This book hooked me in from the very first page, with the prologue set at Greenham Common in the 1980s and a baby left on a church step.

The first few chapters introduce us to a selection of the main characters in the book and I was fascinated by them all. They all felt real, relatable and believable and I was intrigued to find out how they would all link together as the plot unfolded.

In the present day, Adele's 12 year old daughter goes missing, Emma is due to be released from prison after serving five years of her sentence and Rachel is returning to work in the police force after the death of her husband, Told across dual timelines, this story is gripping, emotional and twisty. I absolutely love Emily Gunnis's writing style and her character development is sublime.

I enjoyed this book immensely.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Emily Gunnis and Headline for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Headline Books for my digital ARC to read and review.
Four women with different stories. Emma in prison and alone. Adele – her daughter missing and disconnected from her husband. Felicity – Pregnant and finding friendship at the Greenham Common protests. And Rachel, a policewoman who connects them all. Joined together by lies and secrets their stories intertwined.
Emma’s story is a sad one and she is the character that resonated with me the most. I wanted her to have a happy ending. Adele and Felicity are both desperate for answers and eventually the truth comes out. Rachel is a calm and experienced policewoman who you know is going to sort things out.
I was particularly intrigued by the historical bit of the book set in 1983 at the Greenham common protests. A time that many young people would not know about today, and an insight into the fear of nuclear war that hovered over the world at this time.
An easy quick read for lovers of T M Logan and Clare Mackintosh.

Three women’s stories entwined. Firstly, there’s pregnant Fliss at the famous Greenham Common protests. Then there's Emma in prison who trusts someone, perhaps unwisely. Then we meet Adele, distraught when her daughter goes missing. Very emotional at times and quite a page-turner, as you would expect from the author of The Missing Daughter, the Midwife’s Secret etc.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book as the cover very much implied it would be a run of the mill crime story. But it's so much more than that!

"A Child in the Storm" tells the story of four women, Rachel, Felicity, Emma and Adele. They are seemingly not at all or only loosely connected but when Adele's daughter Sophia goes missing, we find out that their lives are intertwined and the race to find Sophia will have a huge impact on them all.

Taking the reader from the Greenham Common protests through to the present day, this is a wonderful page turner of a book. The missing child narrative is only a small aspect. I found the back stories of the women and the information on the protests and the attitude to women at the time the most interesting parts. The ending felt a bit abrupt after everything that happened in the lead up and maybe some of the conclusions in the relationships were a bit simplified but overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Exhilarated pace, truly a book you cannot put down.

So many strong females in this book. Really bought back memories of Greenham Common and the women protesters.

Cannot wait for the next book by Emily Gunnis

Thank you Netgaley for letting me read this book.

Felicity is seventeen and is pregnant. She has been thrown out by her family and has seeked refuge at Greenham Common. She makes friends with the women there but when the baby arrives she is in prison and alone.

2024 and Emma is in prison serving time for a tragic accident. She opens up to her cellmate but can she really trust her?

Adele's daughter is missing but what is the connection and what secrets are to be revealed.

First time reading this authors books, really enjoyed the storyline, found it well written with strong characters and duel timelines. Takes you through some twists and turns and most definitely keeps you reading to try and work out the who,why and what the heck ! Will be looking for more books by Emily Gunnis in the future
My thanks to NetGalley and to Publisher Headline | Headline Review for the opportunity for the early read

I enjoyed reading about the women who took part in the peaceful protest at Greenham Common. It is an important part of our history that is largely overlooked.
Set in Greenham Common, Felicity finds herself pregnant and unwanted by her parents. The women protesting give her friendship and acceptance which she’s never known before.
40 years later, Felicity has a granddaughter who has been abducted.
Is there a connection?

This is my 1st Emily Gunnis book. It starts with the protests at Greenham Common in the early 80’s, the birth of a baby girl left on a church steps and intertwines with 2024 when a 12 year old school girls goes missing. Both are connected and the who, why and when etc are the basis of the story.

Very much enjoyed this book.
Every mother and wife nightmare, missing daughter and a husband lies

A daughter born and given up/ abandoned during protest of Greenham Common

Adele has so much to learn.

A well written book, Great characters and there stories told, a page turner that's obvious but all tied up to great anticipation.

Thank you look forward to more form Emily Gunnis

A Child in the Storm is a story that covers 20 years, from the feminist protest of Greenham Common, to stop the use of the space for nuclear arms, to the present day where young Sophia has gone missing on the way home from school.

I found all the characters well written and fleshed out, and I learned about the Greenham Common protests, and the strength of the women involved.

Remarkably tense, and perfectly paced, I found this a perfectly easy read, and was hooked from the start!

This was my first Emily Gunnis book, and would happily read all of her other work!

i do love saga type books like this one! And this one was so so good.
fr this book we are told the story of three different woman, three generations.the story is so clever the way they all hve their moment, their importance but yet are so easily woven together and that for me must take great skill as an author. i got completely into the stories of these woman and very quickly cared about them and what was happening to them and what would happen to them.
first we find Fliss who gets pregnant at a very young age by an older man and its very obvious he wont be sticking around to help. the way her mother treats her when she tells her is not good. so Fliss finds herself out on her own and finding refuge at a woman's peace camp.Fliss also then finds herself involved in the protest again the nuclear happenings at Greenham Common. but this has dangerous consequences because it does lead to Fliss having her child taken away and put up for adoption when after a police raid she finds herself giving birth in a cell..
later we meet Emma who is in prison for an event that changed her life forever. here she meets Amanda who she begins to trust when she is kind to her. but can Emma trust anyone here, anymore?
meanwhile Adele's is in turmoil when her daughter disappears on her way home from school. when police try to find out what happened it opens up a whole bag of secrets and lies. ones that Adele must sift through, ones that span decades. secrets, lies and the risk to her daughter looms large.
this is such a heart thumping emotional read that ties itself together perfectly. the inclusion of some really important moments in history was such a brilliant addition and not something ive seen included in a book ive read before. it makes it hit harder especially surrounding our woman struggle running parallel to what the woman in this story are going through.
this kind of layout is one of my favourites and believe me its not always managed well. this for me was done spot on. it managed to make each time and people vital to the way you read the book. no one part overshadowed the other and the link and arc was pulled together in sink in the best way. we find out lots as we are reading and guessing lots too. and by the end you get a whole book that weighs heavy but in the best most satisfying book reading way.
you really do get the feeling of what family ties and family bonds can do both for good and for bad. you can feel how so much of the past impacts how we are and what we do. how being treated in a certain way shifts the heart and shifts the soul and hurt people often act hurt in the end. how the characters reacted and acted were so human and relatable. and i was drawn to them all in turn.
a wonderful book. completely on its own in its story line and taking top read status.

This book is Emily Gunnis best book so far! I love all she’s ever written but this one really did stand out for me. The setting of Greenham Common was such a fascinating one and the characters when they were within that setting became very relevant and interesting but the historical story wasn’t the only thing that made me love this. Emily Gunnis writes with such understanding and empathy plus she’s a natural storyteller so she gradually pulls you into her fictional world and before you know it, it has become your world too and you are completely immersed in it.
Beautifully written and intelligently crafted-I adore every single word.

This was a great family saga which brought up many subjects, not least teenage pregnancy and adoption. Fliss (Felicity) finds herself pregnant by a much older man who obviously wants nothing to do with her. She tells her mother who says it couldn’t possibly be his and then proceeds to practically ignore Fliss. Fliss then finds herself part of the women campaigning against the nuclear arms on Greenham Common. This sets in place a series of events that lead Fliss’s child being taken away from her and put up for adoption. The story jumps between then and now as Felicity’s granddaughter goes missing

The whole story is very well thought out and has lovely twists although I had worked out who had taken her.

All in it was an easy read with a well constructed storyline

A very sad but gripping crime fiction.
spans three generations telling story of three women of the same family. So much missed and lost in their lives and love. With so much unhappiness it has been difficult to give others love.
Describes to what lengths some people will go to to hide secrets and keep up appearances.
It was extremely emotional and I could not put the book down

Emily Gunnis’s A Child in the Storm is a gripping, emotionally charged tale that weaves together three women’s lives across decades—rich in historical nuance, suspense, and heartfelt drama. Set against the backdrop of pivotal moments in British history, Gunnis delivers a moving narrative brimming with secrets, sorrow, and the possibility of redemption.
This is a novel about love and loss, betrayal and resilience. Gunnis explores generational secrecy and trauma, highlighting how the echoes of the past shape—and sometimes shatter—the present.
If you enjoy multi-generational dramas with mystery, honesty, and heart, this novel is a powerful and unforgettable read.

This is the best book that I have read in a long time. I loved it.
It covers a couple of timelines, and gives a great insight into the events at Greenham Common, and the women protestors who fought to keep us all safe. The characters are believable and likable (in the main), and it gives you a real feel for the early 1980s.
The storyline is interesting, and you just have to keep reading to find out what happens to the characters.
A1++

A riveting book that centres around an event that I hadn’t even known about before reading the book - the Greenham Common protests. I found the book both attention-grabbing from a crime fiction point of view and from an historical point of view. Great characters too!

In 1983, seventeen-year-old Felicity is pregnant and cast out by her parents. She finds sanctuary at the women’s peace camp at Greenham Common, a place of solidarity and hope. But when the camp is raided by police and the women are arrested, Felicity goes into labour in a cell, and her baby is taken from her.

In 2024, Emma is serving time in prison, haunted by the tragic accident that changed her life forever. When her new cellmate Amanda shows kindness, Emma begins to confide in her, but trust can be dangerous behind bars.

Elsewhere, Adele’s world collapses when her daughter disappears on her way home from school. As the police dig into her family’s past, Adele uncovers a web of lies she never imagined. To find her daughter, she must unravel a decades-old secret before time runs out.

This is a gripping, fast-paced thriller that weaves together past and present with skill. The 1983 setting is particularly vivid, especially for those who remember the events surrounding the Greenham Common protests. Emily Gunnis captures both the emotional weight of the women’s struggle and the relentless suspense of the present-day mystery, making this an unputdownable read filled with tension, compassion, and twists that keep you turning the pages.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This was a great read, multi layered with a heartbreaking back storyline and a fraught present day situation.
1982 and the Greenham Common women are still singing during their protests, it's hard and tough, as the authorities are determined they should stop their protest. At 17 Fliss joins them, abandoned by her wealthy parents for falling pregnant, she feels safe and amongst friends for the first time.
WPC Rachel Rees has empathy with the women but has a job to do, but the discovery of a foundling baby takes her mind away from the arrests.
Present day, Adele has always had a difficult relationship with her mother, shes never felt enough and that Felicity has always held back, but when her daughter Sophia goes missing she hopes for some closeness.
This wasn't my first Emily Gunnis read, I love the unique storylines she writes about, her characters are relatable. I really like her style of writing and this book was no exception. I really couldn't put it down
I am grateful to Netgalley and Headline Publishing for the advanced copy. I have left my review on Goodreads, Bookmory, Storygraph and Fable and will review on Amazon and Waterstones on publication day