Review: The War Child

Title: The War Child

Author: Renita D'Silva

Publisher: 24th August 2021 by Bookouture

Pages: 398 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Everything will change, my love, she whispers to her only baby. I will make sure you are protected, looked after, loved. She commits his smell, the feel of him, to memory and fastens the gold St Christopher’s medal around his neck, tucking it into the blanket. Kissing him one last time, she lets him go. And with him go the pieces of her shattered heart.

London, 1940. Clara Knight grew up an orphan in the first world war and now is fighting to win the second. Nursing brave soldiers, she falls in love with one of her patients, whose warm brown eyes give her hope for a brighter future. But then he is sent to the front, leaving her alone with their child amidst the bombs raining down on the city… When she is offered the chance to give her son a better life, Clara makes the impossible choice to let him go. She leaves her mother’s precious St Christopher pendant with him, vowing to find him again when the war is over, so they can be a family once more.

Years later. Indira’s life has taken an unexpected turn and her only solace is caring for her grandfather. As he lies in bed, weak and confused, he calls her ‘Clara’, begging forgiveness for an unknown terrible act, tears rolling down his face. Indira goes looking for the truth… and discovers a tattered box of unsent letters, a gold St Christopher’s medal and a photograph of a baby swaddled in a blanket. Who was Clara Knight? And who is the baby in the photo? Her quest will reveal a devastating secret spanning decades, and change everything Indira thought she knew about her family…

An unforgettable and heart-breaking novel set in World War Two about the powerful bond between a mother and her child and a betrayal that echoes across generations. Anyone who loves Orphan Train, Before We Were Yours and Shirley Dickson will find The War Child impossible to put down.

My Thoughts

‘She is beginning to understand that life is not a competition but a journey to be enjoyed.’

Renita’s books reliably provide great reading and a new one is always cause for celebration. With an intriguing dual time narrative, Renita once more offers a taste of India in her tales. How the two stories ultimately connect will keep the reader turning pages to the very end. 

For me, Clara’s story is compelling, with the historical timeline proving the more captivating. Her story is one that is sure to touch your heart whilst tackling issues related to women and race set against the backdrop of war. The present day tale with Indira demonstrates a modern day take on struggles for women with a good character arc of realising what is important in life. 

Clara is such a likeable character and you are swept away in the events she must live through. Indira’s is a more reflective tale with a focus on the cost of wealth and success. Then there is of course the setting and this is where Renita truly shines. She does such a fabulous job capturing not only the period but also the place with her words painting vivid images of a time long gone. I loved taking that journey with her tales of the Maharajas. 

Renita has once again delivered an epic tale of love and sacrifice and I recommend lovers of this genre to certainly sample some of her writing. You won’t be disappointed. 

‘Mother had taken Clara’s hand and placed it upon Clara’s heart. ‘He’s here. He’ll always be here. Look, you can feel it beating, once for him, once for you.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.