{"product_id":"child-of-the-ruins-9781399713610","title":"Child of the Ruins","description":"\u003ci\u003ePeople are disappearing. I spoke to my neighbour yesterday, we laughed at some nonsense, and today he is gone. We only discovered he was missing because the dog wouldn't stop howling and we all knew he would never leave his beloved pet. So I am careful, extremely careful.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eTwo families divided by war. \u003cbr\u003e An entire city on the edge of disaster.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'I was blown away not just by the gripping story, which had my heart thumping at times, but the sheer eloquence of writing. It is a story of the strength of the human spirit, and of love which will not be defeated. I know I will be recommending it to everyone' \u003cb\u003eLESLEY PEARSE\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e1948, Berlin.\u003c\/b\u003e World War II has ended and there is supposed to be peace; but Russian troops have closed all access to the city. Roads, railway lines and waterways are blocked and two million people are trapped, relying on airlifts of food, water and medicine to survive. The sharp eyes of the Russian state police watch everything; no one can be trusted. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Anna and Ingrid are both searching for answers - and revenge - in the messy aftermath of war. They understand that survival comes only by knowing what to trade: food; medicine; heirlooms; secrets. Both are living in the shadows of a city where the line between right and wrong has become dangerously blurred. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eBut they cannot give up in the search for a lost child ... \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'An impressively researched, powerfully emotional tale of two women surviving post-war Berlin ... \u003ci\u003eChild of the Ruins\u003c\/i\u003e will have you gripped in suspense from the first line to the last' \u003cb\u003eLOUISE CANDLISH\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'In Kate's inimitable style we are immediately drawn into this impeccably researched and terrifying period of history. Stunning from the very first line, this is a masterclass in historical fiction writing. An absolute triumph!' \u003cb\u003eDINAH JEFFERIES\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'An absolutely stunning book from the Queen of Historical Fiction. Emotional, powerful, meticulously researched, sharp writing, just wonderful' \u003cb\u003eLOUISE SWANSON\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'There is only one word to describe \u003ci\u003eChild of the Ruins\u003c\/i\u003e and that is awesome. It is compelling and evocative, thrilling and yet hugely touching. Kate Furnivall has really steeped herself in the period and faced the horrors of those times. I congratulate her' \u003cb\u003eDILLY COURT\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'An extraordinarily tense and gripping story set in a city brought to its knees in the aftermath of war, where life is cheap and crusts of bread are currency. The plotting is ingenious and the writing beautifully atmospheric' \u003cb\u003eGILL PAUL\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Unforgettable characters negotiate desperate times in this vivid, brave and suspenseful novel set in the chaos of war torn Berlin. The final twist made me gasp!' \u003cb\u003eRACHEL HORE\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Gripping from the very first page, \u003ci\u003eChild of the Ruins\u003c\/i\u003e is a powerful and emotionally intense reminder that heartache and hardship linger long after a war ends. Highly recommend!' \u003cb\u003eTERESA DRISCOLL\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e I have just finished reading \u003ci\u003eChild of the Ruins \u003c\/i\u003eand now I am bereft. Such an emotionally powerful and compelling story, told with skill and impeccable research. I was immersed from beginning to end' \u003cb\u003eROSANNA LEY\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Each page and each word made me feel as though I was in Berlin at the end of the Second World War, alongside a mother searching for her son. Kate Furnivall has a gift for description, heartbreak and joy. I defy anyone not to read beyond the first killer sentence' \u003cb\u003eJANE CORRY\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Atmospheric and compelling' \u003cb\u003eCAROL McGRATH\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'A harrowing and compelling portrait of Berlin in the aftermath of World War Two, told through the interconnecting stories of two courageous women struggling to survive in the rubble of their war-torn city' \u003cb\u003eFIONA VALPY\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'A beautifully written and atmospheric portrayal of life in Berlin in the aftermath of WW2, with exquisitely-drawn characters and a storyline that is both powerful and heart-breaking. Kate has become one of my favourite writers and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next' \u003cb\u003eB.A. PARIS\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Brilliantly written and incredibly moving. I was gripped from the first page' \u003cb\u003eMILLY JOHNSON\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKate Furnivall is the author of twelve novels, including THE RUSSIAN CONCUBINE, THE LIBERATION and THE GUARDIAN OF LIES. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages and have been on the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists. She lives in Devon.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Hodder \u0026 Stoughton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50901919957266,"sku":"9781399713610","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_30679577-1498-4ddc-a69a-bdb7bddc6303.jpg?v=1738441821","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/child-of-the-ruins-9781399713610","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}