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The Only Child
A decades-old crime threatens to tear apart three generations of women in this unputdownable mystery that will keep you gripped until its last heart-wrenching page.
Almost every graduating class had a girl who disappeared.
1949 It is the coldest winter Orcades Island has ever known, when a pregnant sixteen-year-old arrives at Fairmile, a home for 'fallen women' run by the Catholic Church. She and her baby will disappear before the snow melts.
2013 Frankie Gray has come to the island for the summer, hoping for one last shot at reconnecting with her teenage daughter, Izzy, before starting a job as a deputy sheriff. They are staying with her mother, Diana, at The Fairmile Inn, soon to be a boutique hotel, but when an elderly nun is found dead in suspicious circumstances, and then a tiny skeleton is discovered in the grounds of the house, Frankie is desperate for answers.
At once an evocative, unsettling tale of past misdeeds and a crime thriller that will have you reading with your heart in your mouth, The Only Child is compulsively addictive storytelling from the international bestselling author of The Silk House.
Almost every graduating class had a girl who disappeared.
1949 It is the coldest winter Orcades Island has ever known, when a pregnant sixteen-year-old arrives at Fairmile, a home for 'fallen women' run by the Catholic Church. She and her baby will disappear before the snow melts.
2013 Frankie Gray has come to the island for the summer, hoping for one last shot at reconnecting with her teenage daughter, Izzy, before starting a job as a deputy sheriff. They are staying with her mother, Diana, at The Fairmile Inn, soon to be a boutique hotel, but when an elderly nun is found dead in suspicious circumstances, and then a tiny skeleton is discovered in the grounds of the house, Frankie is desperate for answers.
At once an evocative, unsettling tale of past misdeeds and a crime thriller that will have you reading with your heart in your mouth, The Only Child is compulsively addictive storytelling from the international bestselling author of The Silk House.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2022
164 people are currently reading
2158 people want to read
About the author
Kayte Nunn
16 books587 followersKayte is the author of seven novels, including the international bestsellers The Botanist's Daughter, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant, The Silk House and The Last Reunion.
The Botanist's Daughter was awarded the 2020 Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize, and was selected as the National English Honour Society's Common Reader for 2023/4..
Her books have been described as, 'sensitive, atmospheric and often heartbreaking' (Who Weekly), offering 'compelling storytelling' (Australian Women's Weekly), and 'deliciously immersive' (The Daily Telegraph).
Kayte's novels are available worldwide in English, and have been translated into ten languages.
Born in Singapore, raised in the US and the UK, she now lives in Northern NSW, Australia.
The Botanist's Daughter was awarded the 2020 Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize, and was selected as the National English Honour Society's Common Reader for 2023/4..
Her books have been described as, 'sensitive, atmospheric and often heartbreaking' (Who Weekly), offering 'compelling storytelling' (Australian Women's Weekly), and 'deliciously immersive' (The Daily Telegraph).
Kayte's novels are available worldwide in English, and have been translated into ten languages.
Born in Singapore, raised in the US and the UK, she now lives in Northern NSW, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
August 20, 2022
Fairmile, the Catholic home for unmarried mothers back in the late 1940s/early 1950s, on Orcades Island saw many girls, some as young as thirteen, left there to cover their shame, to have their babies removed from them and given to others to raise. And so it was for a young sixteen year old girl who had let her head be turned by a handsome young man at the cinema, until suddenly he'd left and returned to his wife and child. The young woman, now pregnant, had no idea, and when her parents took her to their priest, he recommended Fairmile.
Brigid, Sally and Sara had formed friendships at Fairmile, but they all knew they'd never see each other again, nor would they see their babies. But the cruelty of some of the nuns took Brigid's breath away - kneeling on nettles on the stone floor of the chapel in the freezing conditions, not allowed to move, was one punishment. Brigid was desperate to keep her baby, but her parents wanted nothing to do with her or the baby...
