White Orchids

Wainwright Duology #1

by Grace Livingston Hill

When Jeffrey Wainwright stops to help Camilla, he's caught in a drama that will change his life.

Grace Livingston Hill is the beloved author of more than 100 books. Read and enjoyed by millions, her wholesome stories contain adventure, romance, and the heartwarming triumphs of people faced with the problems of life and love.

Genres: Romance, Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian Romance, Classics, Historical Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1935

About the author

also wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz

A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.

niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book! It is the first GLH book I ever read and I've read it many times since then.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner from the late great Grace Livingston Hill.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet story. There have been some GLH books that I didn’t really enjoy or like the writing style of, but this one felt different. It felt more real and there was actually some depth to the story. I really like Camilla and her relationship and love of her mother. Jeff was a man who I actually admired and respected.
There were some really good sound Biblical points in this story about salvation and marriage after divorce. And it had a happy ending.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all of her books. This is a very good one and "The Strange Proposal" which is like a continuation of this story.

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Grace Livingston Hill book to read. I didn't expect it to be so similar in plot to the other one I had read. But the plot did pick up speed and change course about mid-way through, which I was relieved to discover. I liked it when Camilla starts up a makeover on her co-worker. What a sweetheart! That is the kind of person I strive to be. And soon after that -- the gauntlet is thrown down! -- by none other than a female adversary of sorts. One who intended harm for Camilla, but didn’t know of God's intentions and how He is actually molding everything to His will. There is some absolute, downright savage jealousy happening! -- Not from our heroine, Camilla, of course.

I do like how Camilla trust and relies on God very much so. She ponders in her heart if He would approve of her actions.

Content: Close to the end of the book, there are some comments about divorce, with the two characters' opinions differing on whether or not divorce/remarriage is right in the eyes of God.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was exactly what I was hoping for in picking up one of Grace Livingston Hill's books; it's a Cinderella in which the prince also learns valuable lessons. Her books are all pleasant and cheerful; I don't agree with all the theology her books support, but I can wholeheartedly support most of it, which is more than can be said for most books. There's always a learning curve for both characters in her romances (yes, so far they're almost all romances), and the learning curve is believable (unless you've read more than two of her books, in which case it becomes formulaic). I wanted comforting and learning, reinforcing my thoughts on the importance of virtuous marriage and love that takes into account the need for both people to be headed in the same direction, goal-wise (and hence, the same direction in their core beliefs).

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a couple that truly do meet by accident!

Camilla is on her way to get medicine for her sick and dying mother when she gets into an automobile accident. A handsome stranger steps up to help her on her way - and becomes deeply entwined in her life.

A beautiful romance told alongside a beautiful story of faith and courage makes this book another enjoyable story from Grace Livingston Hill. Again we contrast rich and poor and find that when there are things that really matter - what's in a heart, and the faith of the individual - that class distinction means absolutely nothing.

I liked this story because it felt so natural. Definitely worth reading!

[Lady Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 / 5

The surprising thing about this story is that it kind of works in reverse—Camilla (our heroine) and Jeffrey (our hero) meet right at the beginning, spend time together, and fall in love right at the start, and then spend a lot of time apart until the end of the story. Usually, most romances work the other way around, so it was really interesting to have it be the opposite way for a change.

Also, besides that, I really liked the relationship dynamics between them and between them with others. For example, Camilla has an interesting boss with whom she shares an entire story arc, as well as a less-cultured woman who she takes on to mentor. For Jeffrey, his arc was particularly satisfying, not least which because although Camilla’s words first get him started on reform, he discovers the path to God on his own through a new friend, John Saxon.

Now, I’ve already read about John’s romance in the second book of this duology, but the stories each stand wonderfully on their own, so you won’t get lost reading either-or first.

All in all, yet another Grace Livingston Hill read that comforts me in the right ways and at the right time, therefore making up another lovely addition to my shelves.

