The Lost Children

For readers of Natasha Lester and Pam Jenoff comes a poignant and heart-wrenching tale of two orphans in a world at war, with only each other to rely on—but can their bond survive the shocking truth of their past?
 
England, 1943: Home is no longer safe for eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob. Night after night, wailing bombs and screeching planes skim the rooftops overhead. Their mother, Martha, has no choice but to evacuate them to the safety of the countryside, even if it means she might never see them again. At the train station, she gives Jacob a letter, telling him only to read it if they are in danger.

In the country, Molly and Jacob must adjust to life with strangers. But then the unimaginable happens. Martha is killed in an explosion, leaving the twins all alone in the world. Motherless and destitute, the siblings face the grim reality of life in an orphanage.

The time has finally come for Jacob to open the letter. What secret does it hold, and could it change the course of their tragic fate? Because if they are together, they can survive anything—but what if they are torn apart?

Shirley Dickson lives under the big skies of Northumberland, United Kingdom with her husband, family, and lucky black cat. She wrote her first short story at the age of ten for a childrens' magazine competition. She didn't win but was hooked on writing for a lifetime. For many years she wrote poetry and short stories and got many rejection slips. Shirley decided to get serious about writing novels when she retired. She signed with Bookouture in 2018 for a two-book deal. She has written two stirring WWII historical novels. Shirley says she is a prime example of "never give up on your dream."