In 2013, Frankie Gray had joined her mother on Orcades Island from Sydney, ready to start her new job as local deputy in September. Frankie's mother, Diana, had bought the rundown Fairmile, renovating it and preparing it for guests, to be known as Fairmile Inn. It was a beautiful old building and she knew Diana wanted it not to be remembered for what it was, but to see its beauty once they'd finished. Izzy, Frankie's daughter, joined them for the eight weeks of summer, and they all prepared for a busy, but good time. But when bones were discovered, the mystery of the past reared its ugly head once again. And when an elderly nun was murdered, who had ties to Fairmile, Frankie decided she needed to find the answers to the sad, long ago history.
The Only Child is an exceptional historical mystery by Aussie author Kayte Nunn which I loved. The horrors of the forties and fifties and the shame of unwed pregnancies, the abuse by the nuns and the stoic naivety of the girls is well portrayed. 2013 with Frankie, Diana and Izzy, puzzling out the mysteries of the past, while building the future is great! The Only Child is a wonderful read which I highly recommend.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Brigid, Sally and Sara had formed friendships at Fairmile, but they all knew they'd never see each other again, nor would they see their babies. But the cruelty of some of the nuns took Brigid's breath away - kneeling on nettles on the stone floor of the chapel in the freezing conditions, not allowed to move, was one punishment. Brigid was desperate to keep her baby, but her parents wanted nothing to do with her or the baby...
In 2013, Frankie Gray had joined her mother on Orcades Island from Sydney, ready to start her new job as local deputy in September. Frankie's mother, Diana, had bought the rundown Fairmile, renovating it and preparing it for guests, to be known as Fairmile Inn. It was a beautiful old building and she knew Diana wanted it not to be remembered for what it was, but to see its beauty once they'd finished. Izzy, Frankie's daughter, joined them for the eight weeks of summer, and they all prepared for a busy, but good time. But when bones were discovered, the mystery of the past reared its ugly head once again. And when an elderly nun was murdered, who had ties to Fairmile, Frankie decided she needed to find the answers to the sad, long ago history.
The Only Child is an exceptional historical mystery by Aussie author Kayte Nunn which I loved. The horrors of the forties and fifties and the shame of unwed pregnancies, the abuse by the nuns and the stoic naivety of the girls is well portrayed. 2013 with Frankie, Diana and Izzy, puzzling out the mysteries of the past, while building the future is great! The Only Child is a wonderful read which I highly recommend.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
July 30, 2022
Parts of this novel are harrowing and tense; others are heartbreaking. The story is told in two timelines. In 2013, Frankie returns home to Orcades Island to help her mother restore an old building that was once a place to hide away pregnant teens and turn it to a hotel. More important is Frankie’s goal of spending time with her daughter, Izzy. Because Frankie’s demanding career took her to Australia for five years, she let her ex take care of Izzy. Now that she’s back and will soon take a less demanding job on the normally sleepy island, she hopes she can better reconnect with her daughter. However, the island gets considerably less sleepy when a dead body of an elderly nun is found under suspicious circumstances, and, not long after that, the dead body of an infant on the property that her mother is turning into a hotel.
It's also told in 1949/1950, from the point of view of Brigid, who “got herself in trouble,” (as if teenage girls got themselves pregnant). She’s shunned in shame into the abusive hands of the nuns at Fairmile Island, where they will do everything in their power to deliver the resulting baby to a married Catholic couple who can’t have children of their own and aren’t horrible sinners like Brigid and the other girls. This is a fictional story based on the true events of one-and-a-half million babies given up for adoption between 1945 and 1973—it’s not that these babies were unwanted necessarily (although many would have been avoided if girls had better agency and knowledge), but that they were essentially stolen from young mothers who were forced into it.
As you can imagine, parts are hard to read, especially since for much of our country, abortions are becoming dangerous, expensive, and difficult to get as it was in Brigid’s time, and this situation could get even worse and more backwards, with even more disregard to the physical challenges of pregnancy, not to mention all the other things that go with it.
