Keeper of Lost Children

Hardback Published on: 12/02/2026
Price: £20.00
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Synopsis

'A powerful and beautifully told novel about hidden secrets and the hunger to belong. I loved it' Clare Leslie Hall, author of BROKEN COUNTRY

'Has future classic written all over it' Red Magazine

'I loved everything about this book' Julia Quinn, author of BRIDGERTON

A BBC RADIO 2 BOOKCLUB PICK
A GOODREADS MOST ANTCIPATED BOOK OF 2026
AS SEEN ON THE TODAY SHOW

From the New York Times bestselling author of The House of Eve comes a sweeping story of one woman's dream in post-World War II Germany and the three lives it changes forever.

In the smouldering ruins of post-war Germany, Ethel Gathers - an American woman longing for a child - spots a group of mixed-race children following a nun through the cobbled streets. Compelled by a force she can't explain, Ethel follows them and uncovers a hidden community of abandoned children, born to Black soldiers and German women. Determined to help, Ethel's actions set off a chain of events that will echo across generations.

In 1948, Ozzie Philips volunteers for the U.S. Army. But in Occupied Germany, he finds that the racism he tried to escape has crossed the ocean with him. Then he meets Jelka, a German woman navigating her own grief in a shattered country. Their connection, immediate and intense, changes everything.

By 1965, fifteen-year-old Sophia Clark is chosen to join a prestigious boarding school. When a chance encounter with a classmate reveals a deeply buried truth, Sophia begins a journey to unravel her past and find her place in the world.

Against the odds and across continents and decades, these three characters' lives collide - their fates forever altered.

Deeply moving and unputdownable, this is a story about identity, belonging and the ties that endure - even when history tries to sever them.

Publisher information

  • Publisher: John Murray Press
  • ISBN: 9781408749418
  • Number of pages: 464
  • Dimensions: 236 x 156 x 40 mm
  • Weight: 700g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Keeper of Lost Children
Engrossing and moving
Although this is fictional it is based on Mabel Grammer and the story of the brown babies, and knowing that this is researched history makes it all the mor... READ MORE
Judith at Galmpton
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Keeper of Lost Children
Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson
Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson is Historical Fiction set in 1950’s Occupied Germany based on real lives. Johnson tells the history of an orphan... READ MORE
Jane Ward
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Keeper of Lost Children
Based on a real person and a must read by Sadeqa Johnson.
Mannheim, Germany, 1950. Ethel Gathers is the proud wife of an American soldier Bert, she desperately wants to have a family and it’s not happening. One da... READ MORE
Karren's Reading Nook
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Keeper of Lost Children
Fascinating and Harrowing
Keeper of Lost Children is a historical fiction with a focus on abandoned mixed race children born to German mothers and fathered by black American soldier... READ MORE
Renee_Reads
Keeper of Lost Children
So many lost children
Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson I knew almost nothing about the "brown babies", abandoned mixed-race children of German women and Black Americ... READ MORE
marilyn wiese
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Keeper of Lost Children
Fascinating read
Keeper of Lost Children is the fascinating and captivating story of the children of mixed race that will left behind after the conculsion of WWII. The A... READ MORE
Judy Odom
Keeper of Lost Children
A book about the war and family life
I must admit I’m not enjoying this book at all. It’s very slow despite being beautifully written and I don’t particularly care for the characters. The mos... READ MORE
Sonya Chullan
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Keeper of Lost Children
Excellent emotive read
The Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Following three central characters across their lives from post WWII Germany to 1960s civil rig... READ MORE
Jenna Tomlinson
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Keeper of Lost Children
A moving tale of hope, courage, and belonging
Thanks to NetGalley and 37 Ink for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own unless otherwise noted. You may think you’ve read s... READ MORE
Phyllis Evans
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.