The Runaway Evacuees: Book 1
Publication Date: July 23, 2025
London, 1941. “Help me, Jack” is Elsie’s last thought as the building crashes down around her and everything goes dark. Will she ever see her big brother again?
The war has robbed eight-year-old orphan Elsie of everything except her older brother Jack. Evacuated together, hand in hand they escaped a cruel farming family only to find their home destroyed, their mother gone. Wide-eyed Elsie hasn’t spoken since, and every night she cries for her mother, and for their father, lost at war.
Wandering under the falling ash, their stomachs twist with hunger and Jack knows he cannot protect Elsie alone. But everything changes when they join a rag-tag band of orphans, runaway evacuees who’ve returned to the city just like them. With nothing left to lose, the children stay above ground as Nazi planes fly overhead, determined to help others. But as they risk their lives, who will protect them?
Then during a night of terrible bombing, the unimaginable happens. Elsie disappears. Their faces streaked with tears, Jack and his friends search through the flames and smoke, knowing she has no voice to respond to their cries. Will anyone find her before it’s too late? And will the lost orphans ever find a safe home?
From the bestselling author of The Ration Book Baby comes a breath-taking, heartbreaking and uplifting wartime novel, inspired by a true story about runaway evacuees. Perfect for fans of Orphan Train, Sold on a Monday and Diney Costeloe.
Life in London during World War II came with air-raid sirens followed by a rush to seek safety amid the bombings.
Author Ellie Curzon explores that time period using a cast of children whose orphanage is destroyed, leaving them homeless. The Lost Orphans features not only the Blitz Kids but also two compelling adult characters in Lisette and Mr. Wyngate.
As if trying to survive the bombs isn’t enough, there’s a battle on the streets for the black market. The kids actively participate in rescues, which leads to their creative moniker.
Younger readers will particularly enjoy the adventures, especially the connection between Elsie and her beloved little dog. It’s a clean storyline that brings the time period to life and reflects the beauty of building a family based on shared experiences.
Inspired by a true story, The Lost Orphans highlights the brave contributions of a ragtag group of children during World War II.
Ellie Curzon is the pen name of Catherine Curzon and Helen Barrell. Catherine and Helen began writing together in the spring of 2017 and swiftly discovered a shared love of the past and a uniquely British sort of story. They drink gallons of tea, spend hours discussing the importance of good tailoring and are never at a loss for a bit of derring-do.
