The English Girl: A heartbreaking and beautiful World War 2 historical novel

Name: The English Girl: A heartbreaking and beautiful World War 2 historical novel
Rating: 4.5 (6 reviews)

Sarah Mitchell

Jun 2021 · Bookouture

4.5

6 reviews

Ebook

350

Pages

Eligible

About this ebook

‘5 stars for sure!! This book gripped me, and I just couldn’t stop reading it… beautiful… extraordinary!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

1946, Norfolk, England: Fran gazes out across the beach, its beauty marred by the sharp barbed wire, hiding deadly mines beneath the sand. Everyone is nervously awaiting the arrival of the German prisoners, who will change everything....

When a prison camp is created on the outskirts of Fran’s village, the sudden presence of the captured German soldiers in their small community feels almost too painful to bear.

People are grieving the loss of fathers, husbands and sons killed overseas, and Fran struggles to see these young men as anything other than the villains who murdered her beloved brother.

But when Fran meets Thomas, a German prisoner with a gentle nature and piercing blue eyes, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew. Their connection is immediate, and Fran soon finds herself falling for someone she had thought was the enemy.

Knowing that a relationship with Thomas would be seen as a terrible betrayal by those closest to her, she must keep the secret or face losing everything she holds dear. Until a devastating event threatens to tear Fran and Thomas apart, and Fran must decide how much she is willing to risk for love...

1989, Berlin, Germany: After losing her grandfather, a heartbroken Tiffany arrives in Germany just in time to witness the Berlin Wall fall. As joy erupts throughout the streets, she joins the swell of people crossing the border from West to East.

In her pocket is a crumpled letter addressed to her grandmother Fran, proof of a wartime secret that has been buried for decades. What Tiffany finds will change everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. But can she find the final piece of the puzzle and give herself and Fran a second chance at happiness, or is it too late to heal the scars of the past?

An absolutely unputdownable story inspired by an incredible true love story, this is a beautiful, sweeping tale of hope, courage and heartbreaking choices. Fans of Fiona Valpy, The Forgotten Village, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will be absolutely gripped until the final, heart-stopping conclusion.

Readers love The English Girl:

‘The English Girl will capture your heart. I found myself glued to the book as I wanted to know what would happen… Historical fiction at its best.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘A wonderful story. Anyone who has an old love they still think about will appreciate the depth in Ms. Mitchell's book… I highly recommend it.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A heart-breaking story of forbidden love… I loved the book… I learned a lot… A great book and highly recommended!!!’ @fictiongodess

‘A fresh perspective on WW2 historical fiction!... I loved everything about this book and can’t wait to share it with others!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Makes for a great weekend read for a fan of historical fiction… Kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what happened next… An excellent weekend or rainy day read!’ To Read Is To Breathe

‘This quick paced story will ensnare you and not let go until the end.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I love a good wartime forbidden love story! Great storytelling and weaving of real events with the fiction.’ Our Happily Ever After

‘An exciting and even inspirational read… I can highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical romance novels, especially those about WWII.’ Christian Novel Review

Ratings and reviews

4.5

6 reviews

Judy Odom

June 18, 2021

The English Girl will capture your heart. Its after the war and Fran is working in a POW camp for Germans where she meets and falls in love with Thomas a German prisoner. Emotions are high in the small village of Norfolk after the war and people more than resent the Germans especially Fran's sister. Any relationship would be taboo and the consequences far fetching. I found myself glued to the book as I wanted to know what would happen . The English Girl is historical fiction at its best.

Shirley McAllister

June 18, 2021

The Letter This story is engaging from start to finish. I did get lost for a minute when the time was switched from the 1980’s to the 1940’s. I soon caught up and later I figured it out. Sometimes the dual timelines throw me a bit. I loved the descriptions of the town and the sea on the beach, sounded like a beautiful place. The characters were great, especially Fran. It starts out with a young lady named Tiffany arriving in Berlin in 1989 just as the Berlin wall was tumbling down. She has come from London to find someone in East Berlin. She meets Ralf and they search for an address she found in a letter at her grandmother's house. An unforgettable love story of two young people Fran and Thomas, in a most inconvenient time and place. Fran is an English girl working in the office of the commander of a British camp for German POW’s. Thomas is a German prisoner at the camp. They meet and fall in love, but it must be kept a secret because fraternizing with the enemy is illegal. June is the sister that hates all Germans and thinks they are all Nazi’s. Daisy is her co worker in the office and the sister of Martin who is smitten with Fran. There comes a time when Thomas doesn’t show at their meeting place. The choices made by Thomas . Martin and Fran will change all their lives. I loved the ending, it was a good way to end the book. I enjoyed reading the book and I would recommend it. Thanks to Sarah Mitchell, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an early copy of the book.

Samantha Markham

June 18, 2021

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The English Girl by Sarah Mitchell. The English Girl begins at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in 1989, as the wall is coming down. Tiffany travels from West to East with a letter in her hand and only an address to begin her search for someone important. Most of the book takes place in 1946/47 in Norfolk, at the end of the Second World War. German soldiers in a Prisoner of War camp are being used to clear mines and make the beaches safe and the book centres around the camp and the people who are helping to run it. Fran begins work in the office in the camp and quickly meets and falls for Thomas, one of the German prisoners. Fraternising with a German is strictly against the law, and so Fran and Thomas have to hide their love for each other from everyone else but continue to see each other at any snatched opportunity they can. Only time will tell whether there is any future for their forbidden relationship and Sarah Mitchell keeps the reader guessing throughout the book. Inspired by a true story, The English Girl was a beautiful read and opened up my eyes to the fact that people who fought in the war weren’t just allowed to pack up their bags and go home as soon as it was over. For many, it continued for years without them knowing what had happened to their families back home. The story also told of how wartime events affected not only the soldiers who fought but those who were left behind, both men and women, and how society treated them. If you enjoy historical fiction with a difference, then I would recommend The English Girl, you never know, you might learn of events that you didn’t realise had happened. I definitely need to read more by Sarah Mitchell!

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