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The British Home Children #1
The Forsaken Children
A riveting tale of endurance and resilience, illustrating the spirit of a child and the bond between siblings.
It’s 1921. Fifteen-year-old Hazel Winters and her six-year-old brother, William, are placed on a ship by an organization that relocates British orphans and children of poverty to new homes in Canada. Arrivals in the new land are exported to distributing houses, where devastation and heartache greet the youngsters as headmistresses govern their fate.
The assurance of a better life across the ocean is far from what Hazel experiences. Through hardships and loneliness, she is determined to survive. Finding refuge in memories of the past, she clings to the dream of returning to her homeland while preserving a reunion in her heart.
In 1890, orphaned Charlotte Appleton and her sister Ellie were scooped up from London’s streets and sent to new homes across the ocean. Although mere miles kept them apart, Charlotte never knew her sister’s whereabouts until a chance interaction reunites them. Together the siblings vow to make a difference for the families and home children of an institution in Toronto, Ontario.
Can an unexpected guardian give Hazel renewed strength and resolve for a future of promise?
Based on the child emigration movement that occurred from 1869 through the late 1930s, this poignant tale follows the lives of siblings who were burdensome byproducts of Britain's poverty.
It’s 1921. Fifteen-year-old Hazel Winters and her six-year-old brother, William, are placed on a ship by an organization that relocates British orphans and children of poverty to new homes in Canada. Arrivals in the new land are exported to distributing houses, where devastation and heartache greet the youngsters as headmistresses govern their fate.
The assurance of a better life across the ocean is far from what Hazel experiences. Through hardships and loneliness, she is determined to survive. Finding refuge in memories of the past, she clings to the dream of returning to her homeland while preserving a reunion in her heart.
In 1890, orphaned Charlotte Appleton and her sister Ellie were scooped up from London’s streets and sent to new homes across the ocean. Although mere miles kept them apart, Charlotte never knew her sister’s whereabouts until a chance interaction reunites them. Together the siblings vow to make a difference for the families and home children of an institution in Toronto, Ontario.
Can an unexpected guardian give Hazel renewed strength and resolve for a future of promise?
Based on the child emigration movement that occurred from 1869 through the late 1930s, this poignant tale follows the lives of siblings who were burdensome byproducts of Britain's poverty.
- GenresHistorical FictionEbooks
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2021
65 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Naomi Finley
14 books155 followersNaomi is a writer guided by a deep devotion to humanity and the stories that shape us across time. Drawn to the lives lived before us, she finds inspiration in the shared memory, resilience, and wisdom carried forward through generations.
Through her historical fiction, Naomi creates characters who feel real, tender, and unmistakably human. She is devoted to portraying people as they are, flawed, resilient, searching, and capable of profound love. In their struggles and survival, she believes we come to understand ourselves more fully.
For Naomi, storytelling is an act of remembrance and connection. A place where we meet our own humanity through story, learn from lives not our own, and return to what binds us together across generations and time.
Through her historical fiction, Naomi creates characters who feel real, tender, and unmistakably human. She is devoted to portraying people as they are, flawed, resilient, searching, and capable of profound love. In their struggles and survival, she believes we come to understand ourselves more fully.
For Naomi, storytelling is an act of remembrance and connection. A place where we meet our own humanity through story, learn from lives not our own, and return to what binds us together across generations and time.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 14, 2021
A Classic
“The Forsaken Children” by Naomi Finley was so beautifully written that it took my breath away. The late nineteenth century plot is based on ignored and abused children and tore at the seams of my heart.
Characters are just spectacular. The main character of Hazel tells the story from the eyes of a 15-year-old girl.
Throughout there a sense resilience, cleverness, and overcoming dire circumstances.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced and gripping story! I highly recommend reading this
“I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.”
“The Forsaken Children” by Naomi Finley was so beautifully written that it took my breath away. The late nineteenth century plot is based on ignored and abused children and tore at the seams of my heart.
Characters are just spectacular. The main character of Hazel tells the story from the eyes of a 15-year-old girl.
Throughout there a sense resilience, cleverness, and overcoming dire circumstances.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced and gripping story! I highly recommend reading this
“I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.”
