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Orphans of War
The ones you leave behind are the ones that stay with you forever! When Madeleine Belfield loses her family and her home in the Blitz, she is sent to love with relatives in the relative safety of the Yorkshire Dales. On board the steam train Maddy befriends Gloria Conley and her brother Sid, abandoned by their desperate mother. Although Maddy and Gloria are chalk and cheese, they soon vow to be 'forever friends'. Maddy slowly adjusts to Brooklyn Hall and her new family, especially Aunt Plum. Eager to help with the war effort, Plum has opened up a home for 'difficult' evacuees and Maddy and Gloria quickly become bound together in friendship and mischief with a motley crew, including headstrong Greg and flighty Enid. The friendship endures into adulthood, until a tragic experience tears them apart. Desperate to escape her memories, Maddy flees to London. Years later, chance reunites her with Gloria and Greg. But a visit back to Yorkshire reveals the truth about the past - a revelation with unimaginable consequences.
616 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2008
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About the author
Leah Fleming
33 books202 followersLeah Fleming was born in Lancashire and is married with three sons and a daughter. She writes from an old farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales and an olive grove in Crete.
See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com.a...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
March 31, 2020
Maddy Belfield is meeting her aunt and grandmother after being sent away from London following the blitz. Her aunt Plum runs a hostel for children escaping the war. She meets and forms a strong bond with two of the children who live there, Gloria and Greg. But the end is threatened by Maddy's post-war romance with a German visitor. The repercussions for all three of them will change their lives. Most of the events take place around the "victory tree", the headquarters of their games. It later becomes the home of a dark secret.
There was a lot of information that wasn't really necessary to the story. It was also a it predictable. 5henstorynstarts in the present time and looks back during the war years. They were a mixed bunch of characters. Some I liked others I didn't. I did enjoy this book, just not as much as I hoped.
I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins Avon and the author Leah Fleming for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There was a lot of information that wasn't really necessary to the story. It was also a it predictable. 5henstorynstarts in the present time and looks back during the war years. They were a mixed bunch of characters. Some I liked others I didn't. I did enjoy this book, just not as much as I hoped.
I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins Avon and the author Leah Fleming for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2022
Overall I did enjoy this book as an interesting although it is a heartbreaking theme with umpteen children being sent away from their families to try and avoid the relentless London bombings. I noted and appreciated the galores of Christian references throughout as I wasn't surprised being set in Great Britain etc :) Only one F-bomb noted. I can only imagine the utter turmoil and devastation countless people endured every time I read these historical stories being based on real life unfortunately :( The British certainly put up a fight in their combined efforts to combat such a hateful tyrant as Hitler and his cronies!! The lack of , not just miscommunication, was frustrating of course between two of the main characters but it wouldn't be the same story line otherwise I know.... A satisfying conclusion overall and I wouldn't mind reading another by this author!
January 28, 2020
As anyone who knows me KNOWS I am a sucker for historical fiction, particularly those set in WW2. There is just something about the era...something innocent almost...and of course the setting. The rolling hills and Dales of Yorkshire which just add to the beauty of this story making ORPHANS OF WAR a must read. This is my second Leah Fleming book and it won't be my last.
While it is a dual timeline story, only the the prologue and epilogue take place at the turn of the millennium, with the rest of the story set between 1940 and 1957.
1940: Madeline Belfield lives with her maternal family, uncle George and Granny Mills, in Chadley on the outskirts of Liverpool and loves nothing more than running through the fields with her dog Bertie. But when an air raid blitzes the city whilst she is out grabbing fish and chips for supper, Maddy finds herself pushed into the public shelter by the AR warden...but all she can think about is Bertie and that he is safe. When the all-clear sounds the next morning, Maddy exits the shelter to be greeted by mass devastation. She runs home to the Feathers Inn, where she lives with her uncle and Granny, but it is gone...decimated by the German's bombs. Frantic for Bertie she spends the next few days calling for him amongst the rubble, but she must resign herself to the fact that her only friend has gone.
Maddy now finds herself alone with no one to care for her. Her parents are the famous "Bellaires" duo - Arthur and Dolly Belfield - travelling and performing for troops so Maddy was left in the care of her mother's brother and mother. She knows nothing of her father's family, believing there to be no one. But whens she receives a telegram from who appears to be her father's mother, Maddy is sent off to West Yorkshire to live with them. Her parents will set sail from Cape Town as soon as possible to arrive back by Christmas and be reunited with their daughter.
