For Those Who Are Lost

- Blurb -

One woman' s split-second decision on the eve of World War II will tear a family apart. . . On the island of Guernsey, as WWII looms, many islanders make the heartbreaking choice to ship their children to safety in England, not knowing when (or if) they will be reunited. Acting on faith, Ava and Joseph Simon reluctantly send their 9-year-old son Henry and four-year-old daughter Catherine with their children' s teacher Helen, who will escort them to the mainland. But Helen' s sister Lily is fleeing an abusive, childless marriage, and, just as the ferry is about to leave, she convinces her sister to let her take Helen' s place so that she can make a new start for herself. It is Lily who takes the children to England, and it is Lily who lets Henry get on a train by himself. But Lily has always wanted a child, and she' s unable to let Catherine go. So she decides to walk the other way, taking Catherine with her in her arms. That split-second decision impacts the lives of everyone long after the war ends. Perfect for readers of Sold on a Monday, For Those Who Are Lost is at once heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and uplifting. ' This richly layered story about losing, finding and forgiving unfolds when a Nazi threat to an innocent island off the coast of France is imminent. Desperate action is taken and children are sent into the unknown where destinies are altered. Then the isolation and pressures of a tedious war beget heartaches and heroes. For Those Who Are Lost is riddled with secrets and sins for the sake of survival. Kudos to Thomas for a poignant and compelling read. ' - Leah Weiss, bestselling author ofIf The Creek Don' t RiseandAll the Little Hopes" - Leah Weiss, bestselling author ofIf The Creek Don' t RiseandAll the Little Hopes' Julia Bryan Thomas has ensured that readers of For Those Who Are Lost will never forget the children of Guernsey displaced during World War II. This is a captivating and complex story about family, about deception, about flawed characters in inconceivable circumstances, and about the power of love to both damage and heal. ' - Kelly Mustian, author ofThe Girls in the Stilt House" - Kelly Mustian, author ofThe Girls in the Stilt House' For Those Who are Lost is a surprisingly suspenseful novel, fraught with the tension of intersecting lives in impossible circumstances. The literary momentum pulls the reader forward at an ever increasing pace toward a poignant ending. ' - Audrey Blake,USA Todaybestselling author of The Girl in His ShadowandThe Surgeon' s Daughter" - Audrey Blake,USA Todaybestselling author of The Girl in His ShadowandThe Surgeon' s Daughter