30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Novel set in wartime Wales to be released next month
The book, What We Left Behind, was written by Newport author Luisa A Jones and will be released on May 30.
It follows the story of five evacuee children and their teacher from the poorest parts of London's East End as they move to the fictional town of Pontybrenin in semi-rural south Wales.
The story is set against the backdrop of World War Two and details their struggles to settle into the new community.
Ms Jones said: "I've always been fascinated by Welsh history, and especially the less well-known stories of ordinary people living in extraordinary times.
"I was inspired to write this book after reading a snippet in the BBC People's War archive about a family who faced racism when they were first evacuated to Ebbw Vale, but were later welcomed into the community.
"Through social media, I was able to track down and interview a descendant of the family as part of my research.
"Her family's poignant story informed the story of the Clarke children in What We Left Behind."
The author, who attended Bassaleg School, studied classical studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, before training as a teacher at the University of South Wales, Newport.
She is a member of the Society of Authors, the Historical Writers' Association, and the Romantic Novelists' Association.
She was shortlisted for the RNA's Elizabeth Goudge Trophy in 2024.
Her first historical novel in The Fitznortons series, The Gilded Cage, quickly became a number one Amazon bestseller in Victorian Historical Romance.
When she isn't writing, Luisa enjoys travelling around Europe with her husband in Gwynnie, their 50-year-old Volkswagen camper van.
What We Left Behind will be released on May 30 and is available to pre-order now.