Along the way she meets Gloria and Sid Conley, who are shoved rather unceremoniously on the train by their mother...with a letter in Gloria's coat pocket for whoever is to take charge of the two children. The children are frightened by this turn of events and crowded train of strangers, and they cling to Maddy for dear life, refusing to let go even when they reach Leeds, where Maddy is to meet her aunt.
Prunella Belfield (Plum) is Maddy's aunt and is at the station to meet the evacuees along with Maddy to take back to Sotherthwaite. The evacuees are her new charges to reside in the Old Vic, a hostel on the edge of the Belfield estate. Maddy is to reside in Brooklyn Hall. Plum sends Greg, the oldest of her charges off to find Maddy and he returns with not one but three children. Maddy explains the situation in which Gloria and Sid came to be in her company and how she has promised that they will take care of them.
And so begins the adventures of the "vaccies".
Throughout the years, we see them grow and follow their various adventures through life...until the end of the war sees only a couple remain. Whilst the premise billed the story of the evacuees, it is really only follows two of them alongside Maddy. We are taken through the war and their coming of age, as we watch Maddy and Gloria grow as forever friends and Greg become a young man, a far cry from the troublesome lad he had always been seen as. But adulthood brings a whole new set of challenges which will fill us with a range of emotions - from grief to anger to love to heartbreak - as the story moves into a new decade.
Although titled ORPHANS OF WAR, I felt it would have been more aptly named as ITHE VICTORY TREE . The war plays just a small part of the story but "the Victory tree", named for a previous war and for its V shaped trunk, which stands behind the old hostel on the edge of the Belfield estate plays a far greater part. It is the headquarters of their childhood games and later the home of a dark secret. For Maddy, it is also a place of solace. The story begins with the tree, grows with the tree and ends with the tree. So I believe ITHE VICTORY TREE would have been a far more significant title.
The story had a wonderful array of characters that were both irritating and interesting. I really liked Maddy and identified with her, if only for her "Panda" as I had one I grew up with also and still have to this day. She is the predominantly the main character with Plum, Granny Belfield, Greg, Gloria, the Battys and the like all supporting characters. A really disliked Gloria, even as a child, and as she grew I disliked her even more. She is a selfish, jealous, self-centred cow and Maddy was better off with an enemy than Gloria as a friend. She coveted everything Maddy had and she still wasn't happy. Yet through it all, she failed to see just what Maddy had lost. I found it hard to be sad for her even in the end as she had brought it all on herself. I enjoyed the scenes with Granny Belfield, a rather cantankerous and stubborn old woman but with a heart somewhere deep within. I also enjoyed watching Greg grow from a troubled lad to a prosperous man with ambition.
I really enjoyed ORPHANS OF WAR but I felt there was a lot that could have been left out as well as a lot of repetition and other parts that could possibly have been expanded on. For example, there was a point in the story as children Greg had done something which deeply upset and offended Maddy after-which she said she would never speak to him again...and then in the next chapter, they were bosom buddies again. There was nothing to explain how she got past that and moved on with their friendship. And what happened to the other evacuees? They just sort of petered out and maybe mentioned in passing once or if that. I felt some parts of the story was skimmed over and others we were given way too much information on, drawing it out even further.
The chapters were unnecessarily long in parts. I mean, 55 minutes to a chapter? I think 20 minutes to 30 minutes is sufficient in historical fiction. But again, I feel this is due to the rehashing and repetition of events that didn't need re-going over. Along with Maddy's constant self-loathing, believing she was not deserving of happiness. I can understand that but to keep rehashing it? It did draw each chapter out that little bit longer.
Overall, ORPHANS OF WAR is a wonderful escape from reality, an easy read even if it is a tad long. I still thoroughly enjoyed it and the adventures surrounding the longstanding Victory tree.
A beautiful tale with a satisfying end, ORPHANS OF WAR is at times heartbreaking as we follow Maddy, Gloria, Greg and Plum through love, loss, tragedy, grief, deceit, betrayal, secrets and, ultimately, redemption.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
I would like to thank #LeahFleming, #NetGalley and #AvonUK for an ARC of #OrphansOfWar in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
While it is a dual timeline story, only the the prologue and epilogue take place at the turn of the millennium, with the rest of the story set between 1940 and 1957.
