have been translated into 13 languages. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and (for one summer) a tea waitress. Kelly called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home before settling in London.
She applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, The Lost English Girl, and reported the following:
When I wrote The Lost English Girl, I decided to tell the story of a family dealing with estrangement during the early years of World War 2 through the POVs of three characters who spend most of their time on the page apart from one another. At the beginning of the war, Viv is dealing with the impossible decision to send her young daughter away from the danger of air raids in Liverpool, while Joshua decides to leave behind his expat life as a New York City-based jazz musician and join up back home in Britain.Visit Julia Kelly's website.
On page 69, readers find Joshua in the middle of his recruitment interview for the Royal Air Force. Although the recruiter points out that musicians can try to join the RAF band, the Squadronaires, Joshua feels compelled to join as air crew, making it more likely that he will see action. His decision to enlist is driven by a deep need to atone for his previous decision to pursue his dream of making it as a musician in New York, leaving his new wife, Viv, behind after she refuses to believe in his wild ambitions.
The Lost English Girl is a book about the journey of forgiveness, both for other people and of ourselves, and this page shows Joshua taking his first steps along that path.
--Marshal Zeringue
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