[Lucinda Dunne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first GLH book I have read and I enjoyed it throughout. I am trying to get back into regular reading, and have found it difficult in the past to find the motivation to pick up where I left off generally, but I read this book quickly, and the second half only in 2 sittings!
The book has a good variety of characters, some written for us to dislike (and very well), and some to cheer along and hope they get what they deserve. The way GLH writes Camilla is very beautiful, and I enjoyed reading about and related to some of her internal struggles and how she thought to resolve them. This book touches on Christianity, but it is not an extremely
bold theme throughout (I am not religious, but it was interesting to read these views).

[EuroHackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find myself reaching for GLH books when I'm having an especially stressful period of time, because they are almost aggressively quiet and calm reads. I definitely needed that right now, and this book fit the bill.

Camilla Chrystie is rushing off one evening to pick up medicine for her sick mother when she's in a car accident in the middle of an intersection. It just so happened that Jeffrey Wainwright was in the car behind her, witnessed the event, and went over to help. Stunned that Camilla isn't hurt (her car rolled several times), he takes pity on her and assists her in running her desperate errand. He accompanies her back to the crumbling home where she lives and meets with the doctor, and basically provides any assistance he can. Camilla is grateful, but is more worried about her mother than anything else. Jeff ends up staying overnight and is a very calming anchor in Camilla's storm.

Mrs. Chrystie pulls through the night, the doctor suggests hiring a nurse (Miss York), and Jeff basically kinda hangs around and helps out as best he can, given that he is the eldest son of a multimillionaire, putting around a shabby genteel bedsit. He gives Camilla a bouquet of the titular white orchids, as much to not let them go to waste as anything else. Camilla feels guilty for taking another woman's flowers (this man is so gorgeous and dressed in evening wear, so of course he has another woman), but she and her mother enjoy them anyway.

Jeff is charmed by Camilla's quiet dignity, and follows up on Mrs. Chrystie's health, and eventually wheedles a date with Camilla in spite of all of her objections (her mother needs her/she has nothing to wear to a fancy dinner/they are from two different worlds, etc). Camilla thoroughly enjoys herself on the date - even when they run into the Other Woman - and especially enjoys the kiss they share on her doorstep, though she spends most of the next 200 pages beating herself up for that enjoyment.

Camilla realizes that more than mere wealth/class separates Jeffrey and herself - she is a born-again Christian and he very obviously is not, nice though he is. She does her best to forget him, especially when he leaves town to take his mother to Florida for the winter. She spends a lot of time thinking about him, the kiss, and the gulf of differences between them.

Jeffrey is smitten, intrigued by what Camilla could've possibly meant about being "born again" (the Other Woman broke into their conversation at that point), and spends most of his time in Florida thinking about Camilla and re-evaluating his life. He even writes to Camilla, but without knowing his return date, there's little he can do, beyond thinking.

The Other Woman, Stephanie Varrell, is a typical GLH villainess: she's physically beautiful, with piercing eyes and a tendency to bite her blood-red lips. She is selfish, shallow, callous, cruel, and wants nothing more than to keep The Hero (Jeffrey) away from The Heroine (Camilla) because she has first dibs on him. In this case, it's much worse, because there is a superficial resemblance between Stephanie and Camilla, so Stephanie spends a lot of time wondering how he could possibly prefer Camilla to herself.

Jeffrey was on his way to a dinner that Stephanie was hosting when he stopped to help Camilla, and he has pulled away from Stephanie ever since. She's determined to snap her fingers and bring him to heel, far more interested in playing games of jealousy than being a decent person. Stephanie follows Jeffrey to Florida, steals the letter he wrote to Camilla and burns it, and when Jeffrey disappears without explanation, Stephanie is so afraid that he's running back to Camilla that she buys the building where Camilla and her mother are living and has it demolished(!!) so that, on the off chance that he isn't looking for her now, he'll never be able to find her. Talk about evil!