1940: Madeline Belfield lives with her maternal family, uncle George and Granny Mills, in Chadley on the outskirts of Liverpool and loves nothing more than running through the fields with her dog Bertie. But when an air raid blitzes the city whilst she is out grabbing fish and chips for supper, Maddy finds herself pushed into the public shelter by the AR warden...but all she can think about is Bertie and that he is safe. When the all-clear sounds the next morning, Maddy exits the shelter to be greeted by mass devastation. She runs home to the Feathers Inn, where she lives with her uncle and Granny, but it is gone...decimated by the German's bombs. Frantic for Bertie she spends the next few days calling for him amongst the rubble, but she must resign herself to the fact that her only friend has gone.
Maddy now finds herself alone with no one to care for her. Her parents are the famous "Bellaires" duo - Arthur and Dolly Belfield - travelling and performing for troops so Maddy was left in the care of her mother's brother and mother. She knows nothing of her father's family, believing there to be no one. But whens she receives a telegram from who appears to be her father's mother, Maddy is sent off to West Yorkshire to live with them. Her parents will set sail from Cape Town as soon as possible to arrive back by Christmas and be reunited with their daughter.
Along the way she meets Gloria and Sid Conley, who are shoved rather unceremoniously on the train by their mother...with a letter in Gloria's coat pocket for whoever is to take charge of the two children. The children are frightened by this turn of events and crowded train of strangers, and they cling to Maddy for dear life, refusing to let go even when they reach Leeds, where Maddy is to meet her aunt.
Prunella Belfield (Plum) is Maddy's aunt and is at the station to meet the evacuees along with Maddy to take back to Sotherthwaite. The evacuees are her new charges to reside in the Old Vic, a hostel on the edge of the Belfield estate. Maddy is to reside in Brooklyn Hall. Plum sends Greg, the oldest of her charges off to find Maddy and he returns with not one but three children. Maddy explains the situation in which Gloria and Sid came to be in her company and how she has promised that they will take care of them.
And so begins the adventures of the "vaccies".
Throughout the years, we see them grow and follow their various adventures through life...until the end of the war sees only a couple remain. Whilst the premise billed the story of the evacuees, it is really only follows two of them alongside Maddy. We are taken through the war and their coming of age, as we watch Maddy and Gloria grow as forever friends and Greg become a young man, a far cry from the troublesome lad he had always been seen as. But adulthood brings a whole new set of challenges which will fill us with a range of emotions - from grief to anger to love to heartbreak - as the story moves into a new decade.
Although titled ORPHANS OF WAR, I felt it would have been more aptly named as ITHE VICTORY TREE . The war plays just a small part of the story but "the Victory tree", named for a previous war and for its V shaped trunk, which stands behind the old hostel on the edge of the Belfield estate plays a far greater part. It is the headquarters of their childhood games and later the home of a dark secret. For Maddy, it is also a place of solace. The story begins with the tree, grows with the tree and ends with the tree. So I believe ITHE VICTORY TREE would have been a far more significant title.
The story had a wonderful array of characters that were both irritating and interesting. I really liked Maddy and identified with her, if only for her "Panda" as I had one I grew up with also and still have to this day. She is the predominantly the main character with Plum, Granny Belfield, Greg, Gloria, the Battys and the like all supporting characters. A really disliked Gloria, even as a child, and as she grew I disliked her even more. She is a selfish, jealous, self-centred cow and Maddy was better off with an enemy than Gloria as a friend. She coveted everything Maddy had and she still wasn't happy. Yet through it all, she failed to see just what Maddy had lost. I found it hard to be sad for her even in the end as she had brought it all on herself. I enjoyed the scenes with Granny Belfield, a rather cantankerous and stubborn old woman but with a heart somewhere deep within. I also enjoyed watching Greg grow from a troubled lad to a prosperous man with ambition.
I really enjoyed ORPHANS OF WAR but I felt there was a lot that could have been left out as well as a lot of repetition and other parts that could possibly have been expanded on. For example, there was a point in the story as children Greg had done something which deeply upset and offended Maddy after-which she said she would never speak to him again...and then in the next chapter, they were bosom buddies again. There was nothing to explain how she got past that and moved on with their friendship. And what happened to the other evacuees? They just sort of petered out and maybe mentioned in passing once or if that. I felt some parts of the story was skimmed over and others we were given way too much information on, drawing it out even further.
