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The Dressmaker's Secret by Susanne Dunlap #Review

We are diving into the past to the nineteenth century with the Regency romance, The Dressmaker's Secret Earl by Susan Dunlap . It was published by Comfortable Prose Publishing on 25 Mar. 2025 .   A marriage of convenience to a scoundrel? Not if Augusta can help it. The impoverished daughter of a baronet, Augusta has no intention of being bartered away like a prize horse. Instead, she flees to London, determined to forge her own path as a modiste. But fate has other plans. On her very first day in the city, she crosses paths with a brooding earl—one burdened with a clubfoot and a reputation nearly as scandalous as the proposal she ran from. His captivating sister, Mariana, is not only Augusta’s employer’s best client but harbors a secret ambition of her own: to marry the one man society deems wholly unsuitable. Drawn into Mariana’s reckless schemes of masquerades, cross-dressing, and Whig intrigue, Augusta soon finds herself entangled in more than just scandal—she’s lo...
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The Young Survivors by Debra Barnes #Review


 Today I have a rather special book for you. The Young Survivors by Debra Barnes.  
It was published by Duckworth Books on July 23rd.
 
A powerful debut novel inspired by the true story of five siblings struggling to stay together as the tides of war threaten to tear them apart...

When Germany invades France in the Second World War, the five Laskowski children lose everything: their home, their Jewish community and,most devastatingly,their parents who are abducted in the night. There is no safe place left for them to evade the Nazis, but they cling together–never certain when the authorities will come for what is left of them.

Inspired by the poignant, true story of the author’s mother, this moving historical novel conveys the hardship, the uncertainty and the impossible choices the Laskowski children were forced to make to survive the horrors of the Holocaust


My Thoughts

Inspired by a true story, this novel drips with authenticity. It takes a look at the persecution of Jewish families during the Second World War through the eyes of children. Taking the perspectives of various siblings who were living in France at the time, you see the callousness of their treatment and the barbarity which occurred. You share with them, the inexplicable nature of what was happening and how powerless they were to avoid it. Their innocence makes the cruelty all the starker.

    I was also struck by the courage of those who helped the children to survive and avoid the camps. Pierre, the oldest, had to grow up fast. I must say that the most poignant moment for me was when Georgette looked in the mirror and wondered about her twin sister. It is clear that even surviving the horror does not wash away their experiences or bring people back. Love and affection are strong bonds and the need to find people immense. It is a sobering book but one I found at the same time, a fascinating and important read.

In short: An inspiring testament to all- the survivors and those who did not.   



About the Author

 
Debra Barnes studied journalism and contributes to the Jewish News. Since January  2017,  she  runs  a  project  for  The  Association  of Jewish  Refugees (AJR)  to  produce  individual  life  story  books  for  Holocaust  survivors  and refugees. She has been interviewed by BBC Radio regarding her mother’s story and has had a short documentary made about her research.

You can follow Debra here: Website   |  Twitter   |  Facebook

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Debra Barnes and Fanny Emily Lewis of Duckworth Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

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