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The Girls Who Went To War #2
The Abandoned Daughter
The Abandoned Daughter by Mary Wood is the second book in The Girls Who Went To War series.
Voluntary nurse Ella is haunted by the soldiers' cries she hears on the battlefields of Dieppe. But that’s not the only thing that haunts her. When her dear friend Jim breaks her trust, Ella is left bruised and heartbroken. Over the years, her friendships have been pulled apart at the seams by the effects of war. Now, more than ever, she feels so alone.
At a military hospital in France, Ella befriends Connie and Paddy. Slowly she begins to heal, and finds comfort in the arms of a French officer called Paulo – could he be her salvation?
With the end of the war on the horizon, surely things have to get better? Ella grew up not knowing her real family but a clue leads her in their direction. What did happen to Ella’s parents, and why is she so desperate to find out?
381 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 16, 2019
32 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 26, 2019
THIS IS ELLA'S STORY This is the second book in the girl's who went to war series after enjoying The Forgotten Daughter i simply couldn't wait to read this one, that takes us into the year starting at 1918, Ella Wronski is in Dieppe France working as a voluntary aid nurse as part of hospital 36, Ella after an unfortunate incidence with Jim is sent to Brussels in Belgium, she cannot get away quick enough, nobody would believe her if she told the truth but she later pays for it. Paulo Rennaise a french officer who Ella nurses and finds herself falling in love with him, but could this romance last? the war comes to an end and Ella is shipped back to London England, a lot has changed and the city is full of hardship that doesn't make it any easier for Ella, the aftermath of the war has changed London and not for the better. i just loved Ella's journey such a strong independent woman who would do anything to keep her child, this book brings out all your emotions as you read. a roller coaster journey travelling through France Belguim and England. its leaves me looking forward to the next book. I LOVED IT
May 26, 2019
This is the second in the Girls Who Went To War series and while I have not yet read the first book it has no way marred my reading of The Abandoned Daughter. Though I will say I will be buying the first.
The author does put her characters through the proverbial mill and also characters that I care about. Elle is such a lovable and sweet character and my goodness does she have so much thrown at her. Pain and suffering seem to follow her, just I thought she was going to have a happy life something goes wrong. A phrase that I have heard many times and also that the author used in her book was the one about “God only gives you what he knows you can deal with”. This is something that does sum up Elle to a tee. Even so, how a person could deal with losing so much!
The story is not just about Elle, it is about her friends and her time as a nurse. I should explain that the story begins as World War I, Elle is a nurse at the battlefield hospitals. After the war ends and Elle returns home things at first start to go well. There is mention of the struggle that returning troops found and this I found very interesting. Many soldiers finding themselves homeless, ill and well… lost.
The struggles at home take on a different route to what I expected, but thank goodness for Rowena. Everyone should have a Rowena in their lives and I adored her. The author adds so many social and economic problems for the time to her stories. It is such a useful thing as not only does it fit with the setting of the book it also highlights the struggles of others.
Elle is such an amazing character who really is pushed to the limits of endurance. I had my heart in my mouth so many times as I wondered how or if she would cope with everything.
This author is an absolute delight to read. She creates characters that I care about with plot lines that touch the heart. Emotional is something I expect and tears from me seem to be a given whenever I read her books. She creates stories that keep me eagerly turning pages and often until the early hours of the morning.
If you love historical fiction and family sagas you will love Mary Wood and also Maggie Mason.
The Abandoned Daughter is a book I would Highly Recommend.
The author does put her characters through the proverbial mill and also characters that I care about. Elle is such a lovable and sweet character and my goodness does she have so much thrown at her. Pain and suffering seem to follow her, just I thought she was going to have a happy life something goes wrong. A phrase that I have heard many times and also that the author used in her book was the one about “God only gives you what he knows you can deal with”. This is something that does sum up Elle to a tee. Even so, how a person could deal with losing so much!
The story is not just about Elle, it is about her friends and her time as a nurse. I should explain that the story begins as World War I, Elle is a nurse at the battlefield hospitals. After the war ends and Elle returns home things at first start to go well. There is mention of the struggle that returning troops found and this I found very interesting. Many soldiers finding themselves homeless, ill and well… lost.
The struggles at home take on a different route to what I expected, but thank goodness for Rowena. Everyone should have a Rowena in their lives and I adored her. The author adds so many social and economic problems for the time to her stories. It is such a useful thing as not only does it fit with the setting of the book it also highlights the struggles of others.
Elle is such an amazing character who really is pushed to the limits of endurance. I had my heart in my mouth so many times as I wondered how or if she would cope with everything.
