The House for Lost Children by Marty Wingate ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

England, 1940. “Hello Gracie,” Louisa reaches out a trembling hand to the six-year-old little girl. Her dark eyes are wide with fear and Louisa’s heart shatters. She is devoted to the children in her new boarding school. But when the war comes closer than ever, can she keep them safe?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

September 2025; Bookouture; 978-1805502128
audio, ebook, print (316 pages); historical fiction

It's 1940, and Louisa lives in an aging large manor home in rural England.  Her best friend/housekeeper lives there with her.  Her husband has divorced her and lives in London, and her only son has gone off to war.  She wants to do something to help the war effort and decides to turn her home into a boarding school.  When she finds out that a school needs to be evacuated, she offers her home.  Soon, two teachers and nine children show up.  The children bring noise and laughter to her home, and she does what she can to help them find fun in their days.  Their female teacher wants to run a strict school, but Louisa and Jack (the male teacher) are always looking for ways to add fun and adventure to their days.  One little girl, Gracie, has just lost her mom in a bombing and doesn't talk at all.  Louisa takes special care of her, and Gracie begins to follow her around like a shadow.

Louisa's happiness at having the children in her home soon turns to worry when the female teacher - appalled that Louisa is divorced and therefore is a poor role model for the children, wants to move the children to a more acceptable environment.  As Louisa fights the possibility of this move, she and Jack spend more time together, and it looks like they may become more than friends.  When news arrives that her son is missing, Louisa's world gets turned upside down, but she still works to help keep the children happy.  She remains a resilient and strong guide for the children despite what is going on in her world.

This beautiful, well-written story is about protecting children during war.  But more than that, it's a book about family - the family you are related to by blood and the family that you created by love.  Both kinds of families are important, and the bonds between the members can be as strong.  The book shows that even in the darkest times, love and family will win and create light in the darkness.

 “In times of darkness, love is not a luxury—it’s the only light we have.”

Buy The House for Lost Children at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.   

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Or Follow Girl Who Reads with Bloglovin. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.