The Secret Years by Barbara Hannay

The Secret Years

Barbara Hannay

Reviewed by Helen

The Secret Years by Barbara Hannay


This is such a beautiful story set in two wonderful eras it tells of the struggle during World War 2 and the course of true love that spans many years from Bombings in London to the jungles of New Guinea and then to Australia, Townsville and the Queensland outback, it is the story of families and the secrets that are kept and what happens when they are unearthed.

Lucy Hunter is a beautiful young woman she is in the army and has just returned from Afghanistan ready to marry her fiancé but things are very different on her return and when she ends up single and even her mother has a new boyfriend and has moved and when Lucy finds a tin that belongs to her beloved grandfather Harry and discovers some very interesting memorabilia about world war 2 and the photograph of a beautiful woman Lucy decides it is time to try and find out about the family secrets that her mother and grandfather will never talk about. The time has come for Lucy to take a trip to England and find out what she can.

This starts a beautiful journey where Lucy discovers so much about her grandparents Harry and Georgina and what they went through to be together the life that George had led in England and on the cattle property Kalkadoon in remote Queensland and also some of what had happened to her mother Rose but she also finds love herself only to have it snatched away. But the happiness that she finds when she returns home the way that her trip has finally got Harry and Rose to open up is pure joy you will be crying and smiling.

This is a story that I did not want to put down I wanted to get to the ending but when there I wanted more the ending is just so perfect for this story is was magical and beautiful I could barely read the words through the tears all in all this is a story that is so rich in emotions joy and sad times the characters are so real and alive the settings are just amazing this is a book that should not be missed I highly recommend this one.

5/5 stars for a magical story one not to be missed