April 3, 2021
It's 1921 in England. There are many impoverished children living on the streets of London. Most of them have lost their parents and are on their own trying to get food and shelter. British organizations sent more than 100,000 children from the United Kingdom to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa with the hope of a better life for them. This novel is the story of several children sent from the streets of London to Canada.
Hazel is 15 and very protective of her brother William who is 6. Their mother takes them to an orphanage until she can get enough money so that they can find food and shelter. The orphanage assures her that she'll be able to get her children back. What they don't tell her is her children will be shipped to Canada as soon as there is room available. When the the children arrived in Canada, they were separated and sent to different distribution houses. The house that Hazel is sent to is ruled by a mean woman whose goal is to get the children to families in need without ever following up on their situations that they get placed into. Hazel is sent to a farm where she is treated like a slave, forced to work without proper food and often mistreated. Her only hope is that somehow she will be able to get out of her bad situation, find her brother and return home to find their mother. When she finds out that the girl who was there before her was killed, she begins to wonder if she'll ever get out of there alive.
This book was about a subject that I knew nothing about. This forced childhood emigration took place from 1869 until the late 1930s. The plan was that these children would be adopted into a family filled with love but often these children were treated as slave labor until they aged out at 18. Hazel is a wonderful main character. She loves and protects her mother and brother as best she can and even when she is put into a bad situation, she is brave and resilient. It was apparent that the author did extensive research on this forced emigration and was able to wrote am excellent novel about it. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own
Hazel is 15 and very protective of her brother William who is 6. Their mother takes them to an orphanage until she can get enough money so that they can find food and shelter. The orphanage assures her that she'll be able to get her children back. What they don't tell her is her children will be shipped to Canada as soon as there is room available. When the the children arrived in Canada, they were separated and sent to different distribution houses. The house that Hazel is sent to is ruled by a mean woman whose goal is to get the children to families in need without ever following up on their situations that they get placed into. Hazel is sent to a farm where she is treated like a slave, forced to work without proper food and often mistreated. Her only hope is that somehow she will be able to get out of her bad situation, find her brother and return home to find their mother. When she finds out that the girl who was there before her was killed, she begins to wonder if she'll ever get out of there alive.
This book was about a subject that I knew nothing about. This forced childhood emigration took place from 1869 until the late 1930s. The plan was that these children would be adopted into a family filled with love but often these children were treated as slave labor until they aged out at 18. Hazel is a wonderful main character. She loves and protects her mother and brother as best she can and even when she is put into a bad situation, she is brave and resilient. It was apparent that the author did extensive research on this forced emigration and was able to wrote am excellent novel about it. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own
May 1, 2021
I absolutely adore reading about the early 1900's time frame, and this one especially was such an amazing story which gripped my heart - this happens every time I read about children and their state of poverty or being orphans. I love seeing the resilience, strength, and the stories about survival and how these characters are able to get through hardships when everything is against them.
It is during that time in the late nineteenth century when Britain, faced with poverty that resulted families and children living in horrid slums where many were sent to the workhouses, while others lived in the streets begging and stealing, until organizations found a way to help these children find a better future elsewhere. Some children found hope and happy homes, while some escaped one horrid condition only to experience such circumstances not unlike what they had just tried to escape from.
I had never known about this part of British and Canada history until reading this book where I found myself in a rabbit hole learning about the British Child Emigration Movement that officially began on October 28, 1869 and started by an English social reformer Maria Rye where 68 children were brought from Liverpool to Canada.
I found that Naomi Finley wrote this story beautifully through the eyes of fifteen year old Hazel. The writing was immersive and rich in detail and told the harrowing story some of the children went through. It did bring tears to my eyes and I really enjoyed this book.
It is during that time in the late nineteenth century when Britain, faced with poverty that resulted families and children living in horrid slums where many were sent to the workhouses, while others lived in the streets begging and stealing, until organizations found a way to help these children find a better future elsewhere. Some children found hope and happy homes, while some escaped one horrid condition only to experience such circumstances not unlike what they had just tried to escape from.
I had never known about this part of British and Canada history until reading this book where I found myself in a rabbit hole learning about the British Child Emigration Movement that officially began on October 28, 1869 and started by an English social reformer Maria Rye where 68 children were brought from Liverpool to Canada.
