Book Review for Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

 

Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

Published:  February 10, 2026 by 37 Ink

Genre:  Historical Fiction, WWII

Taken from Goodreads:  In this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The House of Eve, one American woman’s vision in post WWII Germany will tie together three people in an unexpected way.

Lost in the streets and smoldering rubble of Occupied Germany, Ethel Gathers, the proud wife of an American soldier spots a gaggle of mixed-race children following a nun. Desperate to conceive her own family, she feels compelled to follow them to learn their story.

Ozzie Philips volunteers for the army in 1948, eager to break barriers for Black soldiers. Despite his best efforts, he finds the racism he encountered at home in Philadelphia has followed him overseas. He finds solace in the arms of Jelka, a German woman struggling with the lack of resources and even joy in her destroyed country.

In 1965, Sophia Clark discovers she’s been given an opportunity to integrate a prestigious boarding school in Maryland and leave behind her spiteful parents and the grueling demands. In a chance meeting with a fellow classmate, she discovers a secret that upends her world.

Toggling between the lives of these three individuals, Keeper of Lost Children explores how one woman’s vision will change the course of countless lives, and demonstrates that love in its myriad of forms—familial, parental, and forbidden, even love of self—can be transcendent.

My Thoughts:  Keeper of Lost Children is a WWII book, but it is not the same as all the other WWII books I have read.   This book tells the story of an amazing woman and her husband that decide that brown babies deserve to have families too.   These babies are left in orphanages without much hope of being adopted. Ethel Gathers takes it upon herself to find homes in the US for these children.

This book opened my eyes to a different part of WWII.   The children are often forgotten.  It is not thought of how the war has affected them, but it certainly does.  I was in awe of the nuns and the care they were able to provide for the children.  As Ethel became more involved these children were given a chance to find a family to love and care for them.  I felt so much hope for their future.

Sadeqa Johnson is an author that I am always excited to read.   For me, she is the author that finds that lesser known person or event and writes a books that brings it to attention.  Keeper of the Lost Children is the perfect book for any historical fiction reader.   I highly recommend getting your own copy.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Check out my review of other book by Sadeqa Johnson.

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson