This week I’m treating readers to an extract from Luisa A. Jones’ newly released WW2 novel What We Left Behind.
Hi Morton, and thank you for hosting me on your blog today. I’m excited to share an extract from my new book, What We Left Behind, and to tell you more about it.
It’s 1st September, 1939 in Pontybrenin, a fictional town in Wales. My main character, a young librarian called Dodie Fitznorton, is at the village hall, where a raggle-taggle bunch of evacuees has been assembled for local people to collect and take to their billets. Her soft heart has already led her to accept three children, instead of the two her sister had planned to take, in order to prevent a group of siblings being separated. Now, she finds herself faced with a dilemma.
Extract from What We Left Behind…
“It’s so kind of you to take the three, Miss Fitznorton. An odd address – Plas Norton. But – isn’t Plas a German word? Doesn’t it mean town square, or something? Are you… are you German?” Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink.
Dodie shook her head hastily. “No, I’m not German, and it’s Plas, not Platz. Plas is a Welsh word. It means…” She hesitated, struggling to come up with a definition that didn’t sound boastful. “It means… mansion.”
“Well, that’s good. You won’t have any difficulty in accommodating three, in that case.”
The billeting officer’s ears had pricked up. He thumbed through his sheaves of papers. “Ah yes, Plas Norton. When I visited, I discussed the possible number of billets with… let me see, now. A Mrs Havard, according to my records.”
“My sister,” Dodie said. “She offered to take two children, but to avoid separating siblings I’ve agreed to take three.”
It wouldn’t do to sound as if they didn’t want to do their bit. When she’d discussed it with Charlotte, they’d both agreed that this was important war service. They’d have been willing even if it wasn’t compulsory. It was one of the few things they did agree upon.
The man sent her a stern look over his reading glasses. “The capacity of the house suggested to me that there was sufficient room for several more. I understand the house was run as a hospital in the last war, accommodating a dozen or so convalescent officers. Even with four adults in the family, and two members of household staff living in, there are still several bedrooms standing empty.”
There was an awkward silence in which Miss Summerill and the WVS volunteer exchanged a speculative look.
Dodie swallowed. “I’ve already taken one more than my sister agreed to…”
“But given that you’re the last host to come forward, and you do have plenty of space… Even if you could take them just for tonight, it would be a great help. And then if you find you don’t have room, we could make enquiries tomorrow to find alternative accommodation. A hostel, perhaps.” The volunteer’s smile seemed artificially bright.
The billeting officer didn’t smile. “The hall closes at six. If no one else comes forward, we’ll have to march those last two around the streets and knock doors until we find a household willing to take them in. It seems a shame to put them through that when you can see they’re already exhausted and hungry. Especially as you are fortunate enough to have the capacity in your… mansion.”
Dodie’s stomach plummeted. So far, the fellow had refrained from pointing out that accommodating a child was compulsory if there was sufficient capacity in the billet. For all she knew, he might have the right to impose a fine if she refused. There didn’t seem to be a way to avoid taking all five children.
“Look at the poor little things,” the WVS volunteer added. “Think of the day they’ve had.”
The vicar had come in, jangling a large bunch of keys in his hand as if he was impatient to lock up. “It’s five to six. Are we all done?” he asked.
“I think we are, Reverend. Are we?” The billeting officer addressed Dodie with a persistence she had to grudgingly admire. He held his pen poised over his papers.
“I suppose we are.” She sighed. “For tonight, at least.”
~~~
In my research, I discovered that many child evacuees were separated from their siblings, some for the whole duration of the war. Many endured long, tiring journeys to their destinations, with no idea where they were going or for how long they might be away from their families. Lots of evacuees recalled being the last to be chosen as locals picked the children they thought were most appealing from the rapidly dwindling group.
Some host families were less than enthusiastic about taking on strangers’ children whose habits and attitudes might be very different from their own, but hefty fines could be imposed for refusing to take in evacuees. It was fun to imagine Dodie’s kindness and courtesy leading her to take on more than she had bargained for, despite knowing this is likely to cause conflict with her sister.
I was enormously grateful to you, Morton, for sharing an extract from your Mom’s memoir with me. It helped me gain further insights into life during the Second World War. I hope you enjoyed this snippet from the book and that it’s whetted your appetite to know what happens next!
More than welcome, Luisa Mx 😄
About Luisa A. Jones
Luisa A Jones lives in South Wales. She writes captivating and emotional fiction with characters you’ll root for from the first page. Her first historical novel in The Fitznortons series, The Gilded Cage, was released by Storm Publishing in 2023, followed by a sequel The Broken Vow in 2024. She is currently writing a new series set during the Second World War. The first book, What We Left Behind, was published on 30th May 2025.
To keep in touch with Luisa you can use the following links:-
Website: www.luisaajones.com
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/LuisaAJonesauthor/
Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/luisaajones.bsky.social
Bookbub : https://www.bookbub.com/profile/luisa-a-jones?list=about
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/luisa_a_jones_author/
About What We Left Behind
What We Left Behind: Unforgettable World War Two historical fiction
1939. Bombs threaten London and five small children step onto a rickety train, clutching their gas masks, heading to an uncertain future…
When the war with Nazi Germany sends five displaced children to her door, Dodie Fitznorton knows life in her quiet village will never be the same. Her once orderly home is now strewn with odd socks and abandoned toast crusts, and she gasps when she discovers a flea-infested ginger kitten hidden away upstairs.
But the baggage these little ones bring is far more than just their tattered suitcases. Eight-year-old Olive trembles when spoken to and won’t say how she got a bruised lip, and her brother Peter seems angry at the entire world. Then Dodie meets the children’s grey-eyed American teacher, Patrick Winter, who makes her feel she’s not alone in this fight.
As darkness falls over Europe, Dodie’s fragile sanctuary begins to feel like a fortress under siege. With whispers of spies in the village and the children’s precious futures at stake, Dodie must decide who to trust before everything she’s built crumbles to ashes around her…
A deeply poignant tale of love forged in wartime – heartwarming, captivating and impossible to forget.
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What a tempting extract! I really enjoyed this novel. Thank you. Jessie
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