I found that Naomi Finley wrote this story beautifully through the eyes of fifteen year old Hazel. The writing was immersive and rich in detail and told the harrowing story some of the children went through. It did bring tears to my eyes and I really enjoyed this book.
April 20, 2021
The Winters family has lived in poverty since the death of fifteen-year old Hazel and six-year old William's father. Hazel and William try to do their best on the streets, but after their mother loses her position, she makes the decision to place Hazel and William in an orphan's home. The home, however, is in the business of shipping the children to other countries to be farmed out as indentured servants. Hazel and William are placed on a boat to Canada and separated. Hazel can't bear to be separated from William, but her placement in a home where the previous girl died suddenly does not bode well for Hazel. Luckily, Hazel's situation has caught the attention of two of the children's home staff, Charlotte and Ellie who were also separated in the system and were able to find one another later in life.
The Forsaken Children is an intimate look into the lives of two pairs of siblings who were separated in Britain's exportation of impoverished children. The point of view changes between Hazel and Charlotte who are both determined, caring and mentally strong. Hazel and Charlotte's stories are heartbreaking and emotional showing their fortitude in survival when everything is against them. I was especially engrossed by Hazel's time with the family that took her, the Gagnon's. Mrs. Gagnon was especially repulsive and I was amazed that anyone was able to survive her treatment. Hazel's story is a reminder of the strength of these children who were overcoming immense hardships and difficult living situations while keeping a state of mind for survival. The Forsaken Children is an in-depth look at an often overlooked time in history where countries were brokering impoverished children as slaves to grow their workforce and economies.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Forsaken Children is an intimate look into the lives of two pairs of siblings who were separated in Britain's exportation of impoverished children. The point of view changes between Hazel and Charlotte who are both determined, caring and mentally strong. Hazel and Charlotte's stories are heartbreaking and emotional showing their fortitude in survival when everything is against them. I was especially engrossed by Hazel's time with the family that took her, the Gagnon's. Mrs. Gagnon was especially repulsive and I was amazed that anyone was able to survive her treatment. Hazel's story is a reminder of the strength of these children who were overcoming immense hardships and difficult living situations while keeping a state of mind for survival. The Forsaken Children is an in-depth look at an often overlooked time in history where countries were brokering impoverished children as slaves to grow their workforce and economies.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
April 20, 2021
This book caught my attention from the first page when I was introduced to the spunky Hazel Winters, a 15-year-old girl whose family fell into poverty after her father returned from WWI with injuries and later died, leaving his family destitute. I couldn't put this book down even though it was so heartbreaking and had me trembling with rage at the injustices the British home children suffered at the hands of Canadians.
When things get worse and their mother could no longer feed or take care of them, Hazel Winters and her 6-year-old brother William are left by their mother at an orphanage with the promise that she would return. But the orphanage sent them across the ocean to receiving institutions that placed them on farms to work. Hazel has a good heart and a strong love for her brother. It is this familial love that keeps her spirit alive when she is placed in a farm home and treated cruelly.
I think the author does a great job of bringing the plight of the British home children to life through the story of Hazel. There is no sugar coating of the harsh reality, but hope, resilience, and the will to survive are beacons of light in this sad tale. Although this is fiction, the fact that it is based on historical facts made this a very compelling read. The characters jump off the page and the story flows well. As a reader, I rooted for Hazel as I experienced an emotional journey with her. The book ends with the possibility of a continued story, and since this is marketed as Book 1, I am thinking the unanswered questions I have will be answered in the sequel.
After I finished the book I was curious about the British home children and did research. I came across this website https://canadianbritishhomechildren.w... that says: From the late 1860s right up to 1948, over 100,000 children of all ages were emigrated right across Canada, from the United Kingdom, to be used as indentured farm workers and domestics. Believed by Canadians to be orphans, only approximately 12 percent truly were. I knew nothing about the role my country played in the mistreatment of children in need of a home and support.
If you like stories based on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of injustice and cruelty, this one is an unforgettable dramatic read. I will always remember the beautiful character of Hazel Winters.