Jeff and Camilla are separated for months. Camilla sees paparazzi pictures of Jeff and Stephanie romping around on the beach, so she's determined to move on with her life, basically figuring that she's being punished for enjoying that chaste little goodnight kiss. Camilla's boss starts to take an especial interest in her, in the guise of her making over her coworker Marietta, but Camilla is so oblivious that she thinks the boss is just being extra nice to them. She throws herself into Marietta's makeover with gusto and lets the boss to her to lunch, then dinner, then home to meet her mother.

Down in FL, Jeff is discovering the meaning of born-again Christianity, which he is taking to with gusto, because now he knows the key to his future with Camilla. Once he discovers this, he's off to find his lady love again and marry her, because there are no differences between them anymore!

For the most part, I liked this story. It felt a bit overly long (I could've really done without the proselytizing), but moved at a decent pace. The ending was rather rushed (Jeffrey indeed searches for Camilla for weeks after discovering her only known address literally doesn't exist anymore - only to meet her in a chance encounter at the flower shop where he bought the original white orchids. It is NEVER mentioned before this point that either one of them goes to the shop to reminisce about their brief friendship/date/kiss until this point, but apparently they do). I liked the characters, especially Mrs. Chrystie and Miss York, the nurse-turned-housemate. Jeffrey was an appealing hero. He's already a good dude, even without the evangelical Christianity gilding. Camilla was an interesting mixture of being completely oblivious and pretty judgmental; she goes on a long rant that her married boss's interest in her is "unnatural" and that he has "no right to love her," etc. She also judges Jeffrey for drinking socially. It's like - if the world doesn't conform to her narrow standards of Christian morality, she feels really free to judge them and preach at them. Hmm, no thank you. Born-again Christianity is not my bag, but mercifully it's not overpowering here. Jeffrey's journey to God is low-key and straightforward, and the scene where he dumps Stephanie for good is very satisfying.

All in all, though, this was a good read that did exactly what I needed for it to do, for me.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a tough couple days this week so all I could handle reading was GLH. This book doesn't deviate from the storyline of all Grace Livingston Hill books - "poor Christian girl (PCG) meets rich, non-Christian guy (RNCG), PCG falls in love with RNCG, feels guilty for doing so, rich evil non-Christian girl (RENCG) decides to carry out an evil scheme, RNCG becomes a Christian, RENCG's evil scheme doesn't work, PCG and RNCG (who's now a Christian) get back together, get married and sail off happily into the sunset, the end."

Originally published in 1935, it was still entertaining reading in 2013 (even though I've read this one many times)!

[Sally A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely book by Grace Livingston Hill

Reading Grace Livingston Hill's books is such a joy. I always feel inspired & joyful when I read them. There are parts that feel like I'm spending a few moments in presence of God. The complete salvation message is shared & I always feel uplifted.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my one of my FAVORITE GLH books. I have a first edition copy and I just love it. Though its like most of her books (poor girl meet/gets rescued by handsome RICH man?, this one seemed to ring more true than most of her's for me. Great read, even all these years later.

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace Livingston Hill's "White Orchids" is the first of two in the Wainwright-Duolgy series. Again Grace brings religious sentiment which is uplifting and tying in romance with Christian values. I always come away happy and satisfied. I loved Camilla and her spirit and trust in Christ. I will read "Strange Proposal" next.

Story in short-Camilla is in a hurry to the doctor's home for medicine that might save her mother from death.


"Listen to Him? What in the world can you mean?” Camilla spoke eagerly. “You know, God speaks to every one of us. He wants to make us hear His voice, and sometimes when everything is going beautifully and we’re having a good time, we just won’t listen. We never even think of Him! I think very likely that is often why He has to take everything away from us for a while, so we can hear His voice in our hearts.”


