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The War Orphan's Courage
Not yet published
Expected 11 Mar 26The officer’s cold eyes glide over me, and I clench my fists to hide my shaking hands. He doesn’t recognise me – my disguise has worked. But if he finds out who I really am, everyone I love will be in terrible danger…
Paris, 1944. Stepping under the dim glow of the streetlamp, Jewish orphan Josette tightens her coat and adjusts her leather satchel. The German soldiers who patrol the streets see neat plaits and shined shoes, but she is no schoolgirl. For months she has been slipping unnoticed past the enemy carrying important messages for the Resistance inside hollowed-out textbooks.
Shouts echo down the twisty cobbled streets, but she takes a deep breath and checks her disguise. The man she loves is waiting for her, desperate for the secret documents she’s carrying – she cannot let him down. Her heart skips as she thinks of Paul. The passion and devotion with which he leads their resistance group. The warmth in his voice when he talks about his beloved little sister Suzanne. The look in his brown eyes when he holds Josette close under starry skies each night and tells her he loves her…
But everything changes when Josette hears the terrible news. Suzanne has been captured by the Nazis, accused of treason. Fear gripping her, Josette knows that if she and Paul can find a way into the prison by morning, they might be able to save her, but it may cost them everything.
Can Josette and Paul rescue Suzanne before it’s too late? Or will they have to sacrifice everything to force their enemies to set her free?
An utterly heartbreaking novel about incredible courage and finding hope in the darkest places. Perfect for fans of Roberta Kagan, Kristin Hannah and Kelly Rimmer.
What readers are saying about the Orphans of St Agnes
‘Breathtaking, heart-wrenching… I couldn’t put it down… Completely stole my heart… A must-read. Absolutely stunning… Unforgettable.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Completely nail-biting… I lost count of how many times I was brought to tears.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘One of the best books I’ve read this year for sure!… Gripping… Had me on the edge of my seat!… I am champing at the bit to read more!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘What a page-turner!… Impossible to stop reading. I can’t wait for the next in this series!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Incredible… heartbreaking… I just couldn’t put this book down… if I could give it more then 5 stars I certainly would.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Emotional right to the end… Needs lots of tissues… Totally perfect… I loved it.
Paris, 1944. Stepping under the dim glow of the streetlamp, Jewish orphan Josette tightens her coat and adjusts her leather satchel. The German soldiers who patrol the streets see neat plaits and shined shoes, but she is no schoolgirl. For months she has been slipping unnoticed past the enemy carrying important messages for the Resistance inside hollowed-out textbooks.
Shouts echo down the twisty cobbled streets, but she takes a deep breath and checks her disguise. The man she loves is waiting for her, desperate for the secret documents she’s carrying – she cannot let him down. Her heart skips as she thinks of Paul. The passion and devotion with which he leads their resistance group. The warmth in his voice when he talks about his beloved little sister Suzanne. The look in his brown eyes when he holds Josette close under starry skies each night and tells her he loves her…
But everything changes when Josette hears the terrible news. Suzanne has been captured by the Nazis, accused of treason. Fear gripping her, Josette knows that if she and Paul can find a way into the prison by morning, they might be able to save her, but it may cost them everything.
Can Josette and Paul rescue Suzanne before it’s too late? Or will they have to sacrifice everything to force their enemies to set her free?
An utterly heartbreaking novel about incredible courage and finding hope in the darkest places. Perfect for fans of Roberta Kagan, Kristin Hannah and Kelly Rimmer.
What readers are saying about the Orphans of St Agnes
‘Breathtaking, heart-wrenching… I couldn’t put it down… Completely stole my heart… A must-read. Absolutely stunning… Unforgettable.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Completely nail-biting… I lost count of how many times I was brought to tears.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘One of the best books I’ve read this year for sure!… Gripping… Had me on the edge of my seat!… I am champing at the bit to read more!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘What a page-turner!… Impossible to stop reading. I can’t wait for the next in this series!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Incredible… heartbreaking… I just couldn’t put this book down… if I could give it more then 5 stars I certainly would.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Emotional right to the end… Needs lots of tissues… Totally perfect… I loved it.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2026
4 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The War Orphan’s Courage by Jenna Ness is a fabulous conclusion to the Orphans Of St Agnes trilogy. Although you could read this as a stand-alone, I recommend reading the books in numerical order as the books follow on in time. This is the story of three orphans during World War II in Paris – Jossette, Lucie and Margot.
In this book, we are approaching the end of the war and all the orphans have found their way back to Paris. They all want to fight with the resistance in order to disrupt the Nazi war machine, and one particularly nasty and cruel officer.
All the female characters are loyal and gutsy. Each one thinks of self-sacrifice for the good of the group. Together they are stronger.
The men of the resistance fight for justice. They support the women in attempting to bring down the evil Nazi officer.
Within war, love still blossoms. We see those who try to fight their feelings. In a previous book, we saw forbidden love – we hear what happened next in this book. The fruits of love bring hope for the next generation.
People make choices in war. They must live with the consequences. Some lives are haunted by the choices they made.
Children are at the heart of the story. The orphans of the past formed strong bonds, and they care for the orphans of today.
The atmosphere of war has been captured. We ‘feel’ the fear and witness the fragility of life.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Orphans Of St Agnes trilogy. The War Orphan’s Courage is a perfect conclusion to this fabulous trilogy.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
In this book, we are approaching the end of the war and all the orphans have found their way back to Paris. They all want to fight with the resistance in order to disrupt the Nazi war machine, and one particularly nasty and cruel officer.
All the female characters are loyal and gutsy. Each one thinks of self-sacrifice for the good of the group. Together they are stronger.
The men of the resistance fight for justice. They support the women in attempting to bring down the evil Nazi officer.
Within war, love still blossoms. We see those who try to fight their feelings. In a previous book, we saw forbidden love – we hear what happened next in this book. The fruits of love bring hope for the next generation.
People make choices in war. They must live with the consequences. Some lives are haunted by the choices they made.
Children are at the heart of the story. The orphans of the past formed strong bonds, and they care for the orphans of today.
The atmosphere of war has been captured. We ‘feel’ the fear and witness the fragility of life.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Orphans Of St Agnes trilogy. The War Orphan’s Courage is a perfect conclusion to this fabulous trilogy.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
March 4, 2026
I first must say to anyone about to read or currently reading this - don’t worry, Choupette is ok!
What a thrilling and dramatic conclusion to the trilogy, I absolutely loved it! I loved how we got to see Lucie, Josette and Margot all really grow up through the series, and where they all ended up within themselves felt totally natural compared to how they had started.
Otto returns as the most dastardly villain; he is an utter madman blinded by his vendetta and this leads to some tragic consequences. I am sad there’s no more in this series for me to eat up but hopefully there is more from the author without too much delay because she is certainly a new favourite!
What a thrilling and dramatic conclusion to the trilogy, I absolutely loved it! I loved how we got to see Lucie, Josette and Margot all really grow up through the series, and where they all ended up within themselves felt totally natural compared to how they had started.
Otto returns as the most dastardly villain; he is an utter madman blinded by his vendetta and this leads to some tragic consequences. I am sad there’s no more in this series for me to eat up but hopefully there is more from the author without too much delay because she is certainly a new favourite!
March 3, 2026
The year is 1944, and we are back in Paris with orphans, Margot, Lucie and Josette.
Whispers abound that World War Two is coming to an end, the Nazis will be defeated … but for now, the three are still caught up in the war.
Lucie is looking after the abandoned young children with Klaus. Still having to look over their shoulders, to not get caught by Klaus’s evil uncle.
Margot and Josette are still involved with The Resistance, doing all they can to stop the Nazis.
This is the final book in the trilogy, although it can be read as a standalone, I would still recommend reading them all in order. It’s helpful to understand the characters, where they come from, how strong and brave they are.
An intense and powerful story that pulled on my heartstrings and left me willing the girls on and praying for their survival.
With descriptive writing, not only can you picture Paris with its landmarks, cafés and hidden streets, you can also picture the desperation alongside the hope that good is coming soon.
A story of love, commitment, and bravery, beautifully written by the author.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Whispers abound that World War Two is coming to an end, the Nazis will be defeated … but for now, the three are still caught up in the war.
Lucie is looking after the abandoned young children with Klaus. Still having to look over their shoulders, to not get caught by Klaus’s evil uncle.
Margot and Josette are still involved with The Resistance, doing all they can to stop the Nazis.
This is the final book in the trilogy, although it can be read as a standalone, I would still recommend reading them all in order. It’s helpful to understand the characters, where they come from, how strong and brave they are.
An intense and powerful story that pulled on my heartstrings and left me willing the girls on and praying for their survival.
With descriptive writing, not only can you picture Paris with its landmarks, cafés and hidden streets, you can also picture the desperation alongside the hope that good is coming soon.
A story of love, commitment, and bravery, beautifully written by the author.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews