The Family She Lost: An utterly gripping and emotional family saga

by Jeanne Whitmee

Praise for Jeanne

‘Page-turning vitality.’ Daily Mail

‘Virtually unputdownable.’ Peterborough Evening Telegraph

Lose yourself in a sweeping saga of a mother, her lost daughters, and the long road back to love.

Perfect for fans of Lesley Pearse, Annie Murray, Diane Allen, Dilly Court, and Lyn Andrews.

Belfast, the late 1960s. Convent-raised Marie O'Connor is just sixteen when she falls head over heels for charming Liam Costello. When she discovers she is pregnant, Liam promises her the world — a little house by the sea, a wedding ring, a family of their own.

But the man Marie trusts with all her young heart has hidden a bomb in her suitcase. Within hours of stepping off the boat in England, her dreams lie in pieces. Marie is on her way to prison for a crime she did not commit.

Behind cold prison walls she gives birth to twin baby girls, and watches in agony as they are lifted from her arms and given to strangers to raise.

Twenty years later, Marie has built herself a new life on the Dorset coast, working in a thriving clifftop hotel. She can almost let herself believe the past is behind her.

But the husband she married knows the truth about her old life.

So when a kind country doctor begins to call at the hotel, Marie glimpses the first real chance of happiness she has known in twenty years.

Then a letter arrives. Her twin daughters — the headstrong Leah and tender Sally — are searching for the mother they have never known.

The past is coming home at last. And Marie must find the courage to face it, or lose the family she has waited a lifetime to find.

One woman's journey of love and forgiveness. The Family She Lost is a powerful, heart-wrenching saga of motherhood, resilience, and the courage of starting again.

Please note this book was previously published as The Long Way Home.

Readers are loving The Family She

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book was always hard to put down.’ K. D.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The characters came to life.’ Mary Jane V.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This was a lovely novel.’ Harry M.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An exceptional book.’ Pat
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Beautifully done!’ Hazel

520 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2026

Reviews

[Jackie]

I

Cannot enjoy a book with so much weakness from a female lead. Between the abuse and submissiveness it made me sick. I skimmed after 60% and was glad because the ending was just not worth the length of the book..

[Pat]

The Family She Lost

Marie was a young pregnant girl and gave birth to twin girls. Sarah and Leah were adopted. Sarah into a good family and Leah into a not at all good family. As the years went on Marie finally was able to meet her two babies when they were you women. Many things happened in this book and it was a fabulous read.

[Fleury]

I can't say that I loved this book but I did enjoy it, a little.

It was a good 150 pages too long, maybe 200 pages too long.

A quite good beginning, but then it dragged & dragged for ages and eventually the ending was enjoyable enough.

But I didn't like it enough to persuade me to read anything else by Jeanne Whitmee. I think it's a more than enough already situation.

[Susan McSorley]

never give up

Sad for a young girl first In love and pregnant to believe her man. Couldn’t defend herself or her unborn children to fight and continue her life no matter what while suffering the un known of her babies lives. In the long struggle her children and her were united as one

[Alana Diehl]

The Family She Lost

This was a wonderful book and a good read. Couldn't put it down. Story of love lost and then found. How time and caring can bring a family back together. Such a heartwarming story

[Margaret Fantom]

A really good read about a young pregnant Irish girl alone in England she gives both to twin girls with no means of support she has them adopted only to dream of getting to know them in the future there are lots of twists & turns best book I’ve read for a long time

[Jacqueline Hough]

A book you don’t want to put down

A really good read with always something new going on! I recommend you read this book it will keep your interest

[Elizabeth Schwan-Rosenwald]

Fiction B+ This was high stakes but good and the characters strong

[Glenda Plowman]

This is the best book I have read in a very long time. So many twists and turns and you can't put it down. Highly recommended!

[Diane]

Good story

A bit over the top with this Marie person. Her dumbness was getting on my nerves. Who would do so many dumb things in life.

[Joan]

Hard to put down

Wonderful story about 3 women who succeeded with tenacity and courage. Characters are well developed. Many surprising twists and turns!

[Beate Glowacki]

Amazing Book

I couldn’t put it down and loved the way the author intertwined the lives of 3 women who overcame incredible obstacles.

[Blubonnet1]

08/01/2026

[Ruby Browne]

Excitement followed by drag. Drag. Drag. Random plot twist. Drag. Drag. Character re-emerges for 2 chapters. Drag. End

[Kathleen A]

A very sad book! A mother and her twin daughters are torn apart because of Liam’s betrayal!

[Mandy Nielsen]

I loved this story

This was a great story with wonderful characters and a great story line. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it.

[Ange]

I loved this book. Being adopted myself and then finding my birth mother I can relate. Glad I stumbled across it :)