What do you think?
Rate this book
An Orphan’s War
War rages, but the women and children of Liverpool’s Dr Barnado’s Home cannot give up hope. An Orphan’s War is a gripping saga about love and loss on the Home Front.
LIVERPOOL, 1940
When her childhood sweetheart Johnny is killed in action, Maxine Grey loses more than her husband – she loses her best friend. Desperate to make a difference in this awful war, Maxine takes a nursing job at London’s St Thomas’s hospital.
A BROKEN HEART
She takes comfort in the attentions of a handsome surgeon, but Edwin Blake isn’t all he seems. And as the Blitz descends on the capital, Maxine faces more heartache. When she returns to Liverpool, she harbours a secret.
A BRAVE SPIRIT
When Maxine is offered a job at a Dr Barnardo’s orphanage, she hopes this is the second chance she has been looking for. Do the orphans know that she needs them as much as they need her?
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2018
1612 people are currently reading
1555 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews
February 12, 2021
I just loved this. Saga at its best - heartwarming, engaging, sweet, dramatic and pacy, with great historical detail throughout. Highly recommend.
March 7, 2020
This book is not at all what I expected. The title is misleading. It is a puerile romance novel. Silly characters. Silly dialogue. Maxine, the main character, gets a job at an orphanage. I had hoped once she arrived at Dr. Barnardo’s orphanage, almost half-way through the book, the story would have improved, but it did not. The ‘orphans’ played little or no part in the story. I would like to have read something of interest about the orphanage.
Such a silly book.
Such a silly book.
July 3, 2018
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and I thought the narration and storyline was absolutely brilliant. This is the second book that I have read by this author and I will certainly be looking out for more. Would give ten stars if I could. Recommended.
September 30, 2018
For me this book really hit the spot.
Liverpool 1939. At the start if the story Maxine marries her best friend throughout childhood, Johnny. Days after their wedding he leaves to join the army and only months after that he is killed while fighting. Maxine is training as a nurse and decides that a change will do her good so she moves to London to complete her training at St. Thomas's Hospital. There a handsome surgeon takes an interest in her. After the relationship ends Maxine returns to Liverpool where she has to face up to new challenges, and make a fresh start. She takes a job at an orphanage, where she feels she's found her real calling and a home, but not everything goes smoothly, her secret comes to light and threatens her future.
A lovely read, always plenty happening, a delight!
Liverpool 1939. At the start if the story Maxine marries her best friend throughout childhood, Johnny. Days after their wedding he leaves to join the army and only months after that he is killed while fighting. Maxine is training as a nurse and decides that a change will do her good so she moves to London to complete her training at St. Thomas's Hospital. There a handsome surgeon takes an interest in her. After the relationship ends Maxine returns to Liverpool where she has to face up to new challenges, and make a fresh start. She takes a job at an orphanage, where she feels she's found her real calling and a home, but not everything goes smoothly, her secret comes to light and threatens her future.
A lovely read, always plenty happening, a delight!
May 30, 2018
Being that I have already read a Dr Barnado’s Home book by this author I knew what to expect from this one and I wasn't disappointed. Maxine is a nurse during wwII. She needs a fresh start after heartache and is now a nurse at Dr Barnado’s Home. Dealing with children helps her to forget her troubles and worries and she loves caring for the children. Enjoyed!
Pub Date 03 May 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Avon Books UK through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.
Pub Date 03 May 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Avon Books UK through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 11, 2019
Fantastic
I loved this book and could not put it down. The characters have well developed personalities. The setting near London during The Second world war is authentic and gave me chills with the dropping of bombs. Add to this children in an orphanage, love affairs, and family problem and it all adds to a fantastic book. I think this book is better than the first one and look forward to reading the next one by Molly Green.
I loved this book and could not put it down. The characters have well developed personalities. The setting near London during The Second world war is authentic and gave me chills with the dropping of bombs. Add to this children in an orphanage, love affairs, and family problem and it all adds to a fantastic book. I think this book is better than the first one and look forward to reading the next one by Molly Green.
