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We Must Be Brave (Paperback)
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We Must Be Brave (Paperback)

(author)
£8.99
Paperback 432 Pages
Published: 17/10/2019
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Waterstones Says

Moving from 1940 to 2010, Frances Liardet’s novel of a woman in wartime who finds herself caring for - and gradually losing her heart to - an evacuee child is a gem. Exposing, inch by inch, the way a closed human heart might be prised open; Liardet explores the way a life may suddenly and fundamentally change. The result is an astoundingly adept and profoundly moving portrayal of unexpected love, parental care and the effects of time and distance on lives intertwined and then pulled apart.

A woman; a war; a child that changed everything.

She was fast asleep on the back seat of the bus. Curled up, thumb in mouth. Four, maybe five years old.

I turned around. The last few passengers were shuffling away from me down the aisle to the doors. 'Whose is this child?' I called.

Nobody looked back.

Spanning the sweep of the twentieth century, We Must Be Brave is a luminous and profoundly moving novel about the people we rescue and the ways in which they rescue us back.

December, 1940. As German bombs fall on Southampton, the city's residents flee to the surrounding villages. In Upton village, amid the chaos, newly-married Ellen Parr finds a girl sleeping, unclaimed at the back of an empty bus. Little Pamela, it seems, is entirely alone.

Ellen has always believed she does not want children, but when she takes Pamela into her home the child cracks open the past Ellen thought she had escaped and the future she and her husband Selwyn had dreamed for themselves. As the war rages on, love grows where it was least expected, surprising them all. But with the end of the fighting comes the realization that Pamela was never theirs to keep...

A story of courage and kindness, hardship and friendship, We Must be Brave explores the fierce love we feel for our children and the astonishing power of that love to endure.

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008280154
Number of pages: 432
Weight: 300 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 27 mm


MEDIA REVIEWS

‘This is storytelling at its best. Wise, generous and captivating’ Sarah Winman, author of Tin Man ‘Oh, I loved this book so much! It’s strikingly authentic, beautifully written, and a wonderfully touching depiction of the families people create for themselves when blood relatives let them down. It broke my heart and glued it together again. Just perfect’ Jill Mansell, author of Rumour Has It ‘Through years of plenty and poverty, war and peace, Ellen’s story is endlessly affecting, peopled by beautifully drawn, endearing characters. A very special, quietly spectacular novel.’Saga Magazine ‘The writing is often dazzling – a child’s voice is “clear, piping, like a twig peeled of its bark” – and this, too, lifts what might have been a sentimental story into different territory altogether … We Must Be Brave is a great success: richly observed, lovingly drawn and determinedly clear-eyed to the last’ Melissa Harrison, Guardian ‘A quiet masterpiece of love and loss, ‘abandoned’ children and rescue and courage … This beautifully written novel had me sobbing, yet addicted’ Bel Mooney, Daily Mail ‘A book about fundamentally decent people doing good things and a story both epic and intimate, so tenderly written it moved me to tears’ Elizabeth Day, author of The Party ‘A wonderful novel. A beautifully written story of love and loss, with thoughtfully crafted characters and so much to think about long after you’ve finished reading it. It is one of those novels you can talk about for hours – the perfect book club read.’ AJ Pearce, author of Dear Mrs Bird ‘I loved this book. We Must Be Brave pulls you in right from the start and stays with you long after you have finished it. Such confident storytelling and perfect attention to detail is really rare’ Esther Walker, onthespike.com

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“An unforgettable portrait of love!”

A chance encounter results in Pamela meeting Ellen. Two strangers both happen to be on a bus. A time that was filled with uncertainty but also the unknown. You needed to have courage in a time of war. Life must go on... More

Hardback edition
1 similar book recommended
Helpful? Upvote 114

“Story of an unconditional love.....”

December 1940, during the evacuation in Southampton, Ellen finds a small child asleep on the empty bus without a family. That is how Ellen meets Pamela.

The book explores the fantastic and unconditional love between... More

Hardback edition
Helpful? Upvote 68
Penelope Bullock at Lancaster

“A profound and beautifully written novel.”

I finished this book at the end of my lunch hour and returned to work slightly red eyed and a bit sniffy but filled with the joy of a marvellous ending to a wonderful book. This beautifully told, heartfelt novel tells... More

Hardback edition
10 similar books recommended
Helpful? Upvote 46

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