For Those Who Are Lost

A Novel

Inspired by true events, For Those Who Are Lost begins on the eve of the Nazi invasion of the island of Guernsey, when terrified parents have a choice to make: send their children alone to England, or keep the family together and risk whatever may come to their villages.

Ava and Joseph Simon reluctantly put their nine-year-old son, Henry, and four-year-old daughter, Catherine, in the care of their son’s teacher, who will escort them on a boat to mainland England. Just as the ferry is about to leave, the teacher’s sister Lily appears. The two trade places: Helen doesn’t want to leave Guernsey, and Lily is desperate for a fresh start.

Lily is the one who accompanies the children to England, and Lily is the one who lets Henry get on a train by himself, deciding in a split second to take Catherine with her and walk the other way. That split-second decision lingers long after the war ends, impacting the rest of their lives.

Perfect for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, For Those Who Are Lost is at once heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and uplifting.

©2022 Julia Bryan Thomas (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Amazing story, couldn’t put it down.

The history around the book and the children of WWII. What it did to them and their families.

Was a beautifully written story.

I liked the well developed and compelling characters. The history and locations of this story are a little different than many stories of WW 2, and all was interesting showing how the occupation affected people in an island. I recommend reading it. I loved it and thankful to read it free. Do read it.

Heartwarming and heartbreaking

I appreciated the story and not much is written about the children or what happened to them. Decisions during WWII should never be criticized. Nobody today could understand the era and fear.

Relationships

Enjoyed following the multiple story lines and how the relationships shifted over time, liked the WW2 setting

Story from many perspectives

I liked this novel. It was interesting and kept my attention. It did not have all the explicit details of the atrocities of this war.