The chapters were unnecessarily long in parts. I mean, 55 minutes to a chapter? I think 20 minutes to 30 minutes is sufficient in historical fiction. But again, I feel this is due to the rehashing and repetition of events that didn't need re-going over. Along with Maddy's constant self-loathing, believing she was not deserving of happiness. I can understand that but to keep rehashing it? It did draw each chapter out that little bit longer.
Overall, ORPHANS OF WAR is a wonderful escape from reality, an easy read even if it is a tad long. I still thoroughly enjoyed it and the adventures surrounding the longstanding Victory tree.
A beautiful tale with a satisfying end, ORPHANS OF WAR is at times heartbreaking as we follow Maddy, Gloria, Greg and Plum through love, loss, tragedy, grief, deceit, betrayal, secrets and, ultimately, redemption.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
I would like to thank #LeahFleming, #NetGalley and #AvonUK for an ARC of #OrphansOfWar in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
January 4, 2019
Orphans of War follows the lives of three children who were evacuated to Yorkshire during WWII. The book spans roughly a 60 year period and follows their triumphs, failures, and the ups and downs life throws at them.
Whilst it is an interesting read, I have two main criticisms - it was too long and it was predictable. Regarding the length, it meandered in places. There was a lot of repetition especially when it came to the inner monologues of the main characters. It was the same repetition over the sixty years and I felt there was little real character growth in that period. A lot of it could have been stripped out and I felt myself skimming in places.
Suspense was not a feature either, as soon as the author mentioned example A, you could predict the next major event that was going to happen in the following chapters - this happened over and over again. There were zero surprises.
Still, an easy read and a nice tale that explores a point in history you may want to learn more about.
Whilst it is an interesting read, I have two main criticisms - it was too long and it was predictable. Regarding the length, it meandered in places. There was a lot of repetition especially when it came to the inner monologues of the main characters. It was the same repetition over the sixty years and I felt there was little real character growth in that period. A lot of it could have been stripped out and I felt myself skimming in places.
Suspense was not a feature either, as soon as the author mentioned example A, you could predict the next major event that was going to happen in the following chapters - this happened over and over again. There were zero surprises.
Still, an easy read and a nice tale that explores a point in history you may want to learn more about.
May 8, 2022
I’ve been wanting to read this story for ages. It was a disappointment. it was a interesting story, but the characters frustrated me. While the characters made their peace with each other and themselves, it was not about true forgiveness but about knowing people got what they deserved based on their actions and being ok with that. To me that’s not real peace or forgiveness.
June 16, 2020
Intriguing characters but poorly wtitten.
May 16, 2020
The Victory Tree
This book was a fantastic read. I actually think The Victory Tree would have made a fitting title for this book. This story starts and ends with The Victory Tree".
The Brooklyn and the restored building down the road play the most important part in the story. Two important buildings bringing joy and sorrow to so many. From the child evacuees from bombed out cities in England, the weary mill workers, the Hungarian refugees, to the troubled young unwed mother, all were welcomed with love and patience by the Belfield family,
It all begins with young Maddy Belfield comes to stay with her grandmother and her aunt Plum, and the evacuees some who became friend forever, Gloria, Sid, Greg, and Maddy.
The story follows these characters as they live and mature, making lives for themselves. There is romance, mistakes made, secrets kept, love and betrayal, and understanding. It is a story of growing up and living in the aftermath of a war torn nation.
You will not want to miss a word in this book; it keeps you reading until the end. The book is very well written and the characters are believable and personable. The descriptions of the settings and especially the fashions and clothing worn are perfect.
I recommend this book, and I know you will love it as much as I did.
Thanks to Leah Fleming, Harper Collins, U.K., Avon, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a fantastic read. I actually think The Victory Tree would have made a fitting title for this book. This story starts and ends with The Victory Tree".
The Brooklyn and the restored building down the road play the most important part in the story. Two important buildings bringing joy and sorrow to so many. From the child evacuees from bombed out cities in England, the weary mill workers, the Hungarian refugees, to the troubled young unwed mother, all were welcomed with love and patience by the Belfield family,
It all begins with young Maddy Belfield comes to stay with her grandmother and her aunt Plum, and the evacuees some who became friend forever, Gloria, Sid, Greg, and Maddy.