I liked Frankie in particular. She was flawed but believably likeable. This is a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the novel, which RELEASES SEPTEMBER 1, 2022.
It's also told in 1949/1950, from the point of view of Brigid, who “got herself in trouble,” (as if teenage girls got themselves pregnant). She’s shunned in shame into the abusive hands of the nuns at Fairmile Island, where they will do everything in their power to deliver the resulting baby to a married Catholic couple who can’t have children of their own and aren’t horrible sinners like Brigid and the other girls. This is a fictional story based on the true events of one-and-a-half million babies given up for adoption between 1945 and 1973—it’s not that these babies were unwanted necessarily (although many would have been avoided if girls had better agency and knowledge), but that they were essentially stolen from young mothers who were forced into it.
As you can imagine, parts are hard to read, especially since for much of our country, abortions are becoming dangerous, expensive, and difficult to get as it was in Brigid’s time, and this situation could get even worse and more backwards, with even more disregard to the physical challenges of pregnancy, not to mention all the other things that go with it.
I liked Frankie in particular. She was flawed but believably likeable. This is a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the novel, which RELEASES SEPTEMBER 1, 2022.
October 24, 2022
Another brilliant story from Kayte Nunn, a heartbreaking tale of young girls around the 1940’a and 1950’, unwed girls who have to make heartbreaking decisions, mystery surrounds the home for unwed mothers on Orcades Island in the Pacific Northwest of the coast of America, will the new owners uncover the mystery?
1949 and a sixteen year old unwed girl is sent to the catholic run home Fairmile on Orcades Island, here she is give a new name and kept with the other girls till their babies are born, this is the coldest winter there has been but by the end of winter she is gone and what of the other girls?
2013 and Frankie Gray has moved to the island to help her mother Diana restore an old homestead to be known as the Fairmile Inn, Frankie has arrived with her fifteen year old daughter Izzy and with her grandmother in the nursing home on the island there are four generations of the family there, When a nun is found dead at the nursing home and a small skull is recovered while restoring the old home, there are more questions that need to be answered and Frankie is determined to find them but will it hurt her family in doing so?
I loved this story from start to finish compelling and gripping reading as the author digs deep into the history and shame that unwed mothers caused back then and the cruelty that was cast upon them in these homes. These young girls although told not to make friends did and never knew what happened to each other, the pain they must have felt was terrible. I cried for them all, the babies the girls.
This is a must read story that truly I found hard to put down and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fabulous historical mystery, Kayte Nunn is a favourite author of mine and I do hope you pick this one up.
My thanks to Hachette AU for my copy to read and review.
1949 and a sixteen year old unwed girl is sent to the catholic run home Fairmile on Orcades Island, here she is give a new name and kept with the other girls till their babies are born, this is the coldest winter there has been but by the end of winter she is gone and what of the other girls?
2013 and Frankie Gray has moved to the island to help her mother Diana restore an old homestead to be known as the Fairmile Inn, Frankie has arrived with her fifteen year old daughter Izzy and with her grandmother in the nursing home on the island there are four generations of the family there, When a nun is found dead at the nursing home and a small skull is recovered while restoring the old home, there are more questions that need to be answered and Frankie is determined to find them but will it hurt her family in doing so?
I loved this story from start to finish compelling and gripping reading as the author digs deep into the history and shame that unwed mothers caused back then and the cruelty that was cast upon them in these homes. These young girls although told not to make friends did and never knew what happened to each other, the pain they must have felt was terrible. I cried for them all, the babies the girls.
This is a must read story that truly I found hard to put down and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fabulous historical mystery, Kayte Nunn is a favourite author of mine and I do hope you pick this one up.
My thanks to Hachette AU for my copy to read and review.
January 11, 2023
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**4.5 stars**
The Only Child by Kayte Nunn. (2022).