When things get worse and their mother could no longer feed or take care of them, Hazel Winters and her 6-year-old brother William are left by their mother at an orphanage with the promise that she would return. But the orphanage sent them across the ocean to receiving institutions that placed them on farms to work. Hazel has a good heart and a strong love for her brother. It is this familial love that keeps her spirit alive when she is placed in a farm home and treated cruelly.
I think the author does a great job of bringing the plight of the British home children to life through the story of Hazel. There is no sugar coating of the harsh reality, but hope, resilience, and the will to survive are beacons of light in this sad tale. Although this is fiction, the fact that it is based on historical facts made this a very compelling read. The characters jump off the page and the story flows well. As a reader, I rooted for Hazel as I experienced an emotional journey with her. The book ends with the possibility of a continued story, and since this is marketed as Book 1, I am thinking the unanswered questions I have will be answered in the sequel.
After I finished the book I was curious about the British home children and did research. I came across this website https://canadianbritishhomechildren.w... that says: From the late 1860s right up to 1948, over 100,000 children of all ages were emigrated right across Canada, from the United Kingdom, to be used as indentured farm workers and domestics. Believed by Canadians to be orphans, only approximately 12 percent truly were. I knew nothing about the role my country played in the mistreatment of children in need of a home and support.
If you like stories based on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of injustice and cruelty, this one is an unforgettable dramatic read. I will always remember the beautiful character of Hazel Winters.
April 19, 2021
My Thoughts:
The Forsaken Children is aptly named. It is 350 depressing pages. Other words I’d use to describe the book is exhausting, oppressive, and filled with despair. However, The Forsaken Children is an important story. It teaches about a period in history where the most vulnerable in society were taken advantage, abused, and considered expendable.
Before I share my impressions of this story, I have been reminded of something my dad shared about his life. Dad was born in 1922 (the same period of this story). Dad was born in a small town in central Texas. He lived during the Great Depression years. His family was poor. Dad remarked that his parents generation treated children terrible. Children were often regarded with disrespectful words, humiliation, made fun of, and abused. It was rare for an adult to take up for a child. Men especially treated children bad. Dad had a low opinion of the previous generation. One story my dad shared is an adult man, a neighbor, allowed his dog to attack my dad, this man laughed at dad-he did nothing to help. This man considered it amusement. The Forsaken Children recreates this same time period and the same type of ideology.
What I love about The Forsaken Children is the heavy atmosphere and descriptions that bring the story to life. It is a harrowing tale and it has a full impact.
Hazel is a true heroine. She is described as thin and barely 5 feet tall. She is a sprite of a girl. But, she has a heart of gold. She has the will and perseverance of a super-hero. I love it that no matter what she has experienced in life, Hazel has not become bitter.
There is an additional dual time story of Charlotte’s life. I love it that the dual time periods are not back and forth too often, but they reveal Charlotte’s persistence in uncovering the truth about Hazel.
The characters are either exceptional or villainous. There is no in-between. The polar extremes makes either side 3-D.
The story does not wrap-up in a tidy package. It’s possible there will be more to this story in the next book.
Themes in the story: shame, compassion, betrayal, courage, perseverance, self-worth, power of love, and loyalty.
Source: I received a complimentary e-book copy from the publisher and HFVBT. I am not required to write a positive review.
The Forsaken Children is aptly named. It is 350 depressing pages. Other words I’d use to describe the book is exhausting, oppressive, and filled with despair. However, The Forsaken Children is an important story. It teaches about a period in history where the most vulnerable in society were taken advantage, abused, and considered expendable.
Before I share my impressions of this story, I have been reminded of something my dad shared about his life. Dad was born in 1922 (the same period of this story). Dad was born in a small town in central Texas. He lived during the Great Depression years. His family was poor. Dad remarked that his parents generation treated children terrible. Children were often regarded with disrespectful words, humiliation, made fun of, and abused. It was rare for an adult to take up for a child. Men especially treated children bad. Dad had a low opinion of the previous generation. One story my dad shared is an adult man, a neighbor, allowed his dog to attack my dad, this man laughed at dad-he did nothing to help. This man considered it amusement. The Forsaken Children recreates this same time period and the same type of ideology.
What I love about The Forsaken Children is the heavy atmosphere and descriptions that bring the story to life. It is a harrowing tale and it has a full impact.
