Children of the Siege

By: Diney Costeloe

Narrated by: Georgia Maguire

A lost child, a family divided, the bitter backdrop of war.

After the Franco-Prussian War and the siege of 1870-71, the St Clair family return to Paris, seeking refuge and security, only to be swept up into the terrible cruelties and violence of the Commune. Here their young daughter, Hélène, falls ill and, in an unlucky twist of fate, becomes separated from her family.

Alone and frightened, she has to fend for herself on the war-torn streets. Meanwhile, her two brothers face each other as mortal enemies across the barricades.

Heart-stopping and gripping, this classic Diney Costeloe story shows the courage of one family in the face of ugly violence and great danger.

©2019 Diney Costeloe (P)2019 Head of Zeus

STARTS SLOW, THEN WOW!

For me, this book started out very slowly, and by Chapter 6, I wasn’t so sure I was going to stick with the book, but I’m glad I did! I had previously read, “The Girl with No Name” and “The Sisters of St. Croix,” and had absolutely loved both, so I was a little surprised that this book took a while to draw me in.

Once the story got to the point where the war was well and truly upon Paris, the need to evacuate the city urgent, and the opportunity to pass freely beyond the city gates, did I suddenly realize the author had done it to me again — I had indeed been drawn in without realizing it, and was at that point in a book I love — the point at which I start ignoring other things so I can get back to the book as quickly as I can to see what happens next.😊

The mother and two of her three daughters retreat to the relative safety of their country estate, barely escaping the city walls before they were closed by the Army; but father has to stay behind with one of the daughters who becomes ill the night before she is to leave with her mother and sister.

Father assures mother that everything will be fine; mother should still go the next morning as planned, getting two of the three girls out of Paris safely. Father says behind with the daughter who is ill, and assures mother that he and the daughter will be two, possibly three, days behind them, leaving the moment the child is strong enough to travel. But something awful happens (the majority of the rest off the story is based on this event — I won’t reveal what and spoil it), but the best laid plans go haywire and the young girl is separated from the rest of the family. While apart, this well-bred, proper young lady must learn to survive under the most harsh and dangerous of circumstances and gets an introduction to the hard realities of life beyond the safety of her family home and the sheltered life she always lived there.

The young girl runs into a young gutter snipe that once worked for her family that knows how to work the streets. He takes her under his protection and vows to keep her safe as best he can during some pretty awful circumstances. They develop a deep bond of friendship that will last a lifetime.

There is much more to the story — two brothers in opposing Armies, but who work together to find and save their little sister…

Despite its slow start, I enjoyed this book and was delighted to learn there is a follow-up to it. I am excited to get started on Book Two. With all that was packed into Book One, I can’t imagine how Ms. Costeloe will out-do herself in Book Two!

Rare thoughtful child’s story

Author carefully tells the story of children of war. Helen and Janeau each represent opposite ends of society, and the tale weaves their friendship beautifully to a realistic conclusion amid the horrors of war.

Excellent Historical Fiction, believeable

Set after the Franco-Prussian War, the St. Claire family returns to Paris as the father feels they need to stick together and he needs to be there in order to do some of his business. The mother did not want to return to Paris with the husband nor take any of the children as she felt it was too dangerous. Their dangerous journey and terrifying ordeal begins before the ever even make it to their home within the city.

By the time the father finally agrees mother was right and should indeed return home to the country with the children, one of their daughters, Helene becomes I'll and must remain behind with the father and housekeeper and nursemaid. Meanwhile, the two oldest brothers are off fighting as enemies across the barricades in the war . After Helen becomes well enough to travel, father leaves to find provisions for the trip and a bunch of soldiers break into the home where Helen, the nursemaid and housekeeper are and all of them are terrified!

What will happen when Helen disappears? What happens to the two brothers fighting on opposing sides? Heartbreaking, courageous, historical fiction. Well written and well read in an Audible book.