1949. It is a freezing winter when a pregnant 16-year-old arrives at Fairmile, a home for 'fallen women' run by the Catholic Church. She and her baby will disappear. 2013. Frankie's mother Diana has bought Fairmile to turn into a hotel. Frankie is helping her mother while trying to reconnect with her teenage daughter Izzy before starting her new deputy sheriff job. Then an elderly nun is found dead in suspicious circumstances, and a tiny skeleton is uncovered at Fairmile...
This is the fifth novel by this author I've read and I have enjoyed all of them, with the current being no exception. This book features a dual timeline, one in 1949 and the other in 2013. While at first glance this one is best described as a mystery, the storyline has a deeper aspect to it as it delves into the reality for young unmarried women who were shamed and manipulated into giving up their children. I also appreciated the exploration of Frankie's relationship with her teenage daughter as she attempts to reconnect with her while also respecting the teenager's boundaries. This is an absolutely engrossing read that I found myself getting lost into.
Overall: highly recommend this novel for readers that enjoy mysteries.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
The Only Child by Kayte Nunn. (2022).
1949. It is a freezing winter when a pregnant 16-year-old arrives at Fairmile, a home for 'fallen women' run by the Catholic Church. She and her baby will disappear. 2013. Frankie's mother Diana has bought Fairmile to turn into a hotel. Frankie is helping her mother while trying to reconnect with her teenage daughter Izzy before starting her new deputy sheriff job. Then an elderly nun is found dead in suspicious circumstances, and a tiny skeleton is uncovered at Fairmile...
This is the fifth novel by this author I've read and I have enjoyed all of them, with the current being no exception. This book features a dual timeline, one in 1949 and the other in 2013. While at first glance this one is best described as a mystery, the storyline has a deeper aspect to it as it delves into the reality for young unmarried women who were shamed and manipulated into giving up their children. I also appreciated the exploration of Frankie's relationship with her teenage daughter as she attempts to reconnect with her while also respecting the teenager's boundaries. This is an absolutely engrossing read that I found myself getting lost into.
Overall: highly recommend this novel for readers that enjoy mysteries.
December 21, 2022
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The 2020 winner of the Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize returns with her seventh release. The Only Child signals a new direction for this famed historical fiction novelist. Kayte Nunn’s new novel incorporates a dual timeline approach with a strong element of historical mystery. Stark, revealing and completely absorbing, The Only Child is a book that I unquestionably award five stars.
A crime that has been concealed for far too long, The Only Child combines an age-old mystery with a family drama. A story that will tug at your heartstrings, The Only Child is based concurrently in 1949 and 2013. In the past timeframe, we meet an unfortunate sixteen-year-old girl who is pregnant and is consequently shipped off to a special home set up for unwed young mothers. At Fairmile, a remote island community off the Pacific North West region in the US, there are others in the same position as this teenager. But as the winter conditions take hold, will this mother and baby survive? In the year 2013, we meet Frankie, a woman hoping to bond with her teenage daughter before she begins her new position as a sheriff. As mother and daughter take shelter with Frankie’s mother Diana at a new hotel, tragic events of the past come back to haunt this family. When the skeletal remains of a baby are found in the grounds of the hotel, questions and murmurs of foul pay begin. Will Frankie be able to settle the ghosts of the past?
A new Kayte Nunn novel is a big occasion in my eyes. I have been a devoted fan of Kayte Nunn’s work for some time now and I can proudly say that I have read all of Nunn’s books to date. The Only Child is the first book by Nunn that features a distinct crime mystery flavour. However, it still incorporates Nunn’s rich attention to historical detail and a remarkable dual timeline narrative sequence, that will completely win over fans of this talented author’s work.
