Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Suspenseful WWI family drama has feel of a classic.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE SECRET OF NIGHTINGALE WOOD, Henry (short for Henrietta) and her mom, dad, and baby sister move from London to a new house in the country. There's been a tragedy in London, and we get inklings that Henry's older brother, Robert, has died. Henry's dad leaves the family to work in Italy, leaving his distraught wife in the care of a new doctor, who heavily sedates her. Will Henry's mom heal? Will the doctor move her to the frightening asylum? Though left alone to navigate her own emotional pain, Henry knows she also has to act to save her family.
Is It Any Good?
With many of the earmarks of a classic, this book set in 1919 just after World War I is that rare bird: a literary page-turner. The Secret of Nightingale Wood hooks us with suspense -- who's the witch in the woods, what happened to Henry's brother Robert? -- while wowing us with its exquisitely crafted language. Henry "walked into the dark jaws of the forest," where she sees "a wraith of smoke," and where "the sunlit leaves trembled with secrets." This family has secrets, as does the house they move into, and the woods surrounding it, and readers are held rapt as author Lucy Strange uncovers them bit by bit.
Strange weaves in references to classic books, seamlessly connecting them to the plot without losing momentum. And because the book's set in 1919, it has some charming period details (Lucy wears pinafores), making it feel like one of the classics itself. The stakes are high as Henry fights the doctor to keep her mom and baby sister, though the doctor can sometimes seem a bit villain-like. And the drugs he prescribes add an extra edge, given the current opioid crisis in the United States. The themes of grief and mental instability can feel dark for the age group, but as Henry takes brave steps to save herself and her family, we're absorbed in the drama and moved by her plight.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the historical setting in The Secret of Nightingale Wood. What details in the story set it in 1919? What details set it in England? Can you relate to the story today?
Why does Henry feel she has to save her mom and sister? What would you do if a doctor wanted to send your parent away?
Why did Henry's mom have a breakdown? Is the treatment of mental illness different today? What sorts of treatments do you know about? What kind of treatments sound like good ones to you, and why?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Chicken House
- Publication date : October 31, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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