The Secret Book of Flora LeaThe Secret Book of Flora Lea
What it's about
In 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and her little sister Flora are evacuated from London to the countryside during the war, where Hazel tells Flora stories about a magical land. Then Flora disappears. In 1960, Hazel, now working in a rare bookshop, finds a book that tells the story she made up for Flora, and sets out to find her.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a moving novel about sisters and stories.
You'll love it if you liked
The Paris Library
Homecoming
The Book ThiefGood to know
It deals with a child's disappearance.
By the numbers
- Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller33 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic, Adventurous
If you like this, read next
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Babel
Angel Down
The Devils
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The Song of AchillesExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →Quick answers
Is The Secret Book of Flora Lea worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 63.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Secret Book of Flora Lea about?
In 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and her little sister Flora are evacuated from London to the countryside during the war, where Hazel tells Flora stories about a magical land. Then Flora disappears. In 1960, Hazel, now working in a rare bookshop, finds a book that tells the story she made up for Flora, and sets out to find her.
How long does it take to read The Secret Book of Flora Lea?
About 9 hours (355 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Secret Book of Flora Lea?
If you liked it, try The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, Homecoming by Kate Morton or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.


















