A sublimely perfect WW2 novel. Hillary McKays books are jyst perfect. I loved the transition from Skylarks to Swallow's. Both books are instant classics. No other Ww book that I've read has been as beautifully evocative. Loved them both. Not enough stars!

This is every bit as good as companion novel, The Skylarks' War, with the same interesting style of characters and beautifully described settings. A wonderful, slow-burning piece of WWII historical fiction with courage, friendship and family throughout.

Set around the start of WWII, it follows some of the same characters from The Skylarks' War as they have grown up. There are four main narrators - Erik and Hans, young German boys and Ruby and Kate, young English girls - and the story follows as the children grow up in the shadow of the start of the war. It was fascinating to read of different experiences, with Erik and Hans giving their account of growing up in Nazi Germany and Ruby and Kate giving a British perspective - I loved the way there was no bias in the retellings, just a child's view of what was going on.

I didn’t enjoy this anywhere near as much as I did the first in the series. It seemed a lot slower and not as much was happening. It’s a shame as I thought I would love this series.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The stunning companion novel to 'The Skylarks' War'. Wonderful characters and a gripping and moving story of courage, resilience and friendship.

When a book is as wonderful as 'The Skylarks' War', there are mixed emotions when picking up its companion volume. First, there's delight at being able to step once again into the world and characters so beautifully evoked by Hilary McKay. But then there's trepidation - will it come up to the mark?

Her writing, though, is extraordinary. It's so warm and assured with the characters displaying a lightness of spirit, a humour and fortitude despite challenging circumstances. And you believe in them throughout, delighting in their company. The exchange between Kate and her grandfather I found particularly appealing.

We revisit a number of the characters whom we met in Skylarks. Now it's World War II and Rupert and Clarry are secretly working towards peace. But we also trace the lives of two German boys as well as Ruby and Kate growing up in England. Their experiences are very different but the international conflict will cause their worlds to collide.

It's another beautiful read, full of nostalgia and period drama and also confronting the issues of family, friendship, conflict and courage.

Another sublime delight from Hilary McKay- This is beautidul and talented writing from one of the most popular children's writers of our times.
The themes are dealt with such skill and perception and the characters are three dimensional and incredibly wall drawn; this is such a beautifully moving story- amazing.
Thank you for the proof- I will need to buy several copies for our library!

Once again Hilary McKay has written a gentle and beautiful book, which deals with the horror and hardship of a world war, but in a way that is not frightening. The story follows two German boys and two English girls as well as their families and PAX the dog. As a reader you know their paths will cross and await this event, who,st still becoming engrossed in the rest of the narrative and caring about the characters.

A beautiful and poignant must read.

This is a wonderful novel about the build up and aftermath of WWII. It is written in a fairly "adult" style, with contrasting stories from different viewpoints, with stories of the two English girls and German boys growing up and dealing with the start of war. However, it was easy to follow, and did an amazing job of really bringing home what the everyday life would have been like. I especially liked the light touch yet serious ways of showing how Germans that did not believe in the Nazi cause had to live within the Fascist state and even end up fighting for them, an unusual perspective and one that is really useful in children's literature. This would make a perfect Year 5 or 6 novel to read while studying WWII.

What a triumph of a book; beautifully crafted & full of compassion & heart, it felt like a hug in paper format & was just what I needed.

The story follows two girls growing up in England, who stare a godmother, and two boys growing up in Germany, who are best friends. Throughout the story it is obvious that their paths will cross at some point, which they do, but it is so close to the end of the story. I really enjoyed the book at first but towards the end just wanted it to reach its conclusion. The characters are described in such a way that they really come to life and the horrors of life in Germany are touched upon but are not central to the story.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved The Skylarks War and couldn't wait to read the companion novel, The Swallows' Flight. If possible, I loved it even more.
Whilst The Skylark's War is set around World War I, now Hilary McKay transports the reader to a world on the brink of war again in the run up to World War II. We soon become immersed in the lives of characters old and new, both in England and overseas in Germany. As time passes and the war takes hold, their lives collide in unexpected ways.
Although we meet many of the same characters that feature in The Skylarks War, such as the much loved Clarry and Rupert, this beautiful historical novel can definitely be read as a standalone; however, there is much to be gained from reading the earlier novel first to really appreciate the depth of character and their relationships.
As soon as I had finished this heartwarming, beautiful book, I felt like I wanted to read it all over again; it stayed with me for a long time afterwards and will definitely make a lasting impression on readers.

McKay’s sequel to ‘The Skylark War’, which charted the lives of Clarry and Peter and their friends through the First World War, picks up their stories as the Second World War approaches. We are also, though, introduced to new characters and settings: Erik and Hans are young boys living in Berlin as Hitler and the Nazis increase their hold over Germany and the lives of young people there. I loved the addition of this parallel story line – it gives and freshness and insight to this children’s novel, often lacking in childrens’ Second World War literature, introducing through fiction the important, and less polarized, concept of grey areas in history.