This author is an absolute delight to read. She creates characters that I care about with plot lines that touch the heart. Emotional is something I expect and tears from me seem to be a given whenever I read her books. She creates stories that keep me eagerly turning pages and often until the early hours of the morning.
If you love historical fiction and family sagas you will love Mary Wood and also Maggie Mason.
The Abandoned Daughter is a book I would Highly Recommend.
June 1, 2019
Ella
This is the story of Ella and what a story a very courageous girl who went through hell in the 1914 to 1918 war and her hell didn't finish then how she survived all she went through is a miracle .a lot of research by the author went into this book and I can't wait to read mags story .5 STARS for very well written book .
This is the story of Ella and what a story a very courageous girl who went through hell in the 1914 to 1918 war and her hell didn't finish then how she survived all she went through is a miracle .a lot of research by the author went into this book and I can't wait to read mags story .5 STARS for very well written book .
May 18, 2019
Cor blimey, Mary Wood doesn't half like to put her characters through the wringer! From only a couple of pages in, our heroine, Ella, experiences horror after horror.
Ella is a character I first met in The Forgotten Daughter, the first book in Wood's The Girls Who Went to War series. But whilst that book focused on Flora, this time Ella steps into the spotlight. The story begins just before the Armistice in 1918 but the hell of war is not over yet. Ella makes some new friends at the military hospital she is stationed at as a voluntary nurse, and she also meets a man who she hopes will be a big part of her future. When the war ends she thinks she will be able to move on with her life and be happy but oh no, the author has a lot more planned for our Ella.
She has to endure a lot but throughout it all there is friendship, love and hope and they keep her going. There is such a lot of warmth in Wood's writing and the story is absolutely compelling and very hard to put down. It captures perfectly the despair and poverty that many men felt when they came home from the war, and their difficulties in adjusting back to normal life.
I've reviewed a few of Mary Wood's books now and I'm running out of superlatives to use to describe her writing. She has the ability to craft stories that move me deeply and which portray the harsh realities of life and yet have that sense of hope that stops them from being depressing. For me, she's the queen of the saga writers. I'm very much looking forward to book three, which is Mags's story, but also the great news is that there's a book four on the horizon too. I can't get enough of them.
Ella is a character I first met in The Forgotten Daughter, the first book in Wood's The Girls Who Went to War series. But whilst that book focused on Flora, this time Ella steps into the spotlight. The story begins just before the Armistice in 1918 but the hell of war is not over yet. Ella makes some new friends at the military hospital she is stationed at as a voluntary nurse, and she also meets a man who she hopes will be a big part of her future. When the war ends she thinks she will be able to move on with her life and be happy but oh no, the author has a lot more planned for our Ella.
She has to endure a lot but throughout it all there is friendship, love and hope and they keep her going. There is such a lot of warmth in Wood's writing and the story is absolutely compelling and very hard to put down. It captures perfectly the despair and poverty that many men felt when they came home from the war, and their difficulties in adjusting back to normal life.
I've reviewed a few of Mary Wood's books now and I'm running out of superlatives to use to describe her writing. She has the ability to craft stories that move me deeply and which portray the harsh realities of life and yet have that sense of hope that stops them from being depressing. For me, she's the queen of the saga writers. I'm very much looking forward to book three, which is Mags's story, but also the great news is that there's a book four on the horizon too. I can't get enough of them.
August 11, 2021
Book 2 in this series is even better than the first! Even though this is a real rollercoaster I really enjoyed it. After reading book 1 (Flora's journey) I didn't think it could get worse but Ella's life was so much more. I wonder what Book 3 (Mag's journey) holds .....
May 23, 2019
This is Ella's story, one of three friends we met in 'The forgotten daughter'. From the start, we see that Ella has to deal with the effects that being a volunteer during the war has on her and her friends as well as the personal consequences of what Jim does to her. As always, this is a true- to- life, gritty story that holds no punches - it is hard to imagine how much suffering one person can endure. This book draws you into Ella's circle as one by one her friends and family are taken from her or use her badly. Having to rely only upon herself, we see her inner strength as she deals with each misfortune that life throws at her. There is light at the end of the tunnel and told in Mary Wood's inimitable style, the reader is there beside Ella all the way.
May 14, 2019
dont want to give to much away as lots are waiting to read but have to say its an amazing story i couldnt put it down took me through every emotion and cant wait for the next 2 books to follow as usual mary held me spellbound brilliant writing by a brilliant writer x
May 16, 2019
The Abandoned Daughter by Mary Wood
This is a powerful book with memorable characters in every sense.
