The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad

£9.99
Available
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9781529311464
Published:
31 Oct 2019
Format:
Paperback
Number of pages:
378 pages
Dimensions:
196x128x30mm
Weight:
0.260kgs
Author:
It is September 1940, and as German bombs fall on Britain, fears grow of an impending invasion. Enemy fighter planes blacken the sky around Epping Forest, the home of Susan Shepherd and her grandfather, Bertie. After losing her parents as a child, Susan found comfort in raising homing pigeons. Duchess has proven to be the most extraordinary of all Susan's birds, as the two share a special bond and an unusual curiosity about the world. Thousands of miles away in Buxton, Maine, a young crop-duster pilot named Ollie Evans has decided to travel to Britain to join the Royal Air Force. His quest brings him to the National Pigeon Service, where Susan is involved in a new, covert assignment. The mission aims to air-drop hundreds of homing pigeons in German-occupied France, where many will not survive. As the mission date draws near, the friendship between Ollie and Susan deepens.

A heart-breaking and moving story of love and sacrifice, set against the backdrop of the Blitz.

Inspired by true events, and perfect for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Dear Mrs Bird

***

Is love strong enough to survive a war?

September 1940.

As enemy fighter planes blacken the sky, Susan Shepherd finds comfort at her home in Epping Forest, where she and her grandfather raise homing pigeons. Of all Susan's birds, it's Duchess who is the most extraordinary, and the two share a special bond.

Thousands of miles away, Ollie Evans, a young American pilot decides to travel to Britain to join the Royal Air Force. But Ollie doesn't expect his quest to bring him instead to the National Pigeon Service - a covert new operation involving homing pigeons - and to Susan.

The National Pigeon Service has a dangerous mission to air-drop hundreds of pigeons into German-occupied France. Despite their growing friendship Ollie and Susan must soon be parted - but will Duchess's devotion and sense of duty prove to be an unexpected lifeline between them?

Based on true events, The Long Flight Home is an uplifting and timeless wartime novel, that reminds us how, in times of hardship, hope is never truly lost.

About the Author: Alan Hlad, writing as A.L. Hlad, is a corporate executive turned writer who exhibits meticulous and fascinating research in his historical fiction. Alan is a seasoned conference speaker, and a member of the Historical Novel Society, Literary Cleveland, and the Akron Writers' Group. A runner and hiker, Alan lives in Ohio with his wife and children, along with their Golden Retrievers and the world's most persistent cat.

More Information
Number of pages 378

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