A heartbreaking new novel of grief, family and the enduring power of love from the author of We Must Be Brave
Frances Liardet Books
Frances Liardet, a child of the children of the Second World War, crafts narratives that delve into the complexities of identity and inherited experience. Her prose is characterized by a profound psychological insight, exploring the deep, often unspoken connections between past and present. Through a distinctive and atmospheric voice, Liardet illuminates the layers of human experience with a keen eye for detail and nuance.
We Must Be Brave
- 480 pages
- 17 hours of reading
December 1940. In the disorderly evacuation of Southampton, England, newly married Ellen Parr finds a small child asleep on the backseat of an empty bus. No one knows who little Pamela is. Ellen professed not to want children with her older husband, and when she takes Pamela into her home and rapidly into her heart, she discovers that this is true: Ellen doesn't want children. She wants only Pamela. Three golden years pass as the Second World War rages on. Then one day Pamela is taken away, screaming. Ellen is no stranger to sorrow, but when she returns to the quiet village life she's long lived, she finds herself asking: In a world changed by war, is it fair to wish for an unchanged heart? In the spirit of We Were the Lucky Ones and The Nightingale , here is a novel about courage and kindness, hardship and friendship, and the astonishing power of love.