Highlight (Yellow) | Location 36
“So I saw, lady, afore you decided ta put on yer brakes. Yer brakes are no good, anyhow. Guess ya ain’t had yer car inspected yet, hev ya? Them brakes would never get by an inspector. Ef ya hadn’t a ben in such a hurry, ya mighta been goin’ on by this time instead o’ bein’ all but killed yerself, an’ yer car dead entirely.” The officer eyed her coldly. Now that she wasn’t dead it was his business to rub in the lesson she was learning.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 41
“Well, it won’t never do that again, lady!” said the officer dryly. “What’s yer name an’ address? I gotta have them before ya can go anywheres,” he added, getting out a pencil and notebook. “Oh, but I must go!” added Camilla. “I can’t wait for anything! My
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 43
mother is dying, and the doctor sent me to his office for some medicine that she needs at once!” “Sorry, lady, but y’ll havta go some other way. That car won’t carry nobody nowhere! An’ I gotta have yer address ’fore I can let ya go.” “But what shall I do? I must get that medicine!”
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 53
“I gotta have that address, lady. I can’t let ya go without that address!”

❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert ❌❌

I had thought she would win Jeffrey but the evil of Stephanie going at all ends to destroy Camilla because Jeff has a friendship with him. I had thought that Camilla and Stephanie might be related because they looked the same. I also thought Whitlock had a more sinister character, I liked that he went back to his wife. Marietta will probably stay at the office and do well.

Highlight (Yellow) | Location 54
said the policeman insistently. The young man watched her as she gave the address. Camilla Chrystie, and a street he did not know down in the lower part of the city. He studied her trim, slender young figure, her refined, delicate profile.
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“Now,” said the young man pleasantly, “my name’s Wainwright, Jeffrey Wainwright. Which way do we go?”

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“You’re very kind. I ought not to let you, I’m afraid. I’m probably hindering you a lot. But—you know what your mother is to you. There is nobody like your mother, and,” with a quiver of her breath, “and—she’s all I have in the world!” “Of course!” said Wainwright with tender understanding in his tone, although he did not know. The conjured picture of his own mother showed her as he knew she probably was at that moment, elaborately gowned and playing bridge with a placid fierceness that was habitual
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to her. She had never been very close to him. He had known his nurses and his governesses, and later his tutors, better than his mother. Yet there was something wistful in his glance as he furtively watched the lovely girl by his side.
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“But you see, my way leads back also,” smiled the young man playfully, hoping to relieve the girl’s evident strain. “And you know, it is odd, but somehow since decisions about the evening are taken out of my hands for a time, I am strangely relieved. I wasn’t at all certain about what I ought to do before, but now I am. And I don’t think I ever before had a chance to help save somebody’s life. I somehow think we’re going to win out, don’t you?”
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I can’t understand how the doctor allowed you to do it! There surely must have been someone else to go. I should think he would have gone himself or sent a special messenger.” “He couldn’t,” said Camilla, lifting her strained face to his. “He couldn’t leave my mother. And there wasn’t anybody else who could be trusted to go. You see, his office is locked, and there was nobody at home to find the medicine and the instruments he wanted. He had to tell me exactly how to find everything he wanted. He is a very wonderful doctor. He saved my mother’s life once before, you see. He ought to have been called sooner. She wouldn’t let me send for him at first. She thought she was soon going to be better, and she felt we ought not to get in his debt again. He has always been so kind.”

[Linda Hendrex · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHITE ORCHIDS is book #1 in the Wainwright Duology and as such, it lays the foundation of Book #2, THE STRANGE PROPOSAL. I love them both and cannot decide which is my favorite of the two.

This is one of those books that I like to call a "gentle Grace", meaning that there is enough plot and conflict to make things interesting, but not SO MUCH DRAMA that it is a burden to read (YES, I'm looking at you, PHOEBE DEANE!) 😱

The story centers around two people from entirely different worlds who meet at the scene of an automobile accident and their lives become intertwined as a result. All kinds of circumstances conspire to keep them apart, but they keep crossing paths in spite of it. Is it fate or is it the will of God?

As usual, Grace includes her beloved strong Christian message of sin and salvation, and how the experience of God indwelling the believer affects life as God works in a person - both from inside the heart and also in external circumstances that come together for the good of those who love Him.

WHITE ORCHIDS is a fun book and I thought it was a relaxing to curl up with and get lost for awhile. It is the prequel to THE STRANGE PROPOSAL and we get our first introduction to some of the characters whose stories are fully unfolded in the next book.

