Julia Kelly’s elegant historical fiction novels about England now include “The Lost English Girl.” This book isn’t a mystery, or a twisty tale, but rather a beautiful story about making mistakes, forgiveness, and family. When two young people from different cultures—a young Jewish musician and a young Catholic working girl—make a huge mistake, their lives change.

I should mention that if the day had just been a bit longer, I would have read it all in one sitting. And sometimes you expect that when there’s a mystery you want to solve or a thriller that has multiple cliffhangers. But this book is kind of a quiet book that describes the lives of the characters in such detail and with such compassion that you feel immersed in their lives. You don’t want to put the book down, because that would be like turning your back on Vivian and Joshua, two people who struggle with their decisions but make the best of their lives.

When they meet and go on two dates, it’s looked upon with disfavor because good Catholic girls don’t go out with Jewish boys. Yet not only do they go out, but a rash decision on the part of Vivian results in her being pregnant. In her time, Catholic girls don’t become unwed mothers. They either disappear and give their babies up for adoption or get married (or pretend to be married). So Vivian and Joshua get married with the best of intentions. Joshua is determined to do right by Vivian.

But when Vivian’s parents present him with a different plan, Joshua takes it. That forces Vivian to live with her parents, who are small-minded, disapproving, and cruel to both Vivian and eventually, her child. When war is declared, and Britain begins the evacuation of children, Vivian alone must make the decision about what to do, until her parents force her hand. Their parish priest finds a family for her daughter, Maggie, and Vivian goes to great lengths to visit Maggie as often as she can. But when the unthinkable happens, Vivian’s life changes.

In many ways, this is a story about parenthood and what that entails. Vivian, who didn’t want or expect to be a parent at such a young age is deeply in love with her daughter. Joshua, whose absence means he doesn’t have a relationship with his daughter in her formative years, realizes what he has missed. Vivian, abused and taken advantage of while her daughter was young, eventually comes into her own. We see how discrimination can hurt, but also how love can heal. Kind, loving people overlook the dictates of narrow-minded religiosity and open their hearts and family to others.

Another wonderful aspect of the book is Kelly’s deft ability to go both forward and backward in time. That ensures that we get the important parts of the story without missing a beat. The narrative never leaves us wondering what happened in the intervening years, but we are grateful that we get to catch up with these people who have come to feel like friends. The ending is especially poignant and thoughtfully presented. This is no romance, and while some of us might have hoped for a slightly different ending, Kelly chose the more realistic one.

Please note: This review is based on the final, hardcover book provided by Simon and Schuster, the publisher, for review purposes.