McKay writes simply beautifully. The novel, as the first did, has echoes of some of the wonderful family sagas set in the wars and enjoyed by adults for their ability to draw the reader into the experience of war through emersion in fiction. The choice to write both novels enables children to absorb peripherally some of the key differences in the way the wars were fought, but the historical detail never detracts from the wonderfully woven story. McKay writes with a gorgeously light touch, using language that is evocative but never forced.
She offers a simultaneous portrayal of life in England and Germany, creating and more nuanced, thoughtful, and balanced exploration than is common in childrens’ literature.

Katherine Rundell said of ‘The Skylark War’ that it was the best childrens’ book she had read all year – and I think the same would have to be said of ‘The Swallow’s Flight’. These are books to treasure, and read, and read again.

I must confess to coming late to the party! I haven’t yet read Hilary’s companion novel ‘The Skylarks War’, but on the strength of this book, it will definitely be on my TBR pile!

This is a family saga read for middle grade children which is such a fantastic read. I made sure to pay attention to the beginning of each chapter which gives you an idea of who’s perspective we coming from in that chapter. Although I am familiar with this style of writing, many children may not be, so I can see this would be a great introduction for them. Myself, I love this style of writing as I enjoy getting into the heads of all the characters.

This book is perfect for me, since I love world war 2 stories in particular. Being a children’s book, there are lots of the gruesome detail of war that was missed out, however Hilary still touches on the persecution of the Jews, prisoner of war camps and evacuation of children albeit in a tender way. This creates such a brilliant learning opportunity for further study and discussion.

The characters in the story are greatly developed and we either love or hate them! I really felt for Ruby and her tough relationship with her brother Will, I found myself being upset for her in certain parts of the story. I enjoyed the relationship between Erik and Hans and they were my favourite characters in the story. It was really interesting reading about how they grow from boys to men and the strong bond they have with each other.

There wasn’t a particularly climatic end to this story. The story is lovely and mellow throughout with twists and turns evoking strong emotions which then resolve themselves. I really enjoyed the ending and it left me feeling happy and satisfied!

I highly rate and recommend this book and it will no doubt become an excellent book to be read in class along side topic work of the Second World War. Adults would also really equally enjoy this book and perhaps it should also be marketed as such? Hilary includes an excellent glossary at the back of the book which explains all the references to the important parts of the war.

This is described as a sequel to The Skylark's War. I haven't read that one and was worried about getting lost in this one. However, from what I can gather, the Skylarks characters are parents to some of the characters in this one; I didn't find it hard to follow at all.

Don't go into this book looking for action or adventure. This is a slow, deliberate read stretching over years in both Germany and England, as a generation born after WWI grows up in its shadow and watches WWII loom closer. There are some details here that may frighten or upset younger readers; for instance, although it makes a horrible kind of sense, I had never realised that the British government advised its people to euthanise their pets ahead of the expected bombing. I've read one other book where it was said that strays were being put down; however, that was said to upset a character, so I was never sure it was true and had never connected it to pets before. That must have been awful for so many people, including the vets.

This is a great look at a very particular period in history, and a reminder that people are people, more or less, and their countries of origin shouldn't matter. Wonderful. And I'll need to look up Skylarks next!

As ever, beautifully written with lovely characters and a real feel for the time and places the novel is set in. The changes and concerns of the characters as the story moves through the 1930s to the early years of the Second World War are convincing, particularly how Erik and Hans adapt to survive within Nazi Germany. It's a very gentle story despite it's setting, the violence you know is there is not really fully described on the page, there is drama but not trauma or menace. A good follow up to Skylarks War.

This is an incredible book - it's so beautifully written with the most likeable and charming characters I've come across in a long time.

Set around the start of WWII, it follows some of the same characters from The Skylarks' War as they have grown up. There are four main narrators - Erik and Hans, young German boys and Ruby and Kate, young English girls - and the story follows as the children grow up in the shadow of the start of the war. It was fascinating to read of different experiences, with Erik and Hans giving their account of growing up in Nazi Germany and Ruby and Kate giving a British perspective - I loved the way there was no bias in the retellings, just a child's view of what was going on.

It was such a lovely story to read and is every bit as good as the Skylarks' War, with the same interesting style of characters, beautifully described settings and funny moments (Ruby's Grandfather was just hilarious!) A great WWII historical fiction with courage, friendship and family throughout. I just adored it!