Hazel is a true heroine. She is described as thin and barely 5 feet tall. She is a sprite of a girl. But, she has a heart of gold. She has the will and perseverance of a super-hero. I love it that no matter what she has experienced in life, Hazel has not become bitter.
There is an additional dual time story of Charlotte’s life. I love it that the dual time periods are not back and forth too often, but they reveal Charlotte’s persistence in uncovering the truth about Hazel.
The characters are either exceptional or villainous. There is no in-between. The polar extremes makes either side 3-D.
The story does not wrap-up in a tidy package. It’s possible there will be more to this story in the next book.
Themes in the story: shame, compassion, betrayal, courage, perseverance, self-worth, power of love, and loyalty.
Source: I received a complimentary e-book copy from the publisher and HFVBT. I am not required to write a positive review.
May 20, 2022
Naomi left the continuing ending, up to the reader.it's
Definitely a rollercoaster of emotions. So horrible for these children. And to think, although there are avenues for single mother's now, still many mothers and children fall prey to abusers, in the guise as boyfriends, partners, husbands, mothers, uncles or anyone else who takes pleasure in other peoples situations and dire circumstances in life. Its not easy for an HEA in this story but with kindness and love, HOPEfully, Hazel with the assistance from Charlotte and Frederick, will find her missing brother and the boys (now men) who helped shape her life. This is my extended ending. Thank you, Naomi Finley, for a very thought provoking book.
Definitely a rollercoaster of emotions. So horrible for these children. And to think, although there are avenues for single mother's now, still many mothers and children fall prey to abusers, in the guise as boyfriends, partners, husbands, mothers, uncles or anyone else who takes pleasure in other peoples situations and dire circumstances in life. Its not easy for an HEA in this story but with kindness and love, HOPEfully, Hazel with the assistance from Charlotte and Frederick, will find her missing brother and the boys (now men) who helped shape her life. This is my extended ending. Thank you, Naomi Finley, for a very thought provoking book.
November 8, 2022
Sad but beautiful story
I loved this story and couldn't put it down .Its so true to life and the characters were well chosen and very strong people who were willing to share their lives together helping others less fortunate. Ìt is based on true historical events and comes over full of love courage and Gods grace in difficult circumstances. Really an eye opener for me. Having arrived in Australia when i was a young girl with only part of out family I know immigration first hand. Devastating circumstances. Beautifully written.
I loved this story and couldn't put it down .Its so true to life and the characters were well chosen and very strong people who were willing to share their lives together helping others less fortunate. Ìt is based on true historical events and comes over full of love courage and Gods grace in difficult circumstances. Really an eye opener for me. Having arrived in Australia when i was a young girl with only part of out family I know immigration first hand. Devastating circumstances. Beautifully written.
May 19, 2021
Wow what a book, this is not my usual read being a crime lover that I am but I decided to give this a go and boy am I glad I did.
This is a beautifully written book following two sets of siblings that have been through an organisation to 'rehome' orphans from Britain. You get to follow the troubling times that Hazel goes through in her 'new home' and the the lengths someone will go to, to prevent someone going down the same route.
This is a beautifully written book following two sets of siblings that have been through an organisation to 'rehome' orphans from Britain. You get to follow the troubling times that Hazel goes through in her 'new home' and the the lengths someone will go to, to prevent someone going down the same route.
May 8, 2021
What a heartbreaking story - all the more so because of being based on fact. The authors research has clearly been extensive. My heart goes out to the thousands of children and whatever families they left behind and Hazel’s story carried me along from the outset. A story well worth reading. This is my voluntary review after receiving a free copy of the book.
January 31, 2024
Well written book
A hard subject, written in an edgy and unique style. This story needed to be told. Although fiction, it tells of a harsh reality. The discription of abject poverty in Britain's past, brings shame to our nation. I liked Hazel's resilience and grit and felt her hopelessness. Naomi Finley builds her characters well. I'm looking forward to the next book.
A hard subject, written in an edgy and unique style. This story needed to be told. Although fiction, it tells of a harsh reality. The discription of abject poverty in Britain's past, brings shame to our nation. I liked Hazel's resilience and grit and felt her hopelessness. Naomi Finley builds her characters well. I'm looking forward to the next book.