January 3, 2020
I was disappointed by this book. I picked it up as I had just finished a book about the British Home children (“The Forgotten Home Child”) and saw the reference to Dr. Barnardo’s home in the summary of this book, so I thought it would be a perfect follow up read.
I found the plot predictable and most of the characters not wholly developed so I did not feel much sympathy/empathy towards them when they passed or suffered losses. Didn’t feel much of a connection with the main character either and kept rolling my eyes at some of her actions and inner dialogue. I wish the plot itself was more about the orphans (or even just the main “orphan”), as the title suggests, but it’s more of a romance story and I feel a different title may have been more appropriate. There were too many things trying to be told in one story, and I found it jumped a little too quickly in some parts and dragged too long in others. It left me with more questions than answers, making it frustrating to read. There were also many characters introduced who were not truly relevant to the plot line and who could have easily been omitted (ie Anna, Nurse Baker, Nurse Dolores...).
The author also seemed to make the assumption that everyone would know what Dr. Barnardo’s Homes were all about and/or who this man was. If I hadn’t already read about Dr. Barnardo and it’s history in my previous book, I would have assumed this person was still running the home (he was deceased by the time both WWI & WWII occurred) and that he was just another character in the story.
I so very much wanted to like this book, but as historical fiction it fell quite short, as a romance novel it was lack lustre and as a plotline worthy of the title, it was uninspiring.
I found the plot predictable and most of the characters not wholly developed so I did not feel much sympathy/empathy towards them when they passed or suffered losses. Didn’t feel much of a connection with the main character either and kept rolling my eyes at some of her actions and inner dialogue. I wish the plot itself was more about the orphans (or even just the main “orphan”), as the title suggests, but it’s more of a romance story and I feel a different title may have been more appropriate. There were too many things trying to be told in one story, and I found it jumped a little too quickly in some parts and dragged too long in others. It left me with more questions than answers, making it frustrating to read. There were also many characters introduced who were not truly relevant to the plot line and who could have easily been omitted (ie Anna, Nurse Baker, Nurse Dolores...).
The author also seemed to make the assumption that everyone would know what Dr. Barnardo’s Homes were all about and/or who this man was. If I hadn’t already read about Dr. Barnardo and it’s history in my previous book, I would have assumed this person was still running the home (he was deceased by the time both WWI & WWII occurred) and that he was just another character in the story.
I so very much wanted to like this book, but as historical fiction it fell quite short, as a romance novel it was lack lustre and as a plotline worthy of the title, it was uninspiring.
November 15, 2020
set in 1940 WW2 Maxine Taylor nee grey is widowed shortly after her marriage she goes to work at st Thomas hospital London and takes comfort with Edwin that results in a pregnancy then she puts the baby boy up for adoption. Maxine takes a nurses job at Dr Barnardo's orphanage. I loved everything about this book full of heartache, but happy times come along for Maxine. well worth a read
August 31, 2019
This book was lacking something. Most of the story focused on naive nurse Maggie’s insistence on fasting in love with every man she meets but that wasn’t much of a storyline. Peter Best was a great opportunity that was never developed.
October 4, 2018
An Orphan’s War: One of the best historical fictions you will read in 2018 is by Molly Green. This takes place in Liverpool and London during World War II. It is interesting that the author tells some of the things that are factual in the story. First are the Barnardo Orphanages. Dr. Barnardo was an Irish Philanthropist who, since he was a bachelor, first took in only boys; but after his marriage, took in girls too. He set up homes across England and Ireland for children to be housed during the wars and afterwards as orphans. Not all children in these homes were orphans. Some of the stories came from a lady who was in the home with her brother as their father was in the military. Over 60,000 children went through these homes. Another place that was used as it was in the book was St. Thomas Hospital in London. Even the “white rabbits” are still in the basement. Probably the most interesting is the name Crofton. She met a man in London who was sub officer in the London fire department. He had been in London during the Blitz. She found out his first name was Crofton and liked it so used it as her main character’s name.
