Ellen's Secret

Elizabeth St Jacques is the author of Echoes All Strung Out and
Survivors: The Great Depression, 1929-1939.

Living in England in the middle of World War II, one learns it is
sometimes necessary to keep secrets. When Ellen finds a parachute that
might have come from a recently downed enemy aircraft and takes her best
friend, Mavis, to see it, they are discovered by Mavis’s father, who
is with the Home Guard and out for German blood. The girls are sworn by
him not to breathe a word about their find. Later, Ellen is terrified
when she encounters the owner of the parachute hiding outside her home.
When a bombing attack traps them for several hours inside a coalbin, a
friendship begins to unfold between her and the young wounded man. But
this only complicates matters: being rescued by Mavis’s father and his
men will most certainly endanger the pilot’s life. Will Ellen’s
conscience allow her to help Carl, who is regarded as an enemy of her
country?

The author, who experienced the war during her childhood in England,
provides a vividly detailed picture of everyday life—and the realities
of war—in England during the 1940s. In this deeply moving story,
readers will be immediately reeled in by the convincing characters,
charming British terms (e.g., “lorry” for truck, “cooker” for
stove), intriguing storyline, and surprise conclusion. Although dialogue
and trivial moments sometimes slow the story’s pace, overall, this
book is highly recommended.