeping family story that follows, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wildflowersand The Beloved Girls.

Previous Reviews: The Wildflowers.   The Beloved Girls.    The Stargazers

Author Profile:

Autobiography in the author's own words from her  Goodreads Profile

I was born in London and grew up there. I was very bookish, and had a huge imagination which used to cause me to get rather anxious at times. Now I know it's a good thing for a writer to have. I loved musicals, and playing imaginative games, and my Barbie perfume making kit. Most of all I loved reading. I read everything, but I also read lots of things over and over, which I think is so important.

At university I read Classical Studies, which is a great way of finding out that the world doesn't change much and people make the same mistakes but it's interesting to look at why. I was at Bristol, and I loved the city, making new friends, being a new person.

After university I came back to London and got a job in publishing. I loved working in publishing so much, and really felt for the first time in my life that when I spoke people understood what I was saying. Book people are good people. I became an editor after a few years, working with many bestselling novelists, and in 2009 I left to write full time.

I've written 13 novels and several short stories and one Quick Read, which is an excellent way of getting people into reading more. I've acquired a partner and two children along the way.

In 2019 we moved to Bath, out of London, and I am very happy there. We live opposite a hedgerow, and I can be boring about gardening, and there's room for my collection of jumpsuits and all our books. We have lots of books. Apart from anything else they keep the house warm.

More interesting facts from her life story can be found on her author website Meet Harriet


Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

Goodreads Profile   Harriet Evans - Official Website   Twitter Profile

Harriet Evans - Facebook