‘Secrets of a Charmed Life’ by Susan Meissner

“Current day, Oxford, England. Young American scholar Kendra Van Zant, eager to pursue her vision of a perfect life, interviews Isabel McFarland just when the elderly woman is ready to give up secrets about the war that she has kept for decades…beginning with who she really is. What Kendra receives from Isabel is both a gift and a burden–one that will test her convictions and her heart.”

Compulsively readable, I loved this story of two sisters caught in the chaos of the London Blitz during the second World War. It was heartbreaking how children were evacuated and sent out of the city to safety, in this case to the quiet and beautiful Cotswolds. Meissner explores all aspects of this time period while the compelling story unfolds with plenty of twists and turns.  Historical fiction is powerful when it concentrates on the lives of people who were part of a difficult time period and the choices they had to make just to survive.  Their stories matter and help us to understand history as well as our own lives better. Highly recommended for summer reading or for book clubs. This is not one to miss and I will definitely seek out other books by this author.