Reviews
"Innumerable volumes have been written about the transatlantic relationship, but here is a book that goes to its heart, the unbreakable emotional bonds that stretch across a vast ocean. Neither sentimental nor mawkish, Michael Henderson has captured the essence of this enduring, moving, wartime saga." (Raymond Seitz , US Ambassador to Britain 1991-1994)
"Those of my generation, born towards the end of the war, are often haunted by the thought of what might have happened had we been just a little older. Michael Henderson tells us in a fascinating narrative, filled with adventure, drama and sadness of children taken from their parents to a foreign land for their own safety. One of the things I liked most about this book is the light it casts on some of the nooks and crannies of war-time North American life." (Sir Christopher Meyer, UK Ambassador to the US 1997-2003)
"Henderson is particularly informative about attitudes and events in America, but it is the anecdotes that warm and wring the heart." The Sunday Times, London
"A touching account of the 10,000 British Children evacuated to North America in the early 1940s. Among them the author who, aged eight, found himself sailing through torpedo scares to a new life in Boston. The Mail on Sunday, London
"His book vividly evokes a lost world of patriotism and stoicism" (Headline: 'Aliens in short pants') Times Educational Supplement
"The great wartime evacuation will not now be forgotten" Church of England Newspaper
"A thorough account of the mass evacuation of British children to North America – a moving story of courage under adversity…This montage of different experiences produces a vivid portrait of events moods and atmosphere during a fearful time." Devon Life, UK
"A complete picture of a time forgotten by many – and completely unknown to most. Michael’s story also sheds light on the close ties between America and the UK during the Second World War. Michael Henderson’s work is personal, informativc and compelling." Western Morning News
"So, dear readers, do have a box of tissues at your elbow for both the highs and the lows, but above all be moved by the impressive account of a unique period in our recent history." North Devon Journal
"Henderson brings together the drama and emotion, the sadness and fear, the bravery and patriotism of these children separated from their families and from everything familiar. An adventure filled with inspiration – a great read and informative." The American, London
"This book will outsell best sellers that tell us all French women are thin and what to do if someone slides our cheese to the back of the fridge. Henderson, unlike pop culture authors, is a writer. He’s out to create something that will endure. His writing is graceful and skilled. His research is clean and tight. If I were a history teacher I’d make it required reading for students because it offers an account that is subjective and substantive. The book doesn’t adopt a political stance, other than to express gratitude for American friends who took the children and made them feel at home. It make a reader stop and ponder what that must be like, to send your children to a foreign country in order to save their lives. Henderson’s book deserves more attention than it is getting. The content is applicable to challenges we face today in a global climate increasingly hostile to freedom and peace." History worth a first and second look, Kay B Day on the website www.FamilySecurityMatters.org, 11 January 2007