Letters from the Lighthouse: ‘THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION’ Guardian: 1

Product Information

I can really imagine living in the war from reading this book as the description can draw a picture in my mind. Suffice to say, it contains plenty of twists and turns to keep you engrossed as Olive tries to decode a mysterious note she has found in the pocket of the coat that her sister was wearing on the night she vanished. Tocmai de aceea, părinții își trimit copiii singuri, în zonele rurale, pentru a îi salva un pic de la toată trauma pe care o provoacă un război de o asemenea amploare. Carroll takes the readers on an emotional 'treasure hunt', encouraging us to empathise with Olive as well as gaining an understanding of what it might have been like to live as an evacuee during the war.

This is the first book of Emma's I have read which gives me a quite rough idea of what other adventures she has written and I now look forward to reading another book of hers. Although it is fiction, the book contains a lot of historical contexts and this could be a powerful teaching tool to use across the curriculum.Emma Carroll is now one of my favourite authors and am interested in looking into more of her books. Instead, Emma Carroll increases her use of descriptive language at key points, heightening the impact on the reader. The story was set in February 1941 at the beginning of the second World War in London and Devon, two very different cities.

I think we can learn a lot from this friendship as it shows us that prejudice and discrimination can be overcome by empathy and mutual understanding. The story was amazing with a happy ending and it hooked me in very well, I kept reading the WHOLE day on Sunday because it was sooooo good. I am sick and tired of the "mean girl becomes your bestie" trope that plagues contemporary kids' fiction. I adored this story the first time around, and on re-reading, my opinion is confirmed that this is another example of brilliant writing by Emma Carroll. I found it fascinating, although I’m not a native of Somerset I live here now and loved the combination of local history and magical imagination.This one is different as it is more than narrating what it was like for these children, having to leave their families behind, to be - not always voluntarily and happily but more begrudgingly - taken in by strangers in the country side; it turns into a full-blown mystery involving code-cracking and a major rescue operation.

I was lucky to take my youngest to a local book festival event when Emma first published Frost Hollow Hall, and we’ve loved every book she has published since then! Once in Devon, intrigue ensues and mysteries abound as Olive uncovers a secret mission led by those who take her and her brother in. Mystery and suspense have been cleverly woven throughout the book and never feel forced, instead giving children a hook to keep wanting to come back to the story. The portrayal of prejudice in a community and how quickly this can turn to fear and hatred is powerfully shown. I love reading children's books, talking to them about books, engaging them in reading for pleasure and recommending books to them.

The author conveys the relationship between these two younger siblings beautifully; Olive's love and care for her little brother is palpable. A coded note links the disappearance of their sister Sukie to Devon, and Olive is determined to unravel the mystery.

The illustrations just let me feel a bit disappointed but overall the plot was enthralling with an original storyline.

It was such a pleasure to meet you both, and I really appreciated how smoothly and professionally you ran everything. Suffice to say, it contains plenty of twists and turns to keep you engrossed, as Olive tries to decode a mysterious note she has found in the pocket of the coat that her sister was wearing on the night she vanished.