The Hidden Palace (Dinah Jefferies) [Daughters of War #2]

After Daughters of War, I was eager to discover its sequel, the Hidden Palace, and this new historical fiction by Dinah Jefferies is a great read.
Florence has left France through the Pyrenees with the help of Jack and is now in the UK. She is reunited with her mother Claudette after all these years and has a chance to talk about the past she discovered prior to leaving France . But Claudette also wants to find her sister Rosalie and she asks Florence to look for her. This leads Florence to Malta, where most of the novel is set. Florence explores what may have happened to her aunt, her own expectations, her relationships and the course of her life changes deeply.
Dinah Jefferies always has this amazing way to create an atmosphere for her novels and it is always an immersive experience to read them. It certainly is the case here in Malta. We travel to the Malta of the twenties, when Rosalie arrived and during the second world war. We enjoy the beauty of the island, the history and sights, and the delightful food. But we also see the other side of the coin, the uncomfortable topic of human trafficking. And the strong characters in the story also give us a sense of what it might have felt to live in Malta in those times and how, there too, many lives were lost or changed forever by the war.
A great story of determination and strength, loss and grief, love and family, passion and talent, forgiveness and hope.