The lighthouse is vital to the story and I learnt a great deal about the way the Germans used lighthouses for navigation into Plymouth. In fact, one of the wonderful elements of this gripping story is the history. There’s so much I didn’t know (and I am about to show my ignorance here) about the “Kindertransport” or that those children arrived and settled into the UK without knowing if their parents were alive or dead. I also had no idea that Jewish refugees were smuggled out of France to the UK. The book seemed to resonate with overtones of the current political state of the world, as one particular idea that runs through the story is that of humanity and what makes us human.

Set during WWII, we follow Olive and Cliff as they’re evacuated to the coast of Devon after months of heavy air raids across London. A coded note links the disappearance of their sister Sukie to Devon, and Olive is determined to unravel the mystery. My Comments The story is set in WW2, February 1941, about a young girl named Olive and her brother(Cliff) whose big sister gets lost and are evacuated to Devonshire to live in a light house on Devon's edge with a mysterious lighthouse keeper. There, Olive has to solve a mystery of her own: a strange coded letter holding very important information which seems to link her sister (Sukie) with Devon and to something important and impossibly dangerous. February, 1941. After months of bombing raids in London, twelve-year-old Olive Bradshaw and her little brother Cliff are evacuated to the Devon coast. The only person with two spare beds is Mr Ephraim, the local lighthouse keeper. But he's not used to company and he certainly doesn't want any evacuees. Desperate to be helpful, Olive becomes his post-girl, carrying secret messages (as she likes to think of the letters) to the villagers. But Olive has a secret of her own. Her older sister Sukie went missing in an air raid, and she's desperate to discover what happened to her. And then she finds a strange coded note which seems to link Sukie to Devon, and to something dark and impossibly dangerous. About This Edition ISBN:Adult characters initially treat a downed German pilot in a threatening manner, including spitting at him. The historical information I have learnt from this book is that Jews were not given permission to evacuate to any country. Only some countries gave permission. I enjoyed reading this book. I found the characters really interesting and there were some really exciting twists and turns but at times I found the plot a little bit confusing! I'm not sure if the history in the book was realistic as I think that Britain did allow refugees to come into the country in the second world war. I am already very interested in WW2. I would like to read more books by Emma Carrol and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. In this book, there were not a lot of illustrations but the ones there were, were thorough and detailed to help visualise the story. I already know a lot about World War 2 but it made me want to learn more about the people in the boats.

A beautifully written story about bravery, compassion, understanding, and having the strength to fight for what you believe in. ~ Shelley Fallows

Chapter 2

The main protagonists are Olive and Cliff, a brother and sister evacuated from London to a small fishing village in Devon during WW II. Their father has been killed, their mother appears to be sinking under her grief and their older sister has gone missing after a bombing raid. The author conveys the relationship between these two younger siblings beautifully; Olive's love and care for her little brother is palpable. The story is told from the perspective of an evacuee named Olive. A main focus of the story is the growing friendship between Olive and a Jewish refugee named Esther. At first, Olive is unsure about Esther as she is different to the other children and comes across as cold and uninviting. However, as Olive listens to Esther talk more about her lived experiences as a Jew in Austria and then as a refugee in England, Olive starts to see how she initially misunderstood Esther and begins to appreciate how brave and courageous she is. I think we can learn a lot from this friendship as it shows us that prejudice and discrimination can be overcome by empathy and mutual understanding. Initially, I didn't want to read a WW2 book, but having read it, I'm really glad that I did and it has left me in the mood for more Emma Carroll books. It gave me a feel for WW2 and the contrast between countryside and city life. I think it should be for aged 9 and above as it would go over the heads of younger children. It was accurate, clever and intriguing, and it also was fun and had a satisfying ending. I highly recommend it. This seemed incredibly poignant to me and I am sure younger readers would appreciate the importance of recognising the humanity in everyone, even if we dislike them, or in this case were the enemy. It was such a powerful message. This book was very enjoyable to read. Emma Carroll explains all of the characters in great depth and each character is unique in some sort of way. The main theme of this book is how peopole have to leave home to fight for their country but Olive soon realises that her father isn't coming home. After being evacuated, Olive and her brother Cliff are evacuated to Devon and the only place available is a lighthouse. To try and be helpful she becomes a postman and starts sending secret messages to her sister Suki who was lost in an air raid, but she finds a code which she is convinced relates to her but how far will she go for her sister?

Letters from the Lighthouse will appeal to readers of all dispositions, as Carroll ensures the historical elements never overwhelm the story, which is as accessible as anything set in modern times. That said, Letters From the Lighthouse will also sit nicely with other classic second World War tales, like Nina Bawden's Carrie's War and, more recently, Shirley Hughes's Whistling in the Dark., Irish Times February, 1941. After months of bombing raids in London, twelve-year-old Olive Bradshaw and her little brother Cliff are evacuated to the Devon coast. The only person with two spare beds is Mr Ephraim, the local lighthouse keeper. But he's not used to company and he certainly doesn't want any evacuees. I enjoyed this book because there were a lot of mysterious things happening and at some points I didn't want to put the book down. I really enjoyed the character Olive because the liked trying to solve her sisters code whom went missing (the sister is called Sukie). This book has made me want to find out more about history because it is set in the 2nd World War and was very interesting so I would love to find out more. I want to read more books by Emma Carroll because they are very interesting and mysterious.This is modern classic which should be read and loved by generations to come. -- Alison Kerridge, Waterstones, Bury St Edmunds

I did enjoy this book because I like the characters in the story. I thought that the story was interesting and that the history in the book was believable. I found the history about World War II interesting and it encouraged me to try to find out more. Olive is 10, and she is dertemend to find out what happend to her sister. Sukie is Olives sister, who goes missing one night during an air raid. Cliff, who is 7, is Olive's younger brother. Ephtaim is the mysterious lighthouse keeper. They are evacuated to Devon where they try to solve the mystery of their missing sister. Another child asked me if I could message Emma Carroll and ask her to make the book into a film. ThemesThe crisp prose and pacey plot make this novel a joy to read. The setting of Budmouth, a coastal Devon village dominated by a lighthouse, lends atmosphere and plenty of scope for exciting adventures.