Letters from the Lighthouse
Author Emma Carroll
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Story
February 1941. 12-year-old Olive and her brother Cliff are evacuated from London to Devon, but her older sister Sukie is missing after an air raid. As Olive becomes a post-girl for the gruff lighthouse keeper and tries to settle into her new life, she discovers a secret code in her sister’s belongings, and it leads her on a journey to uncover the secrets of Sukie’s disappearance.
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Why we chose it
A gripping historical novel which blends mystery and adventure with real wartime experiences. Olive is a great protagonist – someone the reader can support and rout for.
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What a young reviewer said
I realy enjoyed this book because it was told nicely and it was not too intense. I was really excited to keep reading but at some points it did get a bit scary. (Aluma, age 11)
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First published
2017, Faber and Faber
Story Reviews
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I really enjoyed this book because it was told nicely and it was not too intense. I read it in year 6 as part of our topic on World War 2. I was really excited to keep reading but at some points it did get a bit scary. For example when they were telling Esther's story and when Cliff had appendicitis. I also liked how it tied up the ending nicely. It didn't leave you on a cliffhanger. Everybody was happy at the end. It is a good book to teach children about World War 2 because it is an account of what it was like to be an evacuee child and also what it was like to be Jewish and go through a kinder transport.
This book is about a girl named Olive and her brother. As their sister went missing during bombing, they have to get evacuated to a little town by the sea. They have to live in a Lighthouse and uncover different secrets, solve codes and find their sister.