The Last Boat Home

These are the war memoirs of Gil Mock, as told to his son-in-law, Robert E. Lee. 1940 - Sapper Gilbert Mock, British Expeditionary Force is ordered to blow up a bridge over the River Somme. Why? To buy time for over 300,000 of his comrades to be evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk. Today, this necessary rearguard action fought by men like Gil is largely overlooked whenever the remarkable events of Operation Dynamo are celebrated, but many were killed or spent the next five years in prisoner of war camps. Gil, however, despite his parents receiving a 'missing in action, believed dead' telegram from the War Office, made an eventful 350 mile journey (despite his bad feet!) to St Malo and the Last Boat Home.

An epic story of love, loss and second chances, The Last Boat Home will captivate readers of Fiona Valpy, Lorna Cook and Hazel Gaynor. 1940: When Daisy, a paintress at the local pottery, looks out across Poole Harbour, waiting for the ‘little ships’ to bring the retreating soldiers home from Dunkirk, she prays her husband will be among them. But Alfie is declared missing, presumed dead, and Daisy must learn to live as a widow. Then a chance encounter with a French soldier throws Daisy’s life even further off course, with heartbreaking consequences that will span generations. 1996: Decades later, Felicity is just holding herself together after the sudden loss of her husband. Needing escape, she travels to a small seaside town in the South of France and is surprised to find a piece of home in the window of a small shop. How did a jug from her home-town’s pottery find its way to the Cote d’Azur? Seeking answers, she opens the door to the shop, and on the possibility of finding happiness after all hope seemed lost... Boldwood Books are proud to support the RNLI and have pledged to donate to the RNLI based on sales of The Last Boat Home to support the work they do saving lives at sea. Readers are loving Rachel Sweasey's captivating debut: 'I was swept up by this beautiful story of love, loss and the courage of so many during WW2' – Helen Parusel ‘I loved this dual time-line read. Set in the start of WW2 and present day it deals with loss and war and finding love when you don't expect to ever love again. This was a great book and I highly recommend this one.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Loved this book. I got totally immersed in the characters and their lives, loves and loss. The mix of fact and fiction and the two different time lines worked very well.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘A brutally honest account of how both men and women coped with the changes in their lives. This author writes so authentically about grieving that at times I simply had to stop reading. Anyone who has lost someone will immediately identify with the visceral pain felt by the characters. The settings were gorgeous and the descriptions of French food made me long to go back.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Loved it, sadness and joy, ups and downs. Hope there will be a sequel!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Fantastic read, was enjoyable – even cried at one part I felt I was inside the book.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These are the war memoirs of Gil Mock, as told to his son-in-law, Robert E. Lee. 1940 - Sapper Gilbert Mock, British Expeditionary Force is ordered to blow up a bridge over the River Somme. Why? To buy time for over 300,000 of his comrades to be evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk. Today, this necessary rearguard action fought by men like Gil is largely overlooked whenever the remarkable events of Operation Dynamo are celebrated, but many were killed or spent the next five years in prisoner of war camps. Gil, however, despite his parents receiving a 'missing in action, believed dead' telegram from the War Office, made an eventful 350 mile journey (despite his bad feet!) to St Malo and the Last Boat Home.

Explosive, dark and tender, The Last Boat Home is a devastating novel about sacrifice, survival and a motherâe(tm)s love. If you loved The Light Between Oceans or The Snow Child, this is for you. On the wind-swept southern coast of Norway, sixteen-year-old Else is out on the icy sea, dragging her oars through the waves while, above her, storm clouds are gathering. Surrounded by mountains, snow and white-capped water, she looks across the fjord and dreams of another life, of escape and faraway lands. Back on shore, her father sits alone in his boathouse with a jar of homebrew. In the Best Room, her mother covers her bruises and seeks solace in prayer. Each tries to hide the truth from this isolated, God-fearing community they call home. Until one night changes everything. More than thirty years later, the return of an old friend forces Else to relive the events that marked the end of her childhood. Explosive, dark and tender, The Last Boat Home is a devastating novel about sacrifice, survival and a motherâe(tm)s love.

"The dramatic, real-life stories of four young people caught up in the mass exodus of Shanghai in the wake of China's 1949 Communist Revolution--a precursor to the struggles faced by emigrants today. Shanghai has historically been China's jewel, its richest, most modern and westernized city. The bustling metropolis was home to sophisticated intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and a thriving middle class when Mao's proletarian revolution emerged victorious from the long civil war. Terrified of the horrors the Communists would wreak upon their lives, citizens of Shanghai who could afford to fled in every direction. Seventy years later, the last generation to fully recall this massive exodus have opened the story to Chinese American journalist Helen Zia, who interviewed hundreds of exiles about their journey through one of the most tumultuous events of the twentieth century. From these moving accounts, Zia weaves the story of four young Shanghai residents who wrestled with the decision to abandon everything for an uncertain life as refugees in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the U.S. Young Benny, who as a teenager became the unwilling heir to his father's dark wartime legacy, must choose between escaping Hong Kong or navigating the intricacies of a newly Communist China. The resolute Annuo, forced to flee her home with her father, a defeated Nationalist official, becomes an unwelcome young exile in Taiwan. The financially strapped Ho fights deportation in order to continue his studies in the U.S. while his family struggles at home. And Bing, given away by her poor parents, faces the prospect of a new life among strangers in America"--

Explosive, dark and tender, The Last Boat Home is a devastating novel about sacrifice, survival and a mother's love. If you loved The Light Between Oceans or The Snow Child, this is for you. On the wind-swept southern coast of Norway, sixteen-year-old Else is out fishing on the icy sea, dragging her oars through the waves while, above her, storm clouds are gathering. Surrounded by mountains, snow and white-capped water, she looks across the fjord and dreams of another life, of escape and faraway lands. Back on shore, her father sits alone in his boathouse with a jar of homebrew. In the Best Room, her mother covers her bruises and seeks solace in prayer. Each tries to hide the truth from this isolated, God-fearing community they call home. Until one night changes everything. More than thirty years later, the return of an old friend forces Else to relive the events that marked the end of her childhood. Explosive, dark and tender, The Last Boat Home is a devastating novel about sacrifice, survival and a mother's love.