"The Hidden Palace," by Dinah Jefferies

 "The Hidden Palace," by Dinah Jefferies

1925. 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…

This is the second book in The Daughters of War series. This book is as fast paced as the first one.  Florence is the star of this book and you can't help but fall in love with her.  You are rooting for her to find her aunt Rosalie in Malta.  However, Rosalie's story is equally as interesting.

The book goes back and forward between Florence and Rosalie's stories and the description's with both are equally as interesting.  I love how the author describes each place the characters with such detail, you can more or less smell the flowers.

I will say I would love to visit Malta after reading this book.  Without giving away the story, this story shows how love can divide a family.

Stars out of 5 : 5 As good as the first book in the series.  I have the third book on order from the library.  These books should be read in order of publication for them to make sense, as one story sort of follows on from the other.

I borrowed this book from the library.  All the words are my own in this book review.