The Girl Without a Name: Beautiful and heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction

Name: The Girl Without a Name: Beautiful and heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction
Rating: 4.454545497894287 (11 reviews)

Suzanne Goldring

Nov 2020 · Bookouture

4.5

11 reviews

Ebook

350

Pages

Eligible

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About this ebook

‘Wow! Where do I even begin? I was captivated from the first page right up until the very last… captivating, compelling and heart-breaking… Absolutely brilliant.’ Confessions of a Bookaholic, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A beautiful and heartbreaking read, this is the story of the courage of a young woman in wartime and another woman’s quest to right the injustices of history. Fans of The Letter and The Nightingale will be hooked on The Girl Without a Name.

September 1940. As the bombs of the Blitz rain down on the East End of London, Ruby and Stevie are falling in love. United by a shocking experience when they were evacuees, brave sixteen-year-old Ruby believes she and Stevie are kindred spirits, and they find solace together surrounded by the bombed-out shells of London houses. But when Stevie is posted abroad, handsome and smart in his khaki uniform, Ruby can’t shake a sense of foreboding. As she waits desperately for letters with foreign stamps that never come, she begins to fear that he is lost forever…

August 2004. Billie rushes to her father Dick’s hospital bedside. A terrible stroke has robbed him of his speech and he is a shell of the man he was before. Billie holds his hand, hoping her presence will bring him peace. But when she finds a crumpled black and white photo in his wallet of a smiling dark-haired girl she doesn’t recognise, Dick frantically tries to talk. Billie knows this is important, and she must ask the questions her father cannot. All she has to go on is the name he is just able to mumble. Ruby.

How is Ruby, a lonely East End orphan with no family, connected to Billie’s beloved father? What dangerous things has Billie’s father seen and done that he never told her? Who is the frightened young boy behind the man she knows? And can Billie lay the ghosts of the past to rest, even if it means revealing the darkest secrets of her father’s life and breaking her own heart?

Readers are loving The Girl Without a Name:

‘OH MY GOD! What a book. I was hooked right from the start… the plot twist at the end just left me bawling. Words won’t do justice to this book. Please pick it up and read it asap.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A captivating and emotional wartime saga, a tale of love, loss, and courage. I couldn't put the book down. It is exciting and tragic at the same time. I absolutely loved this book! I laughed, I cried, I cheered.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What an amazing tale, I've been totally captivated the whole way through… It’s heart wrenching at times, I totally loved every page and what an amazing ending. I can totally recommend this OUTSTANDING book for all.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I can't get over how good this book was… filled me with so many emotions… A page-turner for sure as you are transported back and forth between past and present… Goldring's in-depth research, character development, and plot execution has made me a big fan. An excellent read. Five amazing stars. I loved it!’ Cyireadbooks, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A heartbreaking story of a young girl finding herself. Discovering her strengths and her potential. It is also a story of human frailties and that it's never too late to be sorry. Great story!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A fabulous wartime story that will really pull at your heart strings. I totally loved this book and the story was just brilliant.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A heartwarming and tragic story of two star crossed lovers. It will have you turning pages as it spirals towards a shocking ending!’ The Retired Book Lady, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An excellent well-written story’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I couldn’t put this book down as I had to find out what happened to Ruby. An outstanding read!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book captivated completely’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

4.5

11 reviews

Jeanne Bringley

November 5, 2020

Ruby is sent to Barnstaple during the war in order to keep her safe from the bombings in London. She is placed with Mrs. Honey along with an older girl, Joan. Joan's brother, Stevie, is at another farm and Ruby has a crush on Stevie. After her mom is killed by a bomb her Aunt Ida takes her back to London. Ruby is living above their pub. Aunt Ida sounds nasty and only cares for herself and what work Ruby can do to make her life easier. Ruby reconnects with Stevie and they fall in love but when Stevie comes back from his National Service he is a changed man and they break up. One afternoon Dick is watching the news and sees a flood in Boscastle and he remembers a flood from 1952 in Lynmouth. It upsets him so much and when his daughter, Billie, finds him he has had a stroke. When she takes his wallet from him she finds a hidden picture of a young girl and determines to find out who she is and why it upsets him so. I found the characters pretty well developed. Ruby and Joan were lucky to be placed with Mrs. Honey and they thrived in her environment. Ruby was a gentle soul who was orphaned early but she never became bitter but continued to strive for a better life. Stevie was a tragic figure having been sent to that farmer who was brutal to the children put with him and Stevie ran away and went back to London where he would go into bomb sites hoping to find coins left behind. He had a passion for life and always looking for an adventure. Billie was a little less defined. She was tenacious in trying to get to the root of what upset her father but her eating and weight was brought up a lot and I'm not sure why. London during the war was depicted well I thought with the bombed out buildings and then the restructuring. The life in Barnstaple seemed enviable even though the work was hard there was a rhythm to everything they did. There is a bit of a mystery involved when Billie reads about an unidentified woman who died in the 1952 flood and there were a couple of surprises that I didn't see coming. I would recommend this book to friends. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me the opportunity to read this story.

Pearly Williams

November 6, 2020

An amazing book on courage and bravery and the treachery of war which changes people's lives forever. A page-turner right from the beginning, as we are transported back and forth to capture the full essence of the story. Children are sent to the country to avoid being casualties in the German blitz bombings in London. Ruby is sent to stay with Mrs. Honey where she befriends siblings Joan and Stevie. A strong bond of friendship is formed and soon blossoms into love between Stevie and Ruby, however the war experiences in Stevie's life change their relationship. This novel caused me to be a bundle of emotions, but I enjoyed every minute of reading it. An excellent read that was so captivating throughout the entire novel. Summary: A remarkable wartime story that is totally brilliant. I highly recommend this book.

Judy Odom

November 5, 2020

The Girl Without A Name is book that I will think of often. Historical fiction top of the class! Suzanne Goldring tells the story of Ruby and Stevie and London in the War. The book starts with a devastating flood and no one can figure out why Dick is so devastated that his health is forever changed. The story starts in 2004 and then goes back to when Ruby, Stevie, his sister Joan are all evacuated to Devon along with many children to keep them safe from the bombings. I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I loved some characters, others not so much. You cant help but fall in love with Ruby who really has nothing as she is returned to wartime London. Suzanne Goldring never lets you down with her story telling. This book is a don't miss and should go near the top of your TBR pile. Heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time!

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