The Last Lifeboat

‘Heart-wrenching . . . a story that needs to be remembered’ FERN BRITTON

‘Enthrallingly told . . . it’s extraordinary how despite everything hope for the future shines out’ RACHEL HORE
Liverpool 1940. Alice King stands on the deck of SS Carlisle, waiting to escort a group of children to Canada as overseas evacuees. She is finally doing her bit for the war.

In London, as the Blitz bombs rain down and the threat of German invasion looms, Lily Nicholls anxiously counts the days for news of her son and daughter’s safe arrival.

But when disaster strikes in the Atlantic, Alice and Lily – one at sea, the other on land – will quickly become one another’s very best hope. The events of one night, and the eight unimaginable days that follow, will bind the two women together in unforgettable ways.

Inspired by a remarkable true story, The Last Lifeboat is a gripping and triumphant tale of love, courage and hope against the odds.

Praise for The Last Lifeboat

‘A journey into the worst hardships of war for two women . . . and yet throughout it is bathed in the warmth of love’ GILL PAUL

‘I loved this absorbing, heart-rending story and cared so much about the vivid, courageous characters. Superb storytelling’ TRACY REES

‘Gripping, devastating, tremendously moving . . . a tale of bravery and remarkable endurance, the kindness of strangers, and the power of hope’ JENNY ASHCROFT

‘I was utterly engaged . . . the characters brim with life, the plot is elegantly handled and the writing is terrific’ LIZ TRENOW

‘Totally absorbing, heartbreaking and heart-stopping’ CELIA REES

‘Endearing characters, terrific plot, and a superb sense of time and place made this riveting book unputdownable. I loved it’ PATRICIA SCANLAN

‘Historical fiction at it’s best, The Last Lifeboat completely swept me away, leaving me breathless with emotion. A must-read’ CARMEL HARRINGTON

‘A devastatingly beautiful tale of survival and courage’ AMANDA GEARD

‘Broke my heart and then mended it again’ KATE THOMPSON

‘A story of courage and triumph against the odds, this is historical fiction at its best’MY WEEKLY

‘A heart-wrenching read’ ANTONIA SENIOR, THE TIMES

‘This earth-shattering novel is both harrowing and hopeful’ Woman’s Own

“Acclaim for Hazel Gaynor: 'Deeply moving. Be prepared - have handkerchiefs on standby at the end' Antonia Senior, The Times 'Vivid, heart-rending and so, so beautiful' Jenny Ashcroft 'Moving and authentic' Dinah Jefferies 'An inspiring novel about the power of determination, courage and unity' Woman's Own 'Stunning ... Based on an incredible true story... immersive, moving and utterly unforgettable' Catherine Ryan Howard 'A beautiful, tender & fascinating story of a group of young British schoolchildren interned by the Japanese during WWII...a gem' Sinead Moriarty 'Above all this is a novel about human courage, generosity of spirit, and the power of friendship. I was hooked from first to last page' Gill Paul 'A little-known corner of the war - absolutely fascinating. Beautiful descriptions of the seasons changing over China and characters who had me rooting for them all the way.' Tracy Rees”

Acclaim for Hazel Gaynor:

‘A powerful re-imagining of a shocking and little known true story – moving, memorable, meticulously researched. Hazel Gaynor evokes a desperate event with visceral intensity in a novel that is shamelessly gripping’ Annabel Abbs

‘Glorious storytelling! Masterfully plotted, beautifully immersive and bursting with remarkable characters who embody courage, hope and endurance. This is historical fiction at its finest’ Caroline Cauci Smailes

‘Deeply moving. Be prepared – have handkerchiefs on standby at the end’ Antonia Senior,The Times

‘Vivid, heart-rending and so, so beautiful’ Jenny Ashcroft

‘Moving and authentic’ Dinah Jefferies

‘An inspiring novel about the power of determination, courage and unity’ Woman’s Own

'Stunning … Based on an incredible true story… immersive, moving and utterly unforgettable' Catherine Ryan Howard

'A beautiful, tender & fascinating story of a group of young British schoolchildren interned by the Japanese during WWII…a gem' Sinead Moriarty

'Above all this is a novel about human courage, generosity of spirit, and the power of friendship. I was hooked from first to last page' Gill Paul

'A little-known corner of the war – absolutely fascinating. Beautiful descriptions of the seasons changing over China and characters who had me rooting for them all the way.' Tracy Rees

Hazel Gaynor is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Memory of Violets and The Girl Who Came Home, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. Her third novel, The Girl from the Savoy, was an Irish Times and Globe & Mail Canada bestseller, and was shortlisted for the BGE Irish Book Awards Popular Fiction Book of the Year. In 2017, she has published The Cottingley Secret and Last Christmas in Paris. Hazel was selected by US Library Journal as one of 'Ten Big Breakout Authors' for 2015 and her work has been translated into several languages. Hazel lives in Ireland with her husband and two children.

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