The Skylark’s Secret

I’ll start by saying that this was my first book by Fiona Valpy and it will not be last!

This book is told in two-time frames telling the story of Flora and Lexi. Ultimately this is a book about love, family, romance, war, friendship, community, songs, secrets, loss, and learning from and about your past.

Loch Eve, 1940 Flora Gordon lives in a remote highland village in Scotland. When her village becomes the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic Convoy, life in the remote village changes forever. The Laird is Flora’s father’s employer and when Flora and the laird’s son, Alec, begin a relationship, there is no smooth sailing ahead for them.

During the late 70’s Lexi Gordon, Flora’s daughter has returned to her small village in the highlands after her promising singing career in London is halted by strained vocal cords. She has returned with a young daughter of her own and soon begins to unravel the truths about her past, her mother’s past, and the village itself. As she learns more, she begins to remember her mother’s songs, she rekindles her own love of singing.

This book is beautifully written and full of historical facts that are not overbearing and work well with this story. I enjoyed the use of both storylines to tell the story and unravel the truth. The dual timelines flowed effortlessly. There is never any confusion about what timeline or what woman you are reading about. That is a plus! If you have ever read a book and became confused because it isn’t clear what or who you are reading about due to two-time lines, you will know why this is important to me.

It is also clear that the author did her research. I appreciated her attention to detail not only about the war but also in the village, landscape, and surrounding areas. She detailed the hardships suffered by both Flora and her daughter, Lexi.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.