Two different stories. Two different time periods. How do they connect?

I finished this book several days ago and I'm still thinking about it. Friendships were forged during wartime but they eventually lead to heartbreak. I was cheering and crying with poor, sweet, naive Ruby all through the book.  I held my breath during several parts knowing tragedy was coming.   The ending was not expected and had me speechless. I was stunned in a good way!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This story is told in two time periods: WWII and the present.

The story opens in modern times with Billie finding her beloved father after he has suffered a devastating stroke which leaves him unable to talk or care for himself. She discovers an old photograph of a girl in his wallet. When Billie asks her father about the picture, he becomes agitated and tries to mumble a name. She is determined to learn more about his background.

We meet the main characters when they are children who are evacuated from London during the Blitz. Their experiences are totally different, but they fall in love with each other. Due to circumstances, they are separated but meet again after the war.

Do we every know all about our parents' lives or how events shaped their characters? Is the past better left behind?

3.5 rating. out of a scale of 5 The book is well developed albeit it a bit too much. The story is about a young lady who is evacuated during WW2 to a country town. She is befriended by an older young lady and is housed with Joan. Joan's little brother Stevie is kind to Ruby and they have a friendship that blooms through tragic circumstances in to a bit more. Ruby is depicted as a star eyed child with no real grasp of life. She lost her father who was absent in her life and then during the bombing of London she loses her mother. Taken in by her Aunt she begins the harsh reality of life in London during and post WW2. Ruby is strong and hard working but still has the idealization of love, romance and being whisked away. She is still in love with Stevie who has been dealt too much of life's reality at such a young age and continues to be dealt a harsh hand. 

Parallel to the story being developed in the past is the current story line of a father fallen ill and a daughter who takes responsibility. Her father, Stevie is older and suffers a stroke, which sends Billie (the daughter) on a discovery trip to learn more about her father and his past.

I like the point Billie makes that our parents are always our parents and often we don't take the time to discover who they were in their past lives. Additionally, I like that Billie is conscientious of her father and his time left.

Without providing spoilers I did like the pivotal ending and the portrayal of strength and realization.

I had a strong reaction to this book. I felt sorry for Ruby who knew little love in her life until she became involved with Stevie. Everything was going along fine until about the middle of the book. Then I really began to dislike Stevie. In fact I loathed his character. He was a weasely coward whom I had no sympathy. I thought the story would end one way, but surprisingly it had a different conclusion. The ending was more to my liking than the one I originally thought. It's  a decent read.

This book is based on a war romance story, & describes the hardships faced by the citizens during times of war. The writing & story is so perfect that I couldn’t stop reading it, and finished it in one sitting. The book has a bit of everything including but not limited to romance, suspense, history, tragedy and mystery, and is weaved in such a perfect manner that I’m not gonna forget this one for quite some time. Cannot stress this enough, 
MUST READ!

The story opens in the present day and Billie's father suffers a stroke, seemingly after something he's seen on a newsflash. She discovers a photograph in his wallet and tries to ask her father about it. He becomes agitated and she makes out the word Ruby. She decides to ask her aunt if she knows who this Ruby could be...

Ruby and Stevie met when they were evacuated with his sister Joan to sleepy Devon during WW2. and became friends. When Ruby's mum is killed by a bomb, she finds her perfect life with Mrs Honey in Devon is over. All her aunt and uncle want is a slave to help them run their London pub. Ruby gets a job in a local department store and meets Stevie again. She has some moments of joy before he's sent overseas to do mandatory work in the Armed Forces. When he returns he's a changed man and Ruby has to make a choice. 

Meanwhile, Billie, with the help of her Aunt Joan is trying to track down what happened to Ruby and what connections she had with her father after he married her mother. What is the connection to the devastating flood and her dad, and why does Ruby mean so much to him.... There are some twists in the book which I never expected at all. It's a brilliant read which I so recommend.

Set in two different times this story follows the life of evacuees during and after the war,then fast forwards to the present day where a daughter tries to solve a mystery.  Watt wrenching at times,heartwarming at times and a big twist.

Thank you for this advance reader copy of this novel.   This was a historical fiction that takes place after WW2 and is told in split timeframe.   This novel was ok overall  but to me the plot felt like it dragged a bit here and there.  A good overall novel about a time period and event I didn't know about previously.

They say you cannot judge a book by its cover. It was the cover that attracted me to this book and I am glad it did. 

Every time  I think I’ve read enough about WW2, along comes another book to change my mind. This story is excellent. 

Dual time lines, present day (actually 2004) and war times. Of course the war generated a lot of suffering but one of the most poignant points was of the children shipped away from home in 
London to the country side (or Canada) for safety. Traumatic times, especially for younger children. 

The present day timeline is a daughter trying to figure out her father's past after he had a stroke and is visibly upset as photos from the war are shown to him in order to help with his rehab. Naturally, the other time line is what happened to him as a young boy, leading up to his time in the armed forces.

Descriptive passages about cleaning up bombed out areas is a quite realistic. It might be a trigger for some. 

I really enjoyed how this book followed the evacuated children through the war and further as they grew into adults. Very effectively, the author demonstrated the effects of war in the psyche. Now it is known as PTSD, but it can affect a person until the end of their days.

Finally, the ending was a huge shock. I did not see it coming, though it made me happy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy in exchange for a review.

I struggled with this book. It’s a story of war and lovers separated by war. When Ruby’s sweetheart Stevie, goes off to war he comes back not the same. When he left he pledged to love Ruby but things are different when he comes home.

I struggled because Ruby was not a fighter. She took whatever life gave her without complaint, no matter if she liked it or not.

The Girl Without A Name is book that I will think of often.  Historical fiction top of the class!