[Anna Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be fair to this novel, I may have liked it better had I read it in a different mood. I was trying to read 4 different GLH novels at one time (not necessarily a good idea, btw), and this one kind of got shoved aside several times, until a frantic late night reading session 2 days before my library books were due!

I'm giving it a middle of the road 3-star rating because I actually really liked it at first! The "meet cute" was not something I'd ever seen in a GLH novel before, and Jeff was such a sweetheart to stay all night and help the doctor! There were so many adorable moments in this novel - and honestly, I haven't fallen in love with a literary hero this much in a long time. Was Jeff perfect? Nope, not even close. Was he adorable and a sweet cinnamon roll of a man who I wanted to love and protect from all the bad people in his life? Yep.

The story got muddled somewhere in the middle. Honestly, Stephanie was a caricature villain Seriously, who buys an entire city block just to tear down the house of a woman who you consider a rival for your boyfriend's attention? This woman was nuts! and I hate the trope of "I don't know how to contact you any more because you didn't leave a forwarding address". Seriously, people, who doesn't leave a forwarding address? Especially in that day in age? Sheesh...but I digress.

Overall, I might have rated this a 4 had I been in the right mood. The married boss story line was also different for GLH and I enjoyed seeing how she did that. Honestly, I would probably re-read this one! So don't discount it just because of my 3 star review - in fact, I may actually up the star rating on my next read through...wait a year or two and find out!

[Once Upon A Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, it was a nice read, but I found it overwhelming at times and a couple times, I'm just waiting to get to the next chapter. I liked it, but it's not my favorite by this author, though she's my favorite author. It felt too preachy and at one point, Camilla made a mistake and, as what always happens as a child of God, she gave herself a lecture, which I liked. HOWEVER......what I DIDN'T like was that after that lecture, all she did was focus on that problem and how ashamed she was and I seriously wanted to go into the book, shake her hard and be like "Girl, you've asked God for forgiveness, you already felt the guilt...get over it" is basically how I felt. There were a couple other things, but that was my main "but for the fact" I had with this book

[Jimmie Sandra Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quintessential GHL. Very sweet and beautifully evangelical and Biblical. It was just a little long for me. A little too much introspection on the part of the heroine. But I fell in love with Jeffrey!

This is quintessential Grace Livingstone Hill. Very sweet and beautifully evangelical and Biblical. It was a little too long for me. A little too much introspection on the part of the heroine. But I fell in love with Jeffrey!

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and pointless. Although other reviewers really love this story, I quit in exasperation at 60% on my Kindle. The heroine is so, so, so perfect–we’re told over and over again how lovely and competent and beautiful and kind and gracious she is, I gagged on it all. GLH usually did way better than this.

[Jamie Prater · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really nice story I love Grace Livingston Hills books

This is a wonderful family story I love this author because she writes great things. I would recommend this book for anybody wanting a good clean story with some suspense and some twists

[Ophelia Sellers · Rating 5 out of 5]

White Orchids

This book is a lovely romance with strong characters and plenty of hurdles for the young couple. The message of Christ is woven throughout the story. I recommend this book.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic GLH. Love the domestic detail and spiritual truths.

[Tonya · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, but very preachy.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good GLH novel. Very sweet story about poor girl meets rich boy and introduces him to Christ then they marry and live happily ever after. Better than the original Cinderella story.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poor but well bred born again girl meets a rich, handsome, charming man who doesn't know what born again means. Of course, there is a villainess who tries to keep them apart.

[B. M. Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Orchids

Very good 👍. I like stories about basic wholesome families and their Christian faith. I did not like the books that has a not an shred of moral values.

[Patrick Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful girl with character

I enjoy reading romance with strong characters and values and no trash so this made for an enjoyable afternoon read.

[Terry Yaceyko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely read. I love strong Christian characters.

[Lorie Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book of GLH . I read it every few years.

[Amy McCune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book!! Worth reading! Not much conflict and more just generally a sweet read.