This is the story of a young war widow who was in training in London to become a nurse. She fell in love with a married surgeon (without knowing he was married) and became pregnant. She refused to abort the child but did give him up for adoption. She then became a nurse in one of the Barnardo orphanages in Liverpool. She has to live with the guilt of giving up her son. She sets out to help all the children at the orphanage especially a young half-German boy whose Father was a Nazi officer.
The twists in this story just keep coming. It is really a good book
This is the story of a young war widow who was in training in London to become a nurse. She fell in love with a married surgeon (without knowing he was married) and became pregnant. She refused to abort the child but did give him up for adoption. She then became a nurse in one of the Barnardo orphanages in Liverpool. She has to live with the guilt of giving up her son. She sets out to help all the children at the orphanage especially a young half-German boy whose Father was a Nazi officer.
The twists in this story just keep coming. It is really a good book
May 24, 2018
Maxine ,Peter .
A nurse and a lonely little boy together because of the war like Molly's other books this is a heart wrenching story but amazing and definitely a 5 STAR review .
A nurse and a lonely little boy together because of the war like Molly's other books this is a heart wrenching story but amazing and definitely a 5 STAR review .
June 13, 2020
Was I ever fooled!
December 8, 2024
This is my first book read of this author have enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading her other books
June 7, 2024
Nothing outstanding in this book. A couple little twists at the end.
May 10, 2018
This story gives you the main character of Maxine who trained as a nurse in Liverpool and them went onto St. Thomas's in London. The she returns to Liverpool after a love affair that has gone wrong and left her pregnant. She has her baby adopted and has she had not finished her final training could not get a job as a fully trained nurse. She finds a job at Doctor Barnardos Orphanage as a nurse on the understanding she takes her finals. This is a job she loves.
If I go on anymore I will spoil it, so my suggestion is to read this book.
One thing I found out about this author Molly Green there is another book called An Orphan in the Snow which is a tying with this book it is on the Matron of Barnardos that employs Maxine, so I am now reading this one.
If I go on anymore I will spoil it, so my suggestion is to read this book.
One thing I found out about this author Molly Green there is another book called An Orphan in the Snow which is a tying with this book it is on the Matron of Barnardos that employs Maxine, so I am now reading this one.
March 31, 2019
I enjoyed this book very much, and found I didn't want to put it down. The characters were nice to meet, and I felt the experience of the war was well told. That said, I also found it somewhat silly -the writing is at times a mess, and the plot I felt predictable and often too easy of a trip for the heroine -most of her smaller obstacles in life are wrapped in on the next page but in reality would be much bigger to-dos.
April 3, 2024
Not worth the lengthy read. I usually really like books set in this era and with the same general theme. However, don’t let the title fool you. It’s barely about orphans at all, and the first 3 quarters of the book drag on. I only finished reading it for the sake of finishing it.
November 16, 2020
Great book, loved this series.
Read
October 8, 2019The book "An Orphan's War" by Molly Green is about a women named Maxine Taylor who is working to achieve her dream of teaching children with all the setbacks of being a women in the 1930s. In the book the characters are very well developed and seem to change as the book carries on. The characters may be relate able for some people but for me they are not and they are authentic. The plot is very original and unpredictable. This book is much more interesting and intriguing then the other novels I have read but the title and cover of the book make the story seem much more different than the story is unlike some other books that I have read where the title kind of gives you and idea of what the story may be like. There is one major topic that is controversial in this novel and it is sexism. Many of the challenges Maxine must face are caused by sexism and objectifying women. The main point of the novel is hard work and determination against all odds. I would recommend this book to 9th grade and 10th grade high school students because that this is the time in their lives that students face the most challenges and must not give up. I do not believe teachers should teach this novel in their classes because it is a very long book and while the book is interesting, there is a lot of information that dose not teach the reader anything rather it simply goes into detail of Maxine's challenges.
December 26, 2019
1940 in England and the war has begun. Maxine Grey marries her childhood best friend, Johnny Taylor. She doesn't particularly have any romantic feelings towards him but he has always been her best friend. She wants to be a teacher but her mother has always wanted her to be a nurse so she enrolls in Nursing School. When she hears Johnny has died, she moves to London to finish her training. There she meets a charming surgeon who singles her out with his attention. She is attracted to him but finds out he is not the charming man she initially thought he was. She quits her training and spends some time with her cousin until she can figure out what to do.
She applies for a position at Dr. Bernardo's Orphan Home and is quickly involved caring for the children. She makes friends with June, the Matron who shares her past experience with her as she struggled when she first came to the Orphanage as well. She meets a handsome man, Crofton Wells, a Flight Squadron but isn't sure she should trust herself a second time.
I enjoyed the book and learning more about the famous Dr. Bernardo Homes that helped so many young orphan children during the late 1800's and early 1900's.
She applies for a position at Dr. Bernardo's Orphan Home and is quickly involved caring for the children. She makes friends with June, the Matron who shares her past experience with her as she struggled when she first came to the Orphanage as well. She meets a handsome man, Crofton Wells, a Flight Squadron but isn't sure she should trust herself a second time.
I enjoyed the book and learning more about the famous Dr. Bernardo Homes that helped so many young orphan children during the late 1800's and early 1900's.
April 7, 2019
An amazing story during World War II, a young girl, Maxine Grey, married her childhood sweetheart before he went off war. Maxine is the main character in this outstanding novel. She became a widow when her husband was killed in the war. She is so young but to please her mother she entered a nursing school but in her heart she wanted to become a teacher.
While in the nursing school she falls in love then finds herself unwed and pregnant. She had some difficult choises to make for her and the baby's life. She was forced to leave the nursing school at the hospital, she toke a job in the Dr Barnado's Children Orphanage as a nurse and caring for the children. Maxine is a young, brave, strong, independent girl that faces life and every problem she or the young children encounters with determination t to make things right.
This is a very emotional story, with love, caring and giving everyday in so many ways. All the characters were described in vivid detail through their personilities. I loved this book, the author is a great storyteller, the words just flew from the pages, as I listened to the audio and I just floated away living in the moment with the story.. If you have not read this book I recommend it to everyone.
While in the nursing school she falls in love then finds herself unwed and pregnant. She had some difficult choises to make for her and the baby's life. She was forced to leave the nursing school at the hospital, she toke a job in the Dr Barnado's Children Orphanage as a nurse and caring for the children. Maxine is a young, brave, strong, independent girl that faces life and every problem she or the young children encounters with determination t to make things right.
This is a very emotional story, with love, caring and giving everyday in so many ways. All the characters were described in vivid detail through their personilities. I loved this book, the author is a great storyteller, the words just flew from the pages, as I listened to the audio and I just floated away living in the moment with the story.. If you have not read this book I recommend it to everyone.
August 18, 2020
Easy read.
This was a light, easy read. If you are looking for something quick to pass the time and you like WWII novels you will most likely enjoy this. She is correct on the major events (what few she mentions) but not so much in speech, morals and customs of the times. It is the little things that catch me up. The premise of the book was okay but she fell "in love" with every man she met. She didn't enjoy the physical side of marriage so how she could " miss" that was beyond me. But she did and it gets her into trouble. The thing I liked best was NO explicit sex scenes and NO foul language, aside from the British use of "bloody".
Would I read something else by this author? Maybe. Probably not any time soon as there are many other Kindle Unlimited authors I enjoy more.
It certainly was not "one of the best historical fiction books you will read this year". Or any year. HISTORICAL fiction it was not.