Heartwarming companion novel to Skylark's War, Swallows' Flight follows the next generation of children into WW2. Evocative of Enid Blyton, this tale is beautifully written and the characters really come to life with their typical childlike escapades contrasted against the harsh realities of war in England.
There's been lots of love for both these novels on twitter, although I have to be honest and say it didn't completely win me over. The storytelling often requires a patience beyond the target age-range for this book, and I felt I had little resonance with the characters. Personally, I think there are better MG WW2 novels out there which children today will be able to relate to easier, but this was a gentle, enjoyable read.

This is a wonderful book! Written as a companion novel rather than a sequel to “Skylarks war” it’s a moving story set in both England and Germany about life just before and during WW2. As the story builds Mckay interweaves key events from the war (kristallnacht, the evacuation from the beaches) in a way that will help readers both empathise and reflect as they see the impact upon the different characters. It’s not until the end that the parallel stories merge by which time we feel we know the characters so well that we are desperate for them to meet. This will be such a good book for children who want to understand about the effects of WW2 whilst also realising that life at home with family and friendships went on.

The Swallows' Flight by Hilary McKay

This book is set in the 2nd World War, I haven't read many war related books so this genre is relatively new to me. There were swallows at the beginning of the book but when the war starts, the swallows disappear and don't return until the war is over. Erik and Hans are German and stay in Berlin. They are sent to fight as they had started training as pilots before the beginning of the war.
Ruby and Kate are cousins who are evacuated from Plymouth to Scotland.
Erik's plane got shot down in Scotland and Ruby and Kate go to investigate. When they find Erik, they have a big decision to make.

It must have been really hard to be evacuated and stay away from your parents. This book really made me think about what life was like in war times. I would have been so worried about my mum and dad being left behind.

The book is told from the perspectives of many characters - including that of a dog - on each side of the war.
Because I was reading this digitally, I found it tricky to follow at times which I don't think I would have if I had a physical copy. I'd never thought about the impact of war on pets before.

My favourite bit of this book was when the war ended. It made me feel relieved.

The swallow's flight was a beautiful historical book on WW2 and showed how it impacted young people across Germany and England. The plot was delicately entwined to show Hans and Erik of Germany as they went from innocent boys to young war pilots and Ruby and Kate of England as their friendship blossomed.

All characters were unique and brilliant in their own way. I loved Hans and Erik's friendship! The theme of growing up from boys who had unrealistic dreams to pilots in a war was heartbreaking. I was really glad that none of them died as I was attached to all characters and really rooted for them. I wish we saw a bit more of Rupert and Clarry however.

The plot was a bit slow for my liking but the themes I thoroughly enjoyed! The writing was beautiful in a Hilary McKay way. It really enhanced the reading experience. This book will definitely stay with me for a long time. I would definitely recommend this!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the E-arc!

The Skylarks' War is one of my all-time favourite books (for any age range) and so it was with a mix of anticipation and apprehension that I started to read The Swallows' Flight. Would it be what I hoped it would be? Would it be as good?


I must admit that the opening chapter surprised and concerned me at first. It is about Erik and Hans, two German boys who have no connection to Clarry and Rupert etc that I can see. It is written with the usual skill and flair that I have come to expect from Hilary McKay's writing and I found that my concerns were quickly forgotten as within a few sentences I was drawn into the world of there characters and found myself hopelessly charmed by them.


The book is written from a few different viewpoints and like The Skylarks' War covers the characters over a few years. It took a while for familiar characters from the first book to appear but despite my initial concerns, I always had trust that it will all make sense and the connection between my beloved Skylarks' War and this book will become clear in time. And it did. This book is masterfully written and the stories intersect in delightful and unexpected ways at times. I found the story of the dog particularly intriguing when it was first introduced and really enjoyed seeing how he slotted in to the overall story.


What I love about this book is that although it is a historical book they way it covers the world events of history is quite subtle. In essence this book is about people. A wide spectrum of characters are on display, each unique and each charming in their own way. The history is in the background but you can see how it impacts on the characters lives by the events that happen to them and how they interact with each other. There are some particularly poignant hints at the holocaust during the chapters about Erik and Hans. They are very subtle and I think if you didn't know anything about Germany during the second world war or the holocaust then you might miss the significance of what is happening. I don't think it necessarily matters if you don't have that historical knowledge, the story operates on different levels and is hugely compelling at whatever level you look at.


I realise that this review tells you very little of what actually happens in the book, and that is a deliberate choice. The story is wonderful. It actually exceeded my expectations. It is complex but not so much so that it becomes hard to read; it flows effortlessly and each individual story arc is interesting. When they all come together, it is truly special. I don't want to spoil the story for anyone by giving away too many details; I'll just say this: read it. If you are already familiar with Hilary McKay's writing you will know how special she is; if you aren't familiar with her work, where have you been? You really need to read her books.


This book will appeal to anyone from 9+, it has as much appeal for adults as it does for children in my opinion. It is a hugely engaging, poignant story that I thoroughly recommend.