The Child Without a Home: Completely gripping and unforgettable WW2 historical fiction

· Bookouture
4.8
10 reviews
Ebook
307
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

So captivating, I was on edge while flipping through the pages as fast as I could… Truly heartwarming… Emotional, heartbreaking… I loved this… A must read!’ Pageturners ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Agnes was running as fast as her legs would carry her. She was dragging Dieter along beside her, her heart pounding, her mouth dry, her breath coming in great, sobbing gulps… She was running as if her life depended on it – and she knew it did.

 

1944. When the war comes to twelve-year-old Agnes’ village her life changes in an instant. Her father is dragged away by soldiers and her mother is mercilessly killed, leaving Agnes and her younger brother Dieter orphaned. Frightened, and surrounded by enemies, Agnes has no choice but to carry out her mother’s dying wish, whispered to her before the light flickered from her eyes: Promise you’ll look after your brother for me, Agnes… But when Dieter’s hand slips from her own while crossing a river, the rest of Agnes’s world shatters in an instant – has she truly lost everything?


Cambridge, present day. When her beloved grandfather dies, Freya is distraught. Not only has she lost the man who helped raise her, but she knows his stories of World War Two, and a part of her family history, is gone forever. But when Freya meets her new neighbour Agnes, whose accent is just like her grandfather’s, she notices a weather-beaten image of a little blonde boy in braces and boots that looks strangely familiar… Could Agnes hold the key to unlocking Freya’s past?


But Agnes has terrible secrets of her own, and she vowed never to speak about the little blonde boy in the photograph who risked everything to save her… But if she doesn’t, she might never discover what happened to her little brother all those years ago…


Inspired by the true stories of the forgotten orphans of World War Two, this heart-wrenching and moving tale is about fighting for your loved ones when all hope is lost. Breathtaking and unputdownable, this story of courage and survival is perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Sold on a Monday and The Orphan’s Tale.


What readers are saying about The Child Without a Home:

 

‘ALL. THE. STARS You’ll be emotionally wrung out, yet absolutely spellbound… a heartwarming story that’ll have you reaching for your tissues… breathtaking… needs to be on every historical fiction lover’s TBR list. Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘The best book of the year… You will forget that you need to do any work, household chores or just have a cup of tea. Let the whole world wait while you enjoy reading… wonderful… will not let you go for a minute!… Unforgettable.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Amazinghad me in tears, with my heart in my throat… the end of it made all my tears worthwhile.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

I couldn’t put it down… don’t forget your tissues… a heartbreaker.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Oh my goodness I loved this book!… A must read.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Superb… kept me on the edge of my seat throughout… Exciting, engrossing, page turner.’ Goodreads reviewer

Ratings and reviews

4.8
10 reviews
Shirley McAllister
January 28, 2022
Agnes's story of survival in East Prussia and her escape to England is a sad, heartbreaking story but an amazing story of survival and the love of a sister for her younger brother. As East Prussia is being evacuated by the German's before the advance of the Red Army of Russia, many families left to go to Germany or Denmark to escape the Russian Army. Agnes, her mother, her small brother Dieter and her aunt joined the refugee's. Agnes's father had already been taken and forced to fight for the German Army. Along the way Agnes and Dieter are left alone with no one to help them. It is up to Agnes to keep Dieter safe. This story is a story of great determination and fortitude of a young girl only twelve years old. The situations they encounter, the horrible things they see, the hunger, the cold of the winter and their will to survive is a page turning story. The Second story of Freya in later times in Cambridge was not as interesting. I would have liked to read a whole book on Agnes's story that of her father, her aunt, her best friend and even her friends in Lithuania . It was not a bad story, I just really liked Agnes's story so much more. The story of Agnes and Dieter and Freya and her Grandfather is a story of facing the past and finding a way to forge forward and leave it behind, not to be forgotten, but to be left in the past. The WWII part of the story was so much worth reading the book. Every time I read something on this war I learn something new and interesting. I had no knowledge before of the evacuation of East Prussia before the Red Army and the trials that those refugees faced. I did enjoy the book and I enjoyed the ending it was a good ending for the book. I would recommend this book. Thanks to Ann Bennett for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.
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Candace Miller
February 11, 2022
this book allowed me to feel just some of what these children felt. we often forget that the germans were also treated broadly at this time in history but they were. innocent people still suffering for the bad those before them had done. ann did a great job.
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Lesley Temlett
February 11, 2023
Wonderful story.... kept me captivated!
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