The Secret Book of Flora Lea - Patti Callahan Henry

Oh my gosh - Patti Callahan Henry has outdone herself with her latest book - The Secret Book of Flora Lea. It's an absolutely wonderful listen.

The book unfolds in a now and then timeline, which I really like. 

In 1940, Hazel and her younger sister Flora are shipped out of London to live with guest families under the governments 'Pied Piper' program. To keep Flora settled, Hazel invents a tale of a magical place called Whisperwood. But the unthinkable happens and Flora goes missing. Hazel has searched and search for Flora with no luck. But when a book called Whisperwood crosses the counter at her job in 1960 she is stunned. The book is full of her stories. And....

Isn't that a great premise? I loved the magical tone of the the stories. But there's so much more to love. Hazel is easy to like and I was immediately behind her. There's a number of supporting that are just as wonderful, such Harry and his mother. And those you want to nudge out of the story. But they too, have purpose.

Henry's settings are so well described that I could imagine living in the small village of Binsey (it is indeed a real place.) And working with Hazel in the rare books store. And of course....Whisperwood.

There's the mystery of what happened to Flora driving the narrative, but relationships are right along side - siblings, parental, friendships and love. And of course, the stories...

"Not very long ago and not very far away, there once was and still is an invisible place right here with us. And if you are born knowing, you will find your way through the woodlands to the shimmering doors that lead to the land made just and exactly for you."

Cynthia Erivo was the reader for the audio version. Wow, she interpreted and performed this book wonderfully. Her voice has a lower tone to it that draws the listener into the story. Her voice is velvety smooth and is so pleasant to listen to. She speaks clearly and enunciates well. She captures the emotions and action of the book well. And when she reads a Whisperwood story - her voice is magical. The speed of the reading is just right. And this is an odd thing - but I don't believe I've ever had a narrator put so much emotion and feeling into one single word. Erivo does this a number of time with the word 'yes'. Shivers!

A fantastic performance of a fantastic book. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of The Secret Book of Flora Lea.