The story follows these characters as they live and mature, making lives for themselves. There is romance, mistakes made, secrets kept, love and betrayal, and understanding. It is a story of growing up and living in the aftermath of a war torn nation.
You will not want to miss a word in this book; it keeps you reading until the end. The book is very well written and the characters are believable and personable. The descriptions of the settings and especially the fashions and clothing worn are perfect.
I recommend this book, and I know you will love it as much as I did.
Thanks to Leah Fleming, Harper Collins, U.K., Avon, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2017
This story focuses on evacuee children in the Second World War and how their lives are affected by their loves and losses both as children and later in life and how their different social 'standing' makes a difference.
The main character is Maddy and she is very likeable both as a child and when she grows up. The cast of supporting characters is also really good and helps make the story really readable.
It was an aspect of the Second World War I hadn't really read a fiction story about before and it works really well. I did find a few parts of the story a little long otherwise I would have given it 5 stars.
I have enjoyed quite a few Leah Fleming stories now and always like her attention to detail with the setting or time period used.
A really enjoyable story :) 4.5 stars
The main character is Maddy and she is very likeable both as a child and when she grows up. The cast of supporting characters is also really good and helps make the story really readable.
It was an aspect of the Second World War I hadn't really read a fiction story about before and it works really well. I did find a few parts of the story a little long otherwise I would have given it 5 stars.
I have enjoyed quite a few Leah Fleming stories now and always like her attention to detail with the setting or time period used.
A really enjoyable story :) 4.5 stars
April 14, 2020
I had a hard time putting down this book. It takes a slightly different look at the ravages of WWII from life in a English country side where children were evacuated. It is a well-told story and although the romance at the end is predictable, there are enough twists in the plot and the character development to be interesting.
February 20, 2020
A nice story, but a bit too drawn out.
April 4, 2020
Not great writing but one wants to know how it will end even while knowing exactly how it will end.
June 5, 2020
Awe inspiring
This was a great read. Can’t stop reading once you start. I love the touch of history and story all worked in together.
This was a great read. Can’t stop reading once you start. I love the touch of history and story all worked in together.
April 27, 2020
Maddie was being evacuated to the Yorkshire countryside after she was bombed out of her home in London where she lost the only relation she knew she had, her grandmother. Quite lost and forlorn she was going into the unknown to relations she had only heard about and never seen. Her parents were overseas and would eventually pick her up from her aunt and uncle.
Enroute to Yorkshire in the crowded train, a young mother thrusts her two children with no directions and no idea of where they will end up, hoping that they would be looked after. Maddie befriends Gloria and Sid and this unlikely meet up ends with them being friends forever.
The story proceeds in Yorkshire where taken in by a kind aunt and a stern grandmother who wants nothing to do with the evacuees and washes her hands off them , the children try to settle down to a life which is alien to them. This must have been the case with the many children who were sent to the countryside for their own physical safety with the bombings going on in London during the War.
The way in which the children all grew up, finding their own feet knowing they were on their own was sad. None of them had a shoulder to cry on or someone to confide in and though the Aunt was a kindly soul she had problems of her own to manage and cope with.
The story was detailed and descriptive of the emotional state of the children as they grew up and Maddie becoming adult and independent and finding a life of her own amidst heartbreak. Another book with the backdrop of the War, and the amount of damage it did to people not just as statistics but with their lives as well.
Enroute to Yorkshire in the crowded train, a young mother thrusts her two children with no directions and no idea of where they will end up, hoping that they would be looked after. Maddie befriends Gloria and Sid and this unlikely meet up ends with them being friends forever.
The story proceeds in Yorkshire where taken in by a kind aunt and a stern grandmother who wants nothing to do with the evacuees and washes her hands off them , the children try to settle down to a life which is alien to them. This must have been the case with the many children who were sent to the countryside for their own physical safety with the bombings going on in London during the War.
The way in which the children all grew up, finding their own feet knowing they were on their own was sad. None of them had a shoulder to cry on or someone to confide in and though the Aunt was a kindly soul she had problems of her own to manage and cope with.
The story was detailed and descriptive of the emotional state of the children as they grew up and Maddie becoming adult and independent and finding a life of her own amidst heartbreak. Another book with the backdrop of the War, and the amount of damage it did to people not just as statistics but with their lives as well.