The main setting of The Only Child is Orcades Island, which is a fictional conglomeration based around the Puget Sound inlet area of the Pacific Northwest was a star feature. The location base of The Only Child is an area that is all new and unfamiliar to me but I really grasped a hold of this stage. Nunn’s descriptions are vivid, generous and situational. I particularly felt the bitter cold weather and the strong winds that are clearly described by the author. It really seemed to condense the events of the story, adding another big chill down my spine as this historical mystery gripped me completely. Nunn has obviously undertaken a grand amount of research to compose this book. I was utterly enthralled by the time period, historic events, general societal expectations and movements of the time. In particular I felt that Nunn captured the feelings of public scorn, ridicule, keeping up appearances and status in relation to pregnant teens. Nunn also critically interrogates issues surrounding a lack of education, awareness and rights in relation to young girls who found themselves in the family way in this pocket of time. It really was a shameful and sorry state of affairs, that was clearly mismanaged. This difficult window of time has a bearing on today’s world, particularly when we consider the reproductive rights of women fighting the abortion law codes currently in operation in the US. In this case I feel strongly that The Only Child is a very relevant, timely and up-to-the-minute fictional text, despite the fact that the action of this novel is set in the 1949. It has a strong bearing on life today, which is what I admired greatly about The Only Child.
I feel I could prattle on and on about this one, there is just so much that this book raises and it does it well. The Only Child contains solid characterisation, an utterly consuming testimony of the main character in 1949, unforgettable friendship depictions, the remarkable acts of kindness, the upsetting treatment of a family to their daughter, sexual relations of the past, the weight of secrets, self-sacrifice, the power of the catholic church, coverups, cruelty towards the vulnerable, mother and daughter relationships, family relations, death, mystery and more. My list could go on! The Only Child is an absolutely commanding story, Kayte Nunn has displayed her finesse and versatility as a writer. The Only Child is a miraculous story that I will passing into the hands of all readers.
Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The 2020 winner of the Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize returns with her seventh release. The Only Child signals a new direction for this famed historical fiction novelist. Kayte Nunn’s new novel incorporates a dual timeline approach with a strong element of historical mystery. Stark, revealing and completely absorbing, The Only Child is a book that I unquestionably award five stars.
A crime that has been concealed for far too long, The Only Child combines an age-old mystery with a family drama. A story that will tug at your heartstrings, The Only Child is based concurrently in 1949 and 2013. In the past timeframe, we meet an unfortunate sixteen-year-old girl who is pregnant and is consequently shipped off to a special home set up for unwed young mothers. At Fairmile, a remote island community off the Pacific North West region in the US, there are others in the same position as this teenager. But as the winter conditions take hold, will this mother and baby survive? In the year 2013, we meet Frankie, a woman hoping to bond with her teenage daughter before she begins her new position as a sheriff. As mother and daughter take shelter with Frankie’s mother Diana at a new hotel, tragic events of the past come back to haunt this family. When the skeletal remains of a baby are found in the grounds of the hotel, questions and murmurs of foul pay begin. Will Frankie be able to settle the ghosts of the past?
A new Kayte Nunn novel is a big occasion in my eyes. I have been a devoted fan of Kayte Nunn’s work for some time now and I can proudly say that I have read all of Nunn’s books to date. The Only Child is the first book by Nunn that features a distinct crime mystery flavour. However, it still incorporates Nunn’s rich attention to historical detail and a remarkable dual timeline narrative sequence, that will completely win over fans of this talented author’s work.
The main setting of The Only Child is Orcades Island, which is a fictional conglomeration based around the Puget Sound inlet area of the Pacific Northwest was a star feature. The location base of The Only Child is an area that is all new and unfamiliar to me but I really grasped a hold of this stage. Nunn’s descriptions are vivid, generous and situational. I particularly felt the bitter cold weather and the strong winds that are clearly described by the author. It really seemed to condense the events of the story, adding another big chill down my spine as this historical mystery gripped me completely. Nunn has obviously undertaken a grand amount of research to compose this book. I was utterly enthralled by the time period, historic events, general societal expectations and movements of the time. In particular I felt that Nunn captured the feelings of public scorn, ridicule, keeping up appearances and status in relation to pregnant teens. Nunn also critically interrogates issues surrounding a lack of education, awareness and rights in relation to young girls who found themselves in the family way in this pocket of time. It really was a shameful and sorry state of affairs, that was clearly mismanaged. This difficult window of time has a bearing on today’s world, particularly when we consider the reproductive rights of women fighting the abortion law codes currently in operation in the US. In this case I feel strongly that The Only Child is a very relevant, timely and up-to-the-minute fictional text, despite the fact that the action of this novel is set in the 1949. It has a strong bearing on life today, which is what I admired greatly about The Only Child.
