The Secret Book of Flora Lea

by Patti Callahan Henry

Whisperwood belonged to her and her lost sister, Flora. It was a private realm that had sprung to life between them, a make-believe world to endure through the worst of the war, a place to find comfort where little existed.

There’s always a scapegoat, my love. Always. It is part of every story if you look closely enough.”

A heart,” she told Hazel, “can hold much joy and great sorrow at the same time.

“The best stories are soul-making. But stories we tell about ourselves, and even the harrowing ones told by others about us, can also be soul-destroying. We have to choose what is good and true, not what will destroy.”

“For when you see that the world shimmers just like the outline of Whisperwood’s doors, mystery and enchantment are everywhere just waiting to be noticed. In an unmapped realm in your own souls, I hope all of you find the land made just and exactly for you.”