A young woman who was an abandoned child with no knowledge of her birth family is the main character of this second book in the Girls Who Went to War series. It stands alone as a vivid story of the ending of the First World War, and how the myth of a land fit for heroes in many ways proved to be false. The situations that Ella finds herself in, the risks she takes and the love she experiences make for an enormous saga of people and place, a frequently moving story of the fight for survival, and a complex tale of love and loss. With near breathtaking confidence and a sure way with plot and dialogue, this is one woman’s powerful story of a dramatic life that literally kept me awake, so keen was I to find out what happened next. As with Wood’s other sagas of a young woman fighting to survive despite jeopardy, this is a powerful story of wit and determination against the odds and complications of life. I was so pleased to be asked to read and review this book by an established author of this gripping type of novel.
Ella is a voluntary nurse dangerously near the Front during the final months of the First World War. It is while a brief respite occurs that a long term friend Jim changes violently, and it is only the caring actions of new friends and fellow nurses, Paddy and Connie, that gets her through a traumatic move. Battling on under catastrophic conditions she meets a brilliant doctor, Daniel, and shares a significant experience. As peace is declared and on her return to London, she soon discovers that not everyone finds a home and a bright future, and it is in the time when she tries to cope with those who are in difficulty that she seeks to contact Paulo, a young French officer who has quickly stolen her heart. While her bravery is celebrated she endures loss, and soon finds that her past is posing a danger to her present and future just as she believes she has found love. Her life becomes increasingly desperate, and she is forced to seek to find out more about her birth family from her beloved Nanny, who is the slender connection with her homeland and the truth. Dramatic danger dominates her life, and there are some vivid scenes of abuse as nothing seems impossible. Can she and her loved ones survive when friends are sometimes the only hope?
This is such a powerful and well paced book it carries the reader onwards, desperate to find out the next twist and turn in the fate of the central character. Ella must be resourceful and brave, but even courage and intelligence sometimes seems too little as life hurtles along. The real achievement of this novel is to create a character who feels real, that the reader cares about throughout the book. This is done by a real human insight and thorough research to capture the sense of a life lived in such difficult circumstances. A book that lingers in the mind long after reading it, I recommend this book to those who enjoy a strong story well told with a central female character.
This is a powerful book with memorable characters in every sense.
A young woman who was an abandoned child with no knowledge of her birth family is the main character of this second book in the Girls Who Went to War series. It stands alone as a vivid story of the ending of the First World War, and how the myth of a land fit for heroes in many ways proved to be false. The situations that Ella finds herself in, the risks she takes and the love she experiences make for an enormous saga of people and place, a frequently moving story of the fight for survival, and a complex tale of love and loss. With near breathtaking confidence and a sure way with plot and dialogue, this is one woman’s powerful story of a dramatic life that literally kept me awake, so keen was I to find out what happened next. As with Wood’s other sagas of a young woman fighting to survive despite jeopardy, this is a powerful story of wit and determination against the odds and complications of life. I was so pleased to be asked to read and review this book by an established author of this gripping type of novel.
Ella is a voluntary nurse dangerously near the Front during the final months of the First World War. It is while a brief respite occurs that a long term friend Jim changes violently, and it is only the caring actions of new friends and fellow nurses, Paddy and Connie, that gets her through a traumatic move. Battling on under catastrophic conditions she meets a brilliant doctor, Daniel, and shares a significant experience. As peace is declared and on her return to London, she soon discovers that not everyone finds a home and a bright future, and it is in the time when she tries to cope with those who are in difficulty that she seeks to contact Paulo, a young French officer who has quickly stolen her heart. While her bravery is celebrated she endures loss, and soon finds that her past is posing a danger to her present and future just as she believes she has found love. Her life becomes increasingly desperate, and she is forced to seek to find out more about her birth family from her beloved Nanny, who is the slender connection with her homeland and the truth. Dramatic danger dominates her life, and there are some vivid scenes of abuse as nothing seems impossible. Can she and her loved ones survive when friends are sometimes the only hope?
This is such a powerful and well paced book it carries the reader onwards, desperate to find out the next twist and turn in the fate of the central character. Ella must be resourceful and brave, but even courage and intelligence sometimes seems too little as life hurtles along. The real achievement of this novel is to create a character who feels real, that the reader cares about throughout the book. This is done by a real human insight and thorough research to capture the sense of a life lived in such difficult circumstances. A book that lingers in the mind long after reading it, I recommend this book to those who enjoy a strong story well told with a central female character.
June 4, 2019
Mary Wood is one of my favourite authors and I'm always excited to hear that she has a new book coming out. The Abandoned Daughter is the second book in The Girls Who Went To War series, and it's an absolute gem!
The year is 1918 and Armistice day is on the horizon. Ella is a volunteer nurse who has recently been betrayed in the cruelest way but she knows that she has to put aside her own personal agony and concentrate on tending to the urgent needs of the injured and dying soldiers that are being brought from the nearby battlefield at an alarming rate. It's under these devastating conditions that she meets Paulo, a French officer who will play a significant part in her future.