I feel I could prattle on and on about this one, there is just so much that this book raises and it does it well. The Only Child contains solid characterisation, an utterly consuming testimony of the main character in 1949, unforgettable friendship depictions, the remarkable acts of kindness, the upsetting treatment of a family to their daughter, sexual relations of the past, the weight of secrets, self-sacrifice, the power of the catholic church, coverups, cruelty towards the vulnerable, mother and daughter relationships, family relations, death, mystery and more. My list could go on! The Only Child is an absolutely commanding story, Kayte Nunn has displayed her finesse and versatility as a writer. The Only Child is a miraculous story that I will passing into the hands of all readers.
Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
September 6, 2022
In 1949 a teenage girl falls pregnant by an older man. Instead of bringing shame to her family she is sent to Fairmile a Catholic home for unwed mothers on Orcades island in Puget sound. The home is run by nuns, who treat the girls cruelly, penance they say for their sins. When the babies are born, they are taken away supposedly to be adopted by loving families needing a child. This is the only choice that the girls are given.
It's 2013 Frankie has come to live on Orcades island after leaving her job as a Police detective after an incident. She decides she needs to be close to her mother and grandmother that live on the island. Her grand mother lives in a nursing home with dementia and has periods of lucidity. Her mother has brought the run-down building of Fairmile and wants to restore it to its former glory and turn it into a hotel. Her daughter is also coming to visit her after years apart from the split of her marriage.
When another one of the residents at the nursing home that her grandmother resides is found dead. Frankie takes it on herself to investigate with the help of the local sheriff. Why was she killed and what links does she have with Fairmile?
Thank you, Orion, for a copy of The Only child by Kayte Nunn is part Historical Fiction part thriller. Set in dual times in 1949 and 2013. This is the first book from the author that I have read, and I will make sure I will check out her other books that she has written. I especially like the tale of Brigid. After being shunned by her family sent to a home for unwed mothers. Were girls are being punished for getting in the family way. The tough times that the girls had to go through. They were forced into some heavy work whilst pregnant and how quickly how they had to grow up when they had to face up to the choices of their futures regarding their babies. It is a harrowing tale. This is also a intriguing thriller, with great characters. 5 stars from me.
It's 2013 Frankie has come to live on Orcades island after leaving her job as a Police detective after an incident. She decides she needs to be close to her mother and grandmother that live on the island. Her grand mother lives in a nursing home with dementia and has periods of lucidity. Her mother has brought the run-down building of Fairmile and wants to restore it to its former glory and turn it into a hotel. Her daughter is also coming to visit her after years apart from the split of her marriage.
When another one of the residents at the nursing home that her grandmother resides is found dead. Frankie takes it on herself to investigate with the help of the local sheriff. Why was she killed and what links does she have with Fairmile?
Thank you, Orion, for a copy of The Only child by Kayte Nunn is part Historical Fiction part thriller. Set in dual times in 1949 and 2013. This is the first book from the author that I have read, and I will make sure I will check out her other books that she has written. I especially like the tale of Brigid. After being shunned by her family sent to a home for unwed mothers. Were girls are being punished for getting in the family way. The tough times that the girls had to go through. They were forced into some heavy work whilst pregnant and how quickly how they had to grow up when they had to face up to the choices of their futures regarding their babies. It is a harrowing tale. This is also a intriguing thriller, with great characters. 5 stars from me.
February 4, 2023
Almost every graduating class had a girl who disappeared.
1946: It's the coldest winter Orcades Island has even known, when a pregnant sixteen-year-old girl arrives at Fairmile, a home for "fallen women" run by the Catholic church. she and he beeby will disappear before the snow melts.
2013: Frankie Gray has come to the island for the summer, hoping for one last shot at reconnecting with her teenage daughter, Izzy, before starting a job as deputy sheriff. They are staying with her mother, Diana, at the Fairmile Inn, soon to be a boutique hotel, but when a Nun is found dead in suspicious circumstances, and then a tiny skeleton is discovered in the grounds of the house, Frankie is desperate for answers.
The story goes back and forth between 1949 and 2013. we have four generations of women - Brigid, the great grandmother, Diane - the grandmother, Frankie - the mother, and Izzy - the daughter. The story is told from two perspectives, Brigid in 1949 and Frankie in 2013. Both women share something in common - Fairmile. They both see the house with different opinions. I liked the authors writing style. The story is easy to follow and quick to read, but it can be heartbreaking. The ending was good, but it didn't surprise me. Everything was neatly tied up at the end.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #KayteNunn for my ARC of #TheOnlyChild in exchange for an honest review.
1946: It's the coldest winter Orcades Island has even known, when a pregnant sixteen-year-old girl arrives at Fairmile, a home for "fallen women" run by the Catholic church. she and he beeby will disappear before the snow melts.
2013: Frankie Gray has come to the island for the summer, hoping for one last shot at reconnecting with her teenage daughter, Izzy, before starting a job as deputy sheriff. They are staying with her mother, Diana, at the Fairmile Inn, soon to be a boutique hotel, but when a Nun is found dead in suspicious circumstances, and then a tiny skeleton is discovered in the grounds of the house, Frankie is desperate for answers.
The story goes back and forth between 1949 and 2013. we have four generations of women - Brigid, the great grandmother, Diane - the grandmother, Frankie - the mother, and Izzy - the daughter. The story is told from two perspectives, Brigid in 1949 and Frankie in 2013. Both women share something in common - Fairmile. They both see the house with different opinions. I liked the authors writing style. The story is easy to follow and quick to read, but it can be heartbreaking. The ending was good, but it didn't surprise me. Everything was neatly tied up at the end.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #KayteNunn for my ARC of #TheOnlyChild in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2022
3.6 ⭐️
Хубава книга, и като замисъл, и като изпълнение. Историята се разгръща в две времеви линии- миналата проследява съдбата на неомъжени бременни момичета, а настоящата- живота на три поколения жени, които възобновяват връзката си след дълга раздяла. И двете линии са свързани и се припокриват. Разкриването на детайлите се случва след като в един хоспис е открито безжизненото тяло на католическа сестра, която е била сред персонала на дом за “опетнени” девойки през 40-те години.
В книгата има загадъчност и криминална нотка, които са толкова добре балансирани, че задържат интереса докрай.
Хубава книга, и като замисъл, и като изпълнение. Историята се разгръща в две времеви линии- миналата проследява съдбата на неомъжени бременни момичета, а настоящата- живота на три поколения жени, които възобновяват връзката си след дълга раздяла. И двете линии са свързани и се припокриват. Разкриването на детайлите се случва след като в един хоспис е открито безжизненото тяло на католическа сестра, която е била сред персонала на дом за “опетнени” девойки през 40-те години.
В книгата има загадъчност и криминална нотка, които са толкова добре балансирани, че задържат интереса докрай.
November 5, 2022
Set in Puget Sound, Washington State, The Only Child is about young mothers. The main character Frankie is returning to the USA to stay with her mother who is doing up Fairmile House as a guesthouse. This old house has a traumatic past. In the other timeline in the book, 1949, Fairmile house is run by nuns as a place where single pregnant girls go to give birth and their babies are adopted (more often than not unwillingly). Frankie’s grandmother is a resident at Pacifica gardens where an horrific murder of an ex-nun takes place. The book gradually brings the two stories together in a satisfying way.