This was a light, easy read. If you are looking for something quick to pass the time and you like WWII novels you will most likely enjoy this. She is correct on the major events (what few she mentions) but not so much in speech, morals and customs of the times. It is the little things that catch me up. The premise of the book was okay but she fell "in love" with every man she met. She didn't enjoy the physical side of marriage so how she could " miss" that was beyond me. But she did and it gets her into trouble. The thing I liked best was NO explicit sex scenes and NO foul language, aside from the British use of "bloody".
Would I read something else by this author? Maybe. Probably not any time soon as there are many other Kindle Unlimited authors I enjoy more.
It certainly was not "one of the best historical fiction books you will read this year". Or any year. HISTORICAL fiction it was not.
May 31, 2019
The beginning seemed to me a bit more romantic than simply historical fiction. We meet the heroine, Nurse Maxine Taylor, while she's still a lass. Author Molly Green gives her very real experiences. Much happens before we get to the (Dr. Bernardo's) Orphanage. Readers almost doesn't realize how deeply caring and invested they become with each of the characters along the way. Then all of the sudden at the end, BOOM (figuratively speaking... I have to make this distinction because the setting is WWII). The emotional build up is exquisite. Deeply satisfying ending without being too sappy. Maybe I'm a sucker, but there was only one place where I correctly anticipated what would happen on the next page.
If you enjoy novels that beckon you to live the life of the major characters, An Orphan's War hits the spot.
Bravo Molly Green!
If you enjoy novels that beckon you to live the life of the major characters, An Orphan's War hits the spot.
Bravo Molly Green!
December 4, 2020
I enjoyed this book, although the title doesn't fit the bulk of the story. I think it should have been named for the main character who was Maxine Grey (Taylor). Maxine married her childhood friend who goes to the battlefield where he is killed. Maxine experiences training as a nurse, which is interrupted by her love for the top surgeon. He breaks her heart when she discovers that he is married with children and doesnt love her. The author brings Maxine's cousin, Pearl into the story. Pearl is a supportive friend to Maxine. Maxine moves away from the London teaching hospital, St.Thomas's, and gets a job at a Dr. Bernard's orphanage where she is happy caring for the children there. I will leave my review at this point. I have omitted some crucial events so as not to spoil the book for you any more than I already have.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2018
This is a great WWII saga that covers the lives of those whom live and work at Dr. Barnado's Orphanage. The author has given us back stories of all the characters which has been such a great part of this book. I enjoyed the writing style and felt that this book could go straight to a movie or television series! I'd love to have a television series involving both books about the Orphanage. The author, Molly Green, has a writing style that I really enjoy. She builds her characters so that you will really understand who they are and how they interact with others at the Orphanage. I can't wait for the third book in the Dr. Barnado's Orphanage series to come out. I loved this series and will highly recommend it!
March 20, 2019
Repetitive
This book was basically a repeat of the first book, but with some different characters sprinkled in. I will say it was a bit better than the first, but it was still repetitive. I liked the new nurse, Maxine. She fit into Dr. Barnardo's orphanage nicely. It seems Green's stories are mostly about misunderstandings and not being able to make decisions in relation to their love interests. I don't think I'll read the next in the series, as I don't think the premise will change. This is not the best historical novel I've read, as is touted, not even close. There wasn't that much history involved. That said, it wasn't the worst book I've read, nor the worst...mediocre.
This book was basically a repeat of the first book, but with some different characters sprinkled in. I will say it was a bit better than the first, but it was still repetitive. I liked the new nurse, Maxine. She fit into Dr. Barnardo's orphanage nicely. It seems Green's stories are mostly about misunderstandings and not being able to make decisions in relation to their love interests. I don't think I'll read the next in the series, as I don't think the premise will change. This is not the best historical novel I've read, as is touted, not even close. There wasn't that much history involved. That said, it wasn't the worst book I've read, nor the worst...mediocre.