When the war is over Ella returns to London, only to find that things aren't as hopeful back home as she had envisaged, the war might have ended but for many the future is bleak. She always tries to help others where she can but she is also desperate to find out more about her birth family as maybe they can be of some help and comfort to her when things take another dramatic twist for her.
As always, I raced through this book, reading it whenever I got the opportunity. I knew that Mary Wood was going to put me through the mill and leave me an emotional wreck - but I wasn't expecting to end up there after only the first few chapters!
Ella was such a beautiful soul and it was so easy to get behind her character and I was literally crossing my fingers that her fortunes would change and fast. I didn't know how much more she (or me as a reader) could take. Mary always manages to create a wonderful mix of characters in her books and The Abandoned Daughter was no exception. I was delighted to catch up with some of the characters from the first book in the series, The Forgotten Daughter and the way that they fitted in so seamlessly. The atmosphere of the book was full of highs and lows, the celebration of the end of the war but the extreme poverty and demoralisation of the soldiers and their families on their return home, but through it all it demonstrates the resourcefulness, kindness and friendship of the people at that time.
The Abandoned Daughter is another triumph of a book from this hugely talented author and one that I would highly recommend to all fans of family saga's and historical fiction.
The year is 1918 and Armistice day is on the horizon. Ella is a volunteer nurse who has recently been betrayed in the cruelest way but she knows that she has to put aside her own personal agony and concentrate on tending to the urgent needs of the injured and dying soldiers that are being brought from the nearby battlefield at an alarming rate. It's under these devastating conditions that she meets Paulo, a French officer who will play a significant part in her future.
When the war is over Ella returns to London, only to find that things aren't as hopeful back home as she had envisaged, the war might have ended but for many the future is bleak. She always tries to help others where she can but she is also desperate to find out more about her birth family as maybe they can be of some help and comfort to her when things take another dramatic twist for her.
As always, I raced through this book, reading it whenever I got the opportunity. I knew that Mary Wood was going to put me through the mill and leave me an emotional wreck - but I wasn't expecting to end up there after only the first few chapters!
Ella was such a beautiful soul and it was so easy to get behind her character and I was literally crossing my fingers that her fortunes would change and fast. I didn't know how much more she (or me as a reader) could take. Mary always manages to create a wonderful mix of characters in her books and The Abandoned Daughter was no exception. I was delighted to catch up with some of the characters from the first book in the series, The Forgotten Daughter and the way that they fitted in so seamlessly. The atmosphere of the book was full of highs and lows, the celebration of the end of the war but the extreme poverty and demoralisation of the soldiers and their families on their return home, but through it all it demonstrates the resourcefulness, kindness and friendship of the people at that time.
The Abandoned Daughter is another triumph of a book from this hugely talented author and one that I would highly recommend to all fans of family saga's and historical fiction.
June 20, 2019
Another great book in the series by Mary Wood.
This book continues on from The First , The Forgottan Daughter. This book takes you deeper into WW1 and How continues to Nurse The WW1 Soldiers, Brought in from The Trenches. she nurses a man who changes her Life, but what will happen..........
as you get further into this book. a ugly presence rears its head yet again what will become of Ella.
Read the back of the book when you finish as mary has said she has further books coming out in the series. Great news. I love this series.
This book continues on from The First , The Forgottan Daughter. This book takes you deeper into WW1 and How continues to Nurse The WW1 Soldiers, Brought in from The Trenches. she nurses a man who changes her Life, but what will happen..........
as you get further into this book. a ugly presence rears its head yet again what will become of Ella.
Read the back of the book when you finish as mary has said she has further books coming out in the series. Great news. I love this series.
October 14, 2020
This was a free copy from a publishers event.
Very disappointing this was so sad and all the time I was thinking, when will something nice happen in this girls life?
Well written and believable characters but just too sad and the wrong time to read this kind of book when this COVID drama is happening.
I feel we need light happy books at the moment as its all doom and gloom.
Very disappointing this was so sad and all the time I was thinking, when will something nice happen in this girls life?
Well written and believable characters but just too sad and the wrong time to read this kind of book when this COVID drama is happening.
I feel we need light happy books at the moment as its all doom and gloom.
July 12, 2019
Excellent from start to finish. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
July 23, 2019
A good saga set in the first world war about a young nurse finding herself in a predicament and having to sort her life out . Really good read
October 26, 2019
There is such a thing as too much drama in a book - a bit too much in this book!
December 20, 2021
It's an interesting novel of how a teenager girl feels about her mother.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews