The wartime lives of both Italian POWs and the lumberjills have received surprisingly little cultural attention over the years; in Franklin's <b>tender, moving </b>debut novel, with its <b>unforgettable heroine</b>, those experiences get the loving attention they deserve.

The Irish Times

A <b>mesmerising</b> wartime story about identity

The Irish Examiner

An accomplished debut from Sarah Franklin, <i>Shelter</i> is the perfect read for those who enjoy historical fiction with <b>humour, warmth and a real sense of place</b>

Daily Record

A <b>beautifully written, gentle, hopeful</b> book

Lucy Atkins, author of The Night Visitor

Meticulously researched and b<b>eautifully written, </b>this is a <b>life-affirming</b> <b>and</b> <b>compelling</b> debut

- Clare Mackintosh, Compulsive Readers

I really enjoyed the novel. You <b>caught the period and the place beautifully</b> and Connie and Seppe's story is <b>very moving</b>. Hats off

- Fanny Blake,

I found this a <b>fascinating and assured </b>debut

Woman and Home

These <b>two displaced people find solace</b> with the rhythms of nature and with each other until the secret that Connie has been hiding threatens to tear them apart. A <b>wonderful, affecting debut novel </b>about the redemptive power of nature

Red Magazine

<i>Shelter</i> is an <b>atmospheric debut</b> and <b>a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten aspect of WWII</b> by Sarah Franklin

Good Housekeeping

Oh, this ticks all my historical-fiction boxes and more: <b>beautifully atmospheric, detailed scene setting and characters that not only immerse you fully in their era but lead you to a greater understanding of it</b>. (I wouldn't be surprised if it's snapped up for adaptation, Atonement-style).

The Pool, Book at Bedtime

Forest heritage is built on stories not monuments, and this <b>story of love, identity and finding happiness </b>will appeal to a local audience and contribute to our idea of ourselves and our past

Reading the Forest

The understanding of foresters ways, their sheep, mines and dialect and the geography of the forest are <b>perfectly captured</b> in this <b>well researched </b>book...

The Forester

A <b>tender and moving </b>debut, which examines the way one can live through love, loss and duty...<b>something wonderful</b>

OX Magazine

First I thought it was a WW2 story, then I thought it was a romance, then I thought it was a story about the power of motherhood and then I thought it was a book specifically designed to toy with my delicate emotions. Sarah Franklin's <i>Shelter </i>is all this and more...This book was a <b>delightful and moving story</b> of the struggles of losing one's identity and having to find it in unfamiliar places with unlikely individuals. <b>It speaks of permanence (and a lack of it) in a way that makes this girl away from home feel a little teary</b>

Chain Interaction

What a <b>fascinating read</b> - a slow read that like the trees in the forest, <b>draws you into the shadows and envelopes you right into the heart of the story</b>. It's a very <b>unique angle</b> on the 2ww and the insights into what the war effort could really mean

The Book Trail

I always admire an author who is brave enough not to spell out the conclusion of a book but to let the reader imagine it for themselves. I thought this was an <b>impressive debut</b>

What Cathy Read Next

Packed full of <b>beautiful, touching characters</b> in a story that's as refreshing as it is romantic. Connie and Seppe are the leads here - and Franklin brings them to life in vivid colour. They both have <b>hugely compelling </b>backstories...despite the 60 odd years that has passed since the book was set, and the wildly different circumstances that readers today will be in, these characters are so vivid that they feel like people you could bump into in the street (or, more fittingly, the forest)...The command of plot is commendable - it <b>keeps the reader gripped throughout, and goes in directions that aren't expected</b>. Indeed several moments in the later third of the book had my heart in my mouth - but thankfully they were resolved with skill, care, and love. Love is at the heart of this story - romantic love, familial love, love for one's country and love for one's self. It's a <b>passionate, heartwarming and emotional tale </b>that I hugely enjoyed

The Bookbag

<i>Shelter</i> is an <b>incredible book</b> to read. I loved Seppe's character.

Steph's Book Blog

Sarah Franklin has without a doubt become <b>one of my new favourite authors</b>. I immediately came to <b>love her writing style</b> as she collated pieces of flashbacks into a mosaic which truly represented the <b>bittersweet journey </b>the two main characters found themselves on before reaching the forest. I adored seeing their two individual experiences come together...this book <b>warmed my heart</b> and also made me consider the potential fatalities of war that stretch far beyond the battlefield

The Beauty of Reading

The great strength of this novel is in the detail. <b>Beautifully written</b>, the landscape is the star of Franklin's book, stealing the limelight from any human character. <b>I was immersed</b> in the Forest of Dean from the moment Connie arrives, and the historical setting is also spot on....So much research must have been carried out and yet it is drawn so lightly on the page

Tales from Olympia

<i>Shelter</i> is <b>one of those rare books</b> that manages to combine the sad and the heartwarming into one big, feel-good story...<b>Funny, touching and tragic</b>, this book is <b>a must-read </b>- if it's not on your to-do list, it should be!

The Roaring Bookworm

<b>Wonderful tale</b>

Cleopatra Loves Books

<i>Shelter</i> is a well written and enjoyable read, which explores a side of the war I had not considered before. It is at times <b>poignant and heartbreaking</b>, but it is also <b>a story filled with love and a hope</b> for a better tomorrow

The Owl on the Bookshelf

<b>Shelter</b> is whole-­hearted, <b>accomplished and moving</b>. An <b>impressive debut</b>

South China Morning Post

I'd really <b>recommend </b>this to anyone who enjoys historical or is just a real fan of stories set in WW2, as I am. It's a fairly easy read but it <b>has some serious issues </b>and parts to it <b>which provoke the reader to think a little bit</b>, something which I really enjoyed

Snazzy Books

There's a sweetness and a joy about <i>Shelter</i> that is very <b>hard to resist</b>. <i>Shelter</i> is about people seeking, and finding, a place to belong...it is a <b>unique addition</b> to the glut of WWII books

Elle Thinks

<i>Shelter</i> has a <b>great premise</b>; Connie ends up as a 'lumberjill' in the New Forest in 1944 after she flees London and her past. Structurally, the novel is <b>extremely effective</b>, and it's genuinely <b>touching</b> . . . Connie is a <b>compelling character</b> . . . she comes alive in the very first pages of the novel. Overall, <i>Shelter</i> is strong on concept and characterisation . . .

Laura Tisdall, reading roundup Autumn 2017

It is <b>a book that I loved</b>. <i>Shelter</i> by Sarah Franklin is set in 1944 in the Forest of Dean which is where I lived before leaving home to make my way in the big wide world. The author shapes her story around the Lumberjills posted to the Forest to aid the war along with the Italian Prisoners of War who worked alongside them. The story was <b>realistic and heart-warming</b> and despite a difficult relationship with the area as a teenager, <i>Shelter</i>, made me appreciate some of its better qualities.

Cleopatra Loves Books

<b>Beautifully written</b> and <b>full of compassion</b>, <i>Shelter</i> is <b>a story of resilience, love and the need to belong</b>

Jill's Book Cafe