December 27, 2019
I want to preface this by saying I am definitely not the target audience of this book. I received a copy to review, and have therefore read it, even though it's not the sort of thing I would ordinarily pick up. Sometimes, this results in a surprising discovery of a gem, but sometimes it simply serves to reaffirm that you were right about the genre not being for you. An Orphan's War definitely fell into the latter camp.
The book is essentially a soap opera. Characters come in and out of the story rapidly, introduced and killed off within a few chapters, sometimes a few pages. Dramas occur at a rapid pace, but without the accompanying emotional depth I need to make me care about such events. The writing wasn't bad on a line by line basis, but the pace of the storytelling and the shallowness of it made this book not all that enjoyable to me. But then I don't like Eastenders, either. That style of storytelling works for loads of people, but it really doesn't work for me.
I've passed my copy on to someone else in my family who does like that sort of thing, and I'm sure they'll find it far more enjoyable than I did.
The book is essentially a soap opera. Characters come in and out of the story rapidly, introduced and killed off within a few chapters, sometimes a few pages. Dramas occur at a rapid pace, but without the accompanying emotional depth I need to make me care about such events. The writing wasn't bad on a line by line basis, but the pace of the storytelling and the shallowness of it made this book not all that enjoyable to me. But then I don't like Eastenders, either. That style of storytelling works for loads of people, but it really doesn't work for me.
I've passed my copy on to someone else in my family who does like that sort of thing, and I'm sure they'll find it far more enjoyable than I did.
February 18, 2024
Do read Orphan in the Snow first as this is 2nd in a trilogy. Brilliant read.
Some books are good reads, you plod through them on and off but you don't give up because you want to know the ending.
Not so with Molly Green's books! I actually started off with A Sister's Wish series. I got really engrossed in these. Her style is more polished in those later books BUT these are just as good. It's really rare for me to get so engrossed in a series of books that I SIMPLY MUST read the next one! I'll actually finish reading all 3 Orphan series in less than 10 days!!! You'll enjoy all of them! If you are interested in WWII, this is for you. And by the way, if you're near Havant in the UK, there's a fantastic 1940's themed tea room complete with a bomb shelter inside!
Some books are good reads, you plod through them on and off but you don't give up because you want to know the ending.
Not so with Molly Green's books! I actually started off with A Sister's Wish series. I got really engrossed in these. Her style is more polished in those later books BUT these are just as good. It's really rare for me to get so engrossed in a series of books that I SIMPLY MUST read the next one! I'll actually finish reading all 3 Orphan series in less than 10 days!!! You'll enjoy all of them! If you are interested in WWII, this is for you. And by the way, if you're near Havant in the UK, there's a fantastic 1940's themed tea room complete with a bomb shelter inside!
September 27, 2025
Maxine is a young nurse in training just as WWII breaks out in Liverpool. She marries her long time best friend Johnnie just as he goes off to fight. Maxine continues with her nursing . She soon learns that Johnnie has died at Dunkirk and she begins a new relationship with a surgeon who works with her. She becomes pregnant and is horrified to learn that the surgeon is already married. She has the baby but gives him up for adoption. She soon meets Crofton Wells and they both fall in love. Maxine changes jobs to work as a nurse in Dr Barnard’s Orphanage. There she meets Peter who came to England with his British mother after the outbreak of war in Germany. His father is German. This book is OK but I am not anxious to read more of this author
April 28, 2018
This is the first book I’ve read by this author,but I absolutely loved it,and it won’t be my last. Set at the start of the Second World War it follows the life of Maxine. To do as her mother wished she trained as a nurse even though her heart was set on teaching. Maxine married her best friend Johnny but unfortunately he became a casualty of the war leaving her a very young widow. Against her families wishes Maxine leaves her home in Liverpool to finish her training in London. There are lots more twists and turns in Maxine’s story that I won’t reveal only to say I recommend that you read this lovely book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews