First published 2025
Betty crouches in an air raid shelter as bombs scream overhead and explosions shake the ground. A deafening blast throws her mother across the cramped space, bathing everything in blood-red light before darkness falls. She belongs to a generation of 10 million British children who lived through the Second World War. While many were evacuated to safety, Betty and countless others remained in cities under attack. They spent nights huddled in cold shelters, listening to planes rumble and bombs crash around them. Morning often revealed destroyed homes, buried toys, and lost families. Yet these children adapted with remarkable resilience. They collected hot shrapnel as prizes, transformed bombed buildings into playgrounds, and chased American soldiers for treats. The book follows headstrong East-Ender Kitty, clever Liverpudlian Christopher, and young Doreen who witnessed Coventry's devastation. Their stories capture how children found joy and adventure even as war tore their world apart.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, world-war-ii
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Britain, East-End, Liverpool, Coventry
Period: World War II
320 pages · Paperback · Headline Book Publishing
Content warnings: violence, war