The Book of Last Letters

Whether you are a nurse, a fan of historical fiction, in the military, or have a family member who is/was a part of the military, world war two theme lover, or someone who enjoys a duel timeline, The Book of Last Letters will touch the hearts of many. Add that it's based on a true story into the mix, and you'll be ready to grab your tissues. Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the advance readers' copy in exchange for my honest review.

If I could only recommend one Historical Fiction that takes place in England this year, The Book of Last Letters would be the one. I was expecting a WW2 historical fiction that would tell me more about what accorded in war torn England. I got so much more. I didn't expect the story to be filled with suspense, but I was happily wrong. I didn't expect it to be blown away by the unexpected twists. The dual time line did an amazing job of tying the past and present together to reveal how the past influences the present. Elsie was a nurse during WW2 working at South London Hospital. When huts are erected on the site to house injured soldiers. Helping a soldier write home turns into the Book of Last Letters. There were no rules. Messages to family were great. Drawings decorated some of the pages. Jokes filled spaces. Written words told what happened to the injured, what the saw, how they felt. As she collected stories she fell in love with Harry. Sylvie's life has been chaotic. She has lost everything but her Nan living at Tall Trees, a place that used to be South London Hospital. She even lost her drive to paint until a series of fortunate events. Finn, a historian, is working with in the confines of the hospital researching a book found in the rubble of a basement. Thanks to Finn, I learned so much more about WW2 as he and Sylvie delve into the stories. Sylvie's love of painting is rekindled after she enters a contest to paint mural illustrating the past influences the present. The Book of Last Letters pays a major part in her design. With the help of the residents of Tall Trees, Sylvie continues to solve the mysteries behind the letters and those that wrote them. Sylvie might have been able to answer questions with research. But as a reader I got to follow along as Elsie lived out her days during the Blitz. The author had me ducking as bombs dropped. I dusted off my cloths after a direct hit. I sat in the dark and damp Anderson Shelter listening to planes fly overhead. My mind went crazy trying to figure out who Mr. and Mrs. Gold were. If you figure it out, please let me know. Grab The Book of Last Letters. Experience the war through the eyes of the nurses, soldiers and residents in South London. Understand the past through this book to help understand the present and not to repeat it in the future.