September 18, 2024
Bravo! To be honest, I didn't think I would finish this book, and starting it was rough for me because I'm more into romance and mystery. But this, I was in tears!! This book is not for the faint of heart because of some very graphic things. Once I finished, I held my daughter extra close because what happens to these kids is infuriating. It's such a good story, though. I highly recommend it.
May 28, 2021
Masterfully written
This story captured my heart. Each character was well developed, and the storyline of each character was artistically woven together to build the depth of the plot.
This story captured my heart. Each character was well developed, and the storyline of each character was artistically woven together to build the depth of the plot.
October 16, 2025
excellent story
I always enjoy reading pieces of history about which I did not know. I encourage the author to reread and proof for inconsistencies in language used by the characters and the language of the rest of the narrative.
I always enjoy reading pieces of history about which I did not know. I encourage the author to reread and proof for inconsistencies in language used by the characters and the language of the rest of the narrative.
April 2, 2021
The forgotten children
I'm so wanting this story to go on! Every word had me being there in every situation. Please don't tell me it work k be months before book 2 is released.
I'm so wanting this story to go on! Every word had me being there in every situation. Please don't tell me it work k be months before book 2 is released.
August 31, 2021
2.5 rounded up
October 4, 2021
Good read. I enjoy historically based stories. However, I doubt I will read the others in this series.
November 25, 2021
Good. Looking forward to the test of the series.
February 24, 2022
Very sad what happened to these children.
February 27, 2023
Rollercoaster of emotions
A book I couldnt put down. Written in a way that you feel you were there going through it all. Powerful and insightful
A book I couldnt put down. Written in a way that you feel you were there going through it all. Powerful and insightful
September 13, 2021
Sacha's Book Reviews Blog
This book came to me via an ARC program, and I chose it because I was in the mood for something different than my usual genres.
The Premise
Between 1869-1932, over 100,000 children were sent from the United Kingdom to Canada and other countries through assisted juvenile emigration. Called “home children”, many were distributed from a receiving home to families in rural Canada, where they worked under contract until they came of age. It intended to assist the impoverished British children and alleviate the labour shortage in the destination countries, but research eventually exposed abuse and hardships of some of the relocated children via this scheme.
Hazel’s story is a fictional account of the plight that befell some of these children. 15-year-old Hazel and her 6-year-old brother are placed temporarily in a home by their mother, but before she can return for them, they are shipped off from Liverpool, England, to Ontario, Canada. She is met with heartache when the siblings are immediately separated, and she is put into a home with a strict headmistress. Her life takes a turn for the worse when she is sent to the Gagnons to care for their children and the home. There, the brutal abuse from Mrs. Gagnon threatens to break her spirit.
Meanwhile, former home child Charlotte Appleton and her sister Ellie, now adults and workers at the receiving home, are fighting to make a difference after what they have endured. Charlotte strives to help the children that pass through the home, and takes a particular interest in Hazel after finding out what had happened to a previous girl at the Gagnons’ farm. Can her efforts prevent Hazel from the same fate?
The Pros
This was a heartbreaking story, told beautifully and effectively. The details of the abuse and the day-to-day living were well done, and there were many complicated characters that brought the story to life. At times my heart soared for the poor children suffering at the hands of their mother, a religious fanatic, while they craved the love from Hazel. There were themes of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse interwoven throughout the novel, as well as salvation and redemption through the possibility of a rescue that felt like it took far too long to come.
The Cons
While I enjoyed the story, it got off to a bit of a slow start — a prequel was included, which felt disjointed somehow because it then shifted to a prologue from Hazel’s mother’s viewpoint, and this was the only time we see her side. There were also a few other hitches in the narrative that were confusing, as it switched between viewpoints frequently and at times didn’t mention who was speaking. I also wasn’t sure at its end if there would be a second part, as some things felt unresolved, however given the genre this may be the grim reality of life.
Conclusion
This was a really interesting novel that dealt with a difficult topic with style and nuance. I remember reading books which mentioned child emigration and labour, but it was a sanitised version of this scheme. I was not truly aware of this part of history, and Hazel’s and Charlotte’s stories led me to do my own research to learn more about it — which is a hallmark of any good historical fiction. I would highly recommend to other mature readers, and look forward to reading more from the author.
___________
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