On the eve of the Nazi invasion of the island of Guernsey, terrified parents have a choice to make: send their children alone to England, or keep the family together and risk whatever may come to their villages.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST
by Julia Bryan Thomas
Sourcebooks Landmark, June 2022

On the island of Guernsey, as WWII looms, many islanders make the heartbreaking choice to ship their children to safety in England, not knowing when (or if) they will be reunited. Acting on faith, Ava and Joseph Simon reluctantly send their nine-year-old son Henry and four-year-old daughter Catherine with their children’s teacher Helen, who will escort them to the mainland. But Helen’s sister Lily is fleeing an abusive marriage, and, just as the ferry is about to leave, takes Helen’s place to make a new start for herself. It is Lily who takes them to England, and it is Lily who lets Henry get on a train by himself, deciding in a split second to walk the other way and take Catherine with her. That split-second decision lingers long after the war ends, impacting the rest of their lives.
Perfect for readers of Sold on a Monday, FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST is at once heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and uplifting.

Julia Bryan Thomas is the author of The English Boys, 2016, a Library Journal Debut of the Month novel, and Penhale Wood, 2017, which earned starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal. She lives in Oklahoma.