Suzanne Goldring tells the story of Ruby and Stevie and London in the War.  The book starts with a devastating flood and no one can figure out why Dick is so devastated that his health is forever changed.


The story starts in 2004 and then goes back to when Ruby, Stevie, his sister Joan are all evacuated to Devon along with many children to keep them safe from the bombings.

I laughed, I cried, I cheered,  I loved some characters, others not so much. 

You cant help but fall in love with Ruby who really has nothing as she is returned to wartime London.

Suzanne Goldring never lets you down  with her story telling. 

This book is a don't miss and should go near the top of your TBR pile.

Heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time!

THanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the privilege of reading this book

I couldn't put this book down and really enjoyed it. No spoilers but one character I became really disappointed in, but these were different times and life experiences we can never fully appreciate, so some character flaws maybe should be forgiven. The story begins with the evacuation of children from London and from there follows the life of Ruby through childhood and her teenage years in a post war London.  It is not so much about the war as the different life experiences people had during that period..I loved it and highly recommend. Thanks to #SuzanneGoldring #bookouture and #Netgalley for the ARC.

The Girl Without A Name (Suzanne Goldring) starts in 2004 and then goes back to 1939, with some back and forth after that. This story is sweet and sad, it has some romance and some history. Reading The Girl Without A Name at times filled my heart with joy and others I would have liked to be able to smack someone across the head to knock some sense into them! I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an early copy to review.

This is an excellent well written story.   Billie's father Dick had a stroke and is in the hospital.  Billie's goes to visit and Dick cannot communicate well but is able to say the word Ruby when Billie finds a black and white photo of a woman she does not recognize.  Then the story jumps back to around 1940 and the Blitz where Rubie and Steve are in love.  Steve gets sent abroad and Ruby dutifully waits.  Steve returns, they go away and never return.  Billie investigates how they connect to her father.  A really good read if you like ww2 fiction.

Received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest opinion.
Lovely book joining the past,present and future,and a love between Ruby and Stevie.
It was a real page Turner with a surprising twist at the end,loved the description of all the character's with all their faults and all.
Will love to read more novels from this author.recommend it to family and friends.

May contain Spoilers:  Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC in return for a honest review.   I really don't know where to begin.  First off this was my first book by this author and I do plan to read more of her works.  I enjoy historical fiction and to learn at the end that this story was based on true events that happened really brought it to life.  The book starts off in 2004 where an older man in England is watching a news story about a flood and becomes distraught and has a stroke.  We later find out this man is Stevie, one of the main characters. He was called Stevie as his name is finally revealed to be Mr. Stevens. This story is mostly about the lives of Ruby and Stevie who meet when they are both sent out of London during WWII for safety from German bombings.  I didn't even realize that families were separated that way.  Ruby was lucky and lived with Stevie's older sister Joan in Ms. Honey's home.  It was a nice life and far different from Stevie's time on a farm with a family who treated him like a servant.  Unfortunately Ruby's mother is killed in a bombing and she is brought back to London to live with her Aunt and Uncle.  Stevie has also returned home after running away.   They resume a friendship and then turns into more of a love between them.  Stevie goes off to do his mandatory service and returns a different person who breaks Ruby's heart.  He marries and has three children and then decides he wants to be with Ruby again.  Not the most likeable character but seems that he suffered from PTSD from his time in the service.  We eventually learn why Stevie was so affected by the current flooding and how this connected him with Ruby.  I don't want to say more to give it all away.  It took about 80% of the book to figure out why it was named what it is.  The ending was unexpected and a pleasant surprise.  Great descriptive writing throughout.  I would recommend this book but be prepared for some heartbreak.

OH MY GOD! What a book. I was hooked right from the start. Thanks to Bookoture, Suzanne Goldring & NetGalley for this book. The story is pretty simple. But the plot twist at the end, just left me bawling. Words won’t do justice to this book. Please pick it up and read it asap,

Such a wonderful and at times heart wrenching story of Ruby who is orphaned during the London Blitz. Ruby is evacuated and billeted in Devon with other children from her school and is loving her new life with Mrs Honey and Joan. Ruby becomes friendly with Joan’s brother Stevie and this friendship lasts long after the War. Ruby has a sad lonely life but Stevie makes it worthwhile u it’s he is called up to National Service.
The story alternates between the pre and post war period  and the early 2000s. We are told the story of Ruby and Stevie through these years and often through the lives of those around them, Stevie’s daughter Billie searches for answers when her father has a stroke. 
I really enjoyed this book and will read more of  Suzanne Goldring’s books. What starts as a war time love story becomes a mystery but there is plenty in between to keep you captivated. I couldn’t put this book down as I had to find out what happened to Ruby. An outstanding read!

The Girl Without a Name has all the makings of a successful WWII historical fiction novel. I was intrigued from the beginning and constantly found myself wanting to know how it would end.

I felt enraptured by Stevie and Ruby’s stories, both as individuals and as a pair. Sometimes I felt there was too much time between the modern and historical eras, and I felt a tad disconnected from the modern story, but overall I loved it and would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review and honest opinions

The Girl Without a Name is a beautiful, haunting tale of the past, present and future, weaved together in love. After Billie finds her father in a chair, suffering from a stroke, she finds a picture in his wallet that brings forth a mystery. Billie sets out, with the help of her father's memories to figure out who was in the picture and solve a decades old mystery. 

With the story weaving between present day and WWII's love journey of Stevie and Ruby, this was a story that held me captive until the last page.  The character development was perfect and the story was able to time travel without being confusing to the reader, yet still had an element of surprise. This was my first time reading this author and I can't wait to see what else she puts out in the future!