April 21, 2020
3-3/4 stars
I would've given this a four, but it got so long winded and repetitive. It was a really good story, and each character stood out on its own, either for good or bad! I could picture the house, the victory tree (There was a huge beech tree in my hometown when I was little that all us kids would climb and carve our initials into its bark.) and other scenes Fleming set. She has a gift for detail, but I didn't need to read over and over about someone letting someone else down again and again. Otherwise, I did like the growth of the characters. I did expect the ending even though Fleming tried to keep us guessing. I would definitely recommend this book. There are quite a few spelling and punctuation errors, which is bothersome. That said, the plot was good enough to supercede the errors. I would definitely read other books by this author.
I would've given this a four, but it got so long winded and repetitive. It was a really good story, and each character stood out on its own, either for good or bad! I could picture the house, the victory tree (There was a huge beech tree in my hometown when I was little that all us kids would climb and carve our initials into its bark.) and other scenes Fleming set. She has a gift for detail, but I didn't need to read over and over about someone letting someone else down again and again. Otherwise, I did like the growth of the characters. I did expect the ending even though Fleming tried to keep us guessing. I would definitely recommend this book. There are quite a few spelling and punctuation errors, which is bothersome. That said, the plot was good enough to supercede the errors. I would definitely read other books by this author.
July 9, 2020
Overly ambitious
This novel is hard to review. The premise is good - a story about evacuees coming to the country to escape WWII - but the execution was so filled with flaws that it was almost impossible to read.
First of all, the story goes back and forth and back again between several characters. The author should have picked one or maybe two, but certainly not four. Secondly, there were far too many unnecessary characters. Third, the characters were all, basically, one-dimensional and utterly predictable. Fourth, it was unnecessarily long with entire paragraphs and pages that were irrelevant and did nothing to further the story.
Most of all, the whole things was just so predictable from beginning to end.
In the hands of a better author, this would have been a much better book.
This novel is hard to review. The premise is good - a story about evacuees coming to the country to escape WWII - but the execution was so filled with flaws that it was almost impossible to read.
First of all, the story goes back and forth and back again between several characters. The author should have picked one or maybe two, but certainly not four. Secondly, there were far too many unnecessary characters. Third, the characters were all, basically, one-dimensional and utterly predictable. Fourth, it was unnecessarily long with entire paragraphs and pages that were irrelevant and did nothing to further the story.
Most of all, the whole things was just so predictable from beginning to end.
In the hands of a better author, this would have been a much better book.
July 9, 2020
1940 - Maddy Bellfield is living with her Granny in the family Inn while her limelight loving parents are on tour across the sea singing for the troops. Maddy knows the drill, when the air raid siren goes off head to the shelter immediately. After the latest siren she emerges from the shelter to find the town in ruins. She runs home to find that her home is in ruins and her granny and uncle have not survived.
So starts Maddy’s journey to go and live with her fathers wealthy mother that she has never met while he parents start the long journey home.
Aunt Plum is to collect Maddy as well as some evacuee children from the train station and bring them back to Southerwaite where they will live at the hostel she runs. This book is full of lively and unforgettable characters that make this book hard to put down. I loved every minute of it!
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the advanced copy!
So starts Maddy’s journey to go and live with her fathers wealthy mother that she has never met while he parents start the long journey home.
Aunt Plum is to collect Maddy as well as some evacuee children from the train station and bring them back to Southerwaite where they will live at the hostel she runs. This book is full of lively and unforgettable characters that make this book hard to put down. I loved every minute of it!
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the advanced copy!
April 16, 2021
Entertaining as I felt this was some brain candy for me. I appreciate the history/historical fiction parts but the story itself seems very formula. I could guess a couple of times what was going to happen before it did, and I don't like it when I can do that. It takes away from the read, I find. I guess I feel like it read like a soap opera at times, which does have entertainment value but I was glad when I finished the book. Just not my kind of read. It was an easy read so if you are looking for something like that, then maybe this is for you. I would not go out of my to read this kind of thing again because as I mentioned, it was a little too predictable for my liking.
February 11, 2020
This story follows the intertwining lives of some evacuees and maddy. A young girl who goes to live with her wealthy family.. The evacuees that arrived with her shaped and affected her life story. Follow Maddy, Greg and Gloria and Aunt Plum. I thoroughly enjoyed this new novel by Leah Fleming. It's written in an easy to follow style and the story flows well throughout. Definitely one I will recommend.
