Early spring 1944.
*In a clearing deep within an English forest two lost souls meet for the first time. *
Connie Granger has escaped the devastation of her bombed out city home. She has found work in the Women's Timber Corps, and for her, this remote community must now serve a secret purpose.
Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war, is haunted by his memories. But in the forest camp, he finds a strange kind of freedom.
Their meeting signals new beginnings. In each other they find the means to imagine their own lives anew, and to face that which each fears the most.
But outside their haven, the world is ravaged by war and old certainties are crumbling. Both Connie and Seppe must make a life-defining choice which threatens their fragile existence. How will they make sense of this new world, and find their place within it? What does it mean to be a woman, or a foreign man, in these days of darkness and new light?
A beautiful, gentle and deeply powerful novel about finding solace in the most troubled times, about love, about hope and about renewal after devastation. It asks us to consider what makes a family, what price a woman must pay to live as she chooses, and what we'd fight to the bitter end to protect. **
Review
These two displaced people find solace with the rhythms of nature and with each other until the secret that Connie has been hiding threatens to tear them apart. A wonderful, affecting debut novel about the redemptive power of nature. * Red Magazine * I found this a fascinating and assured debut. * Woman and Home * 'this beautifully crafted tale of survival and solace reveals that you can find a home in the most unusual places.' * Sunday Express * Connie Granger is a spirited, carefree girl from Coventry - or at least she was, before tragedy struck and she left her native city with its factories, dances and flirtatious GIs for the depths of the countryside, where she works as a "lumberjill", cutting down trees for the second World War effort. Seppe, the gentle woodworker son of a brutal fascist, is an Italian prisoner of war who has been sent to a camp in the same forest. Seppe finds fulfilment and kinship working with Connie. But neither can escape their pasts. The wartime lives of both Italian POWs and the lumberjills have received surprisingly little cultural attention over the years; in Franklin's tender, moving debut novel, with its unforgettable heroine, those experiences get the loving attention they deserve. * The Irish Times * 'Oh, this ticks all my historical-fiction boxes and more: beautifully atmospheric, detailed scene setting and characters that not only immerse you fully in their era but lead you to a greater understanding of it. (I wouldn't be surprised if it's snapped up for adaptation, Atonement-style).' * The Pool, Book at Bedtime * Shelter is an atmospheric debut and a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten aspect of WWII by Sarah Franklin. * Good Housekeeping * I really enjoyed the novel. You caught the period and the place beautifully and Connie and Seppe's story is very moving. Hats off. -- Fanny Blake I always admire an author who is brave enough not to spell out the conclusion of a book but to let the reader imagine it for themselves. I thought this was an impressive debut. * What Cathy Read Next * First I thought it was a WW2 story, then I thought it was a romance, then I thought it was a story about the power of motherhood and then I thought it was a book specifically designed to toy with my delicate emotions. Sarah Franklin's Shelter is all this and more...This book was a delightful and moving story of the struggles of losing one's identity and having to find it in unfamiliar places with unlikely individuals. It speaks of permanence (and a lack of it) in a way that makes this girl away from home feel a little teary. * Chain Interaction * What a fascinating read -a slow read that like the trees in the forest, draw you into the shadows and envelopes you right into the heart of the story. It's a very unique angle on the 2ww and the insights into what the war effort could really mean. The men and women who carried out such thankless tasks,such hard work....This is apparently a debut - the sparse debut and the assured writing for me said that it was more. * The Book Trail * packed full of beautiful, touching characters in a story that's as refreshing as it is romantic. Connie and Seppe are the leads here - and Franklin brings them to life in vivid colour. They both have hugely compelling backstories...despite the 60 odd years that has passed since the book was set, and the wildly different circumstances that readers today will be in, these characters are so vivid that they feel like people you could bump into in the street (or, more fittingly, the forest)...The command of plot is commendable - it keeps the reader gripped throughout, and goes in directions that aren't expected. Indeed several moments in the later third of the book had my heart in my mouth - but thankfully they were resolved with skill, care, and love. Love is at the heart of this story - romantic love, familial love, love for one's country and love for one's self. It's a passionate, heartwarming and emotional tale that I hugely enjoyed. * The Bookbag * Shelter is an incredible book to read. I loved Seppe's character. * STEPH'S BOOK BLOG * 'The understanding of foresters ways, their sheep, mines and dialect and the geography of the forest are perfectly captured in this well researched book...' * The Forester * 'Sarah Franklin has without a doubt become one of my new favourite authors. I immediately came to love her writing style as she collated pieces of flashbacks into a mosaic which truly represented the bittersweet journey the two main characters found themselves on before reaching the forest. I adored seeing their two individual experiences come together...this book warmed my heart and also made me consider the potential fatalities of war that stretch far beyond the battlefield.' * The Beauty of Reading * 'The great strength of this novel is in the detail. Beautifully written, the landscape is the star of Franklin's book, stealing the limelight from any human character. I was immersed in the Forest of Dean from the moment Connie arrives, and the historical setting is also spot on....So much research must have been carried out and yet it is drawn so lightly on the page.' * Tales from Olympia * Oh, this ticks all my historical-fiction boxes and more: beautifully atmospheric, detailed scene setting and characters that not only immerse you fully in their era but lead you to a greater understanding of it. (I wouldn't be surprised if it's snapped up for adaptation, Atonement-style). * The Pool * It's a nice tale with a little romance mixed in and enjoyable to read as it's well written. * Breakaway Reviewers * 'Shelter is one of those rare books that manages to combine the sad and the heartwarming into one big, feelgood story...Funny, touching and tragic, this book is a must-read- if it's not on your to-do list, it should be!' * The Roaring Bookworm * 'wonderful tale' * Cleopatra Loves Books * Its characters pulse with life and energy - Connie's snippy, contrary longings and Seppe's difficult journey to inner peace are vividly rendered, as is the evocation of the forest and its healing qualities. * Daily Mail *
About the Author
Sarah Franklin grew up in rural Gloucestershire and has lived in Austria, Germany, the USA and Ireland. She lectures in publishing at Oxford Brookes University and has written for the Guardian, Psychologies magazine, The Pool, the Sunday Express and the Seattle Times. Sarah is the founder and host of Short Stories Aloud, and a judge for the Costa Short Story Award. She lives between Oxford and London with her family. @SarahEFranklin #GiveMeShelter