When I was Yours
We stand in the back of the hall as the children troop in. Big ones, little ones. Straggly hair, cropped hair, curls… the adults surge forward to choose and soon there is just one child left, a little girl sitting on the floor. She is thin as a string bean and her sleeve is ragged and damp – like she’s been chewing it.
1939. War has broken out – hundreds of children are evacuated to the countryside to keep them safe from the bombs raining down on the cities. Wrenched from her family in the East End and sent more than a hundred miles away, seven-year-old Pearl Posner must adapt to a new life away from everything familiar.
Vivienne didn’t ask for an evacuee child. In fact, she’s not sure her heart can take it. So many years, so many disappointments… Vivi’s ability to feel love left her the day she learned the truth about her husband Edmund, and when she made the worst decision of her life and left her cherished sister to her fate. But like it or not, Pearl is here to stay, and what with the rumours about what’s happening to children in mainland Europe, it might be the last safe place for her.
As Pearl and Vivi learn how to live together, they discover that they have a connection that runs more deeply than they could ever have guessed – from before Pearl was born, and deep into Vivienne’s past. And will it be Pearl – the little girl who says so little and sees so much – who forces Vivi to finally confront what happened in her marriage… and to the long-lost sister she loved so dearly and let fall so far, just when she needed Vivi most?
A beautiful and emotional wartime historical novel – heartbreaking, moving and unforgettable. Perfect for fans of Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours.
Readers absolutely love When I Was Yours
’Brought me to tears. I love how having Pearl as an evacuee gave Vivienne a purpose in life. The story has plenty of twists and turns… If you like romantic historical fiction, particularly which is set in wartime, then this is the book for you! This, at times, bought tears to my eyes and equally a warm glow to my heart.’
Stardust Book Reviews
‘Lizzie Page has gone and done it again with this beautiful, poignant and immensely emotional story… She is by far one of my favourite authors… Lizzie you have blown me away with your beautiful words, wonderful imagination and emotional story… It is a lovingly written story that has real heart, and one that I cannot recommend enough.’
Chicks Rogues and Scandals
‘I loved it!… I adore Lizzie Page’s writing and the way she so brilliantly blends fact and fiction.’
Jill Mansell, bestselling author
‘Page is a wonderful writer, one that draws me in to the story completely and utterly … wonderful characters… brilliantly plotted with a delightfully intertwined story, it has the heartbreak of war and a gorgeous love story… fantastic.’
Short Book and Scribes
‘A compelling and intriguing read… I was fascinated by Vivienne’s story… Vivienne and Pearl are characters I will certainly never forget.’
Goodreads reviewer
‘A lovely, heart-tugging novel.’
Goodreads reviewer
‘You’ll find the yourself engrossed till the last page.’
My Pert Opinions
‘The story is heartbreaking… This is an all-round excellent read, without a doubt 5 stars from me.’
Booking Good Read
‘This book was hard to put down… One of the best historical fiction books I’ve read in a very long time.’
Shelly’s Book Nook
Several fantastic women including war-artist Olive Mudie Cooke and singer-songwriter, Lena Guilbert Ford were the inspiration for this book. But also, a lot of my family stories have gone in here – my Dad was evacuated from London to Hinckley, Leicester when he was seven, and some of evacuee child Pearl Posner’s experiences were based on his.
With this book, I hoped to explore how it might have felt to live and to do your duty through two world wars, and to imagine how it might have felt to be a host-mother to an evacuated child.
When I was Yours has been translated into Dutch, Swedish and shortly into Czech. The paperback will be released in USA by Grand Central Publishing on December 3rd, and a reading group guide will be posted here shortly after that.