alison mcqueen

'gripping, emotional and beautifully written' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars 'Beautiful, beautiful book. Loved it. Could not put it down. It gripped me from the first page. Great story. Evocative writing.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

Assam, 1925. Surrounded by the dramatic landscape of a tea plantation, sisters Mary and Serafina grow up in a world of contradiction and confusion.

Born to a beautiful but naïve Indian mother and dynamic Scottish father, they are loved but hidden away. For these are children who cross two very different cultures, and are accepted by neither . . .

When the shadow of war falls, the girls must face the truth and begin the search for somewhere to belong.

It is a journey full of forbidden questions, heartbreak and determination. As the sisters grow up, they must risk everything and make choices with a legacy that will last a lifetime, and beyond.

The Secret Children is a story of love, loss, family secrets and yearning to find a place to belong.