October 24, 2020
Good read
Maddy's story as a young child who lost her parents was a fast, interesting read. As the story shifted to her life as she grew older, it still was a 5 star read. It shifted to drama for others bringing pain and loss to Maddy. With Gloria's story filled with so much plotting and deceit, I struggled with frustration and wanted the story to move on. The ending was okay, but long in coming to it.
Maddy's story as a young child who lost her parents was a fast, interesting read. As the story shifted to her life as she grew older, it still was a 5 star read. It shifted to drama for others bringing pain and loss to Maddy. With Gloria's story filled with so much plotting and deceit, I struggled with frustration and wanted the story to move on. The ending was okay, but long in coming to it.
September 1, 2021
This was a tale that was very indicative of the time and place. Orphans sent to the countryside to avoid the bombing of London learn a different way of life. In this story three of them bond. For better and worse.
The war means different things to each child, but one woman helps them find their way through the traumatic time.Their lives intersect throughout their lives even after the war.
The ending was fitting, if orchestrated.
The war means different things to each child, but one woman helps them find their way through the traumatic time.Their lives intersect throughout their lives even after the war.
The ending was fitting, if orchestrated.
January 20, 2023
Why is it that so often an author just totally shits the bed when it comes time to wrap up a story? This book was really good for 300 pages then sucked for 118 pages...at least she managed to make the final 19 pages good. Greg's reaction to what happened to his awful skank of a wife wasn't the least bit believable...guilt, anger...yes, and that did come later, but in the moment all that blubbering and carrying on, calling her "love" etc...uh uh, not believable. She was such an awful twatttttt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2020
Fleming drew me in to the story with the orphans and evacuees. She went on to develop these characters as well as Mrs. Plum the woman who stepped up to care for them. With twists and turns Fleming weaves these lives together and separately while carrying the reader along on their journey. Well worth the read.
May 24, 2020
This story was too long for my liking. It was also predictable. The story focuses on three children who meet on the train to Yorkshire Dales. Maddy lost her family in the Blitz. Gloria and Sid were abandoned by their mother. This story spans 60 years. The characters are likeable, yet lackluster. Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review. 3 Stars
February 7, 2021
I read a LOT of historical fiction and this book could have had a lot of promise but it was far too long (450 pages- should have been edited to under 300) and the fantastical outcomes for many of the story lines just made it too contrived to be taken seriously.
There are so many better books in this genre.
There are so many better books in this genre.
June 3, 2021
Plot and setting were interesting. I always like books that take place over several decades and grow characters throughout that time period, so that part was fun. I did find pretty much all the twists predictable though. Also, I found the portrayal of one of the characters frustrating - being painted as bad from childhood onwards.
September 26, 2023
Up and down
At times a slog. It started well and very captivating. Real tough to get through the middle. You really wanted to slap the main characters. The end made up for some of that. Another issue that made for a hard read was the amount typos and editing errors. Also had problems with the amount of British slang.
At times a slog. It started well and very captivating. Real tough to get through the middle. You really wanted to slap the main characters. The end made up for some of that. Another issue that made for a hard read was the amount typos and editing errors. Also had problems with the amount of British slang.
April 6, 2020
Children Evacuees
Where do I begin with this wonderful emotional story? It has several different stories all of them intertwined. This was not a WW2 books as I originally thought it was. Rather a group of evacuees children are the foundation up which the story is built
Where do I begin with this wonderful emotional story? It has several different stories all of them intertwined. This was not a WW2 books as I originally thought it was. Rather a group of evacuees children are the foundation up which the story is built
July 27, 2020
Good Historical Fiction
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel about orphans during WW2. It is rich with characters and plot. It is about love, loss, sacrifice and war. I highly recommend it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel about orphans during WW2. It is rich with characters and plot. It is about love, loss, sacrifice and war. I highly recommend it.
July 16, 2021
I do wish we could give 1/2 star ratings. I can’t quite give this book a 4 but it deserves more than a 3. The storyline was good, most of the characters well described. It just didn’t quite “catch” me the way many books do.
November 6, 2018
I couldn't put this one down. This is my second Leah Fleming novel and I intend to read more.
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