A rebellious daughter
1923. Among the ancient honey-coloured walls of the tiny island of Malta, strangers slip into the shadows and anyone can buy a new name. Rosalie Delacroix flees Paris for a dancer’s job in the bohemian clubs deep in its winding streets.
A sister with a secret
1944. Running from the brutality of war in France, Florence Baudin faces a new life. But her estranged mother makes a desperate request: to find her vanished sister, who went missing years before.
A rift over generations
Betrayals and secrets, lies and silence hang between the sisters. A faded last letter from Rosalie is Florence’s only clue, the war an immovable barrier – and time is running out…
My thoughts:
Thank you to Random Things Tours and Harper Collins UK for the invitation to join the blog tour for the latest book by Dinah Jefferies, The Hidden Palace. Last year I joined the blog tour for Daughters of War and you can read my review here : https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2021/09/29/daughters-of-war-by-dinah-jefferies/
I enjoyed reading The Daughters of War, and was pleased to be able to find out what happened next for Florence and her family. Having arrived in the UK, Florence is asked by her mother to travel to Malta to find out what happened to her aunt, Rosalie, who left her family in Paris behind for adventure. As Florence settles into life in rural England during the later years of the Second World War after escaping occupied France, waiting for permission to travel to Malta, we discover more about why Rosalie left Paris and her life in Malta.
I knew very little about the history of Malta during the War years, but Dinah brought the era to life. The mixture of fiction and history is blended well to create a fascinating story, full of secrets, family problems and new beginnings. I enjoyed reading both timelines and love how Dinah weaves her stories.
This is a beautifully written and emotional historical fiction book set in France, Malta and England with strong women at the centre of the story. I believe you could read this as a stand alone book but I do recommend reading Daughters of War too if you can. I have loved reading this series of books and I’m happy to recommend them.
Author Bio:
Dinah Jefferies began her career with The Separation, followed by the number 1 Sunday Times and Richard and Judy bestseller The Tea-Planter’s Wife. Born in Malaysia, she moved to England at the age of nine. When she began writing novels, deeply influenced by her Eastern childhood, she was able to return there on annual research trips for each new novel.
With her most recent bestseller, her seventh novel The Tuscan Contessa, she has moved to writing about a European setting for the first time and continues that in this new series.
She is published in 28 languages and over 30 countries and has twice been a Richard and Judy bookclub pick.
Karen K is reading 