October 28, 2022
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
The Only Child by Kayte Nunn is another unputdownable dual timeline story by Kayte Nunn! This is an intriguing historical mystery depicting the shame bestowed on unwed pregnant teens in the 1940’s who were shipped off to special ‘institutions’ to have their babies.
1949 - Brigid a sixteen year old girl with child is sent to a home by her parents which is run by cruel Catholic nuns on a remote Island, the home is called Farimile.
Nunn beautifully captures this time where young single girls who found themselves in the family way were a shame to their families. These young girls were sent away, hidden from sight, their rights were disregarded and they were forced to adopt out their babies before they could return home.
2013- Frankie Gray has arrived on Orcades Island in the hope to mend her relationship with her daughter and assist her mother Diana to renovate the Fairmile Inn which she is turning into a boutique hotel. Durning the renovations a tiny baby’s remains are discovered buried in the grounds.
Nearby Diana’s mother is residing in a nursing home where a former nun has just been found murdered in her bed.
An excellent read, beautifully written with wonderfully crafted characters, a feminist vibe and a seamless thread that links both timelines which were both super interesting and realistic.
Publication Date 31 August 2022
Publisher Hachette Australia
Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for a copy of the book.
The Only Child by Kayte Nunn is another unputdownable dual timeline story by Kayte Nunn! This is an intriguing historical mystery depicting the shame bestowed on unwed pregnant teens in the 1940’s who were shipped off to special ‘institutions’ to have their babies.
1949 - Brigid a sixteen year old girl with child is sent to a home by her parents which is run by cruel Catholic nuns on a remote Island, the home is called Farimile.
Nunn beautifully captures this time where young single girls who found themselves in the family way were a shame to their families. These young girls were sent away, hidden from sight, their rights were disregarded and they were forced to adopt out their babies before they could return home.
2013- Frankie Gray has arrived on Orcades Island in the hope to mend her relationship with her daughter and assist her mother Diana to renovate the Fairmile Inn which she is turning into a boutique hotel. Durning the renovations a tiny baby’s remains are discovered buried in the grounds.
Nearby Diana’s mother is residing in a nursing home where a former nun has just been found murdered in her bed.
An excellent read, beautifully written with wonderfully crafted characters, a feminist vibe and a seamless thread that links both timelines which were both super interesting and realistic.
Publication Date 31 August 2022
Publisher Hachette Australia
Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for a copy of the book.
August 30, 2022
Kayte Nunn’s latest release has everything we have come to know and love about her writing but with the added dimension of a contemporary crime and a decades old mystery tying the story threads together. Kayte Nunn is one of those authors who could have ‘guaranteed good read’ on the front of every release and it would be one hundred percent true. She knows story, she knows characters, and she knows how to mesh the two together to make an incredible novel, every single time. I picked up The Only Child at the busy end of my working week, but I still flew through it each night, reading well past my bedtime.
I think what makes this novel work so well is the relatability of it. I could relate to Frankie as a parent of a teenage girl, balancing firmness with fairness, whilst also juggling all the balls, second guessing yourself within your career, and trying to centre yourself for your own wellbeing. The storyline of the Fairmile girls was so heart-breaking and affecting. I have read about forced adoptions before in previous novels, but this was a new take on it and I appreciated the balance between fact and fiction that Kayte applied to the topic. I absolutely loved the four generations of women being represented within this family and the feminist thread running through the story. So much sadness giving way to hope. There was still an element of mystery by the end of the story that remained unsolved, but I actually liked that, the realism of it, that sometimes, we just don’t ever find out what has happened to someone.
It goes without saying that I highly recommend The Only Child. Fans of Kayte Nunn will be more than satisfied with this new release and readers who have not yet had the pleasure should find this one a terrific introduction to her work. This one was a five star read for me. A great one for book clubs!
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
I think what makes this novel work so well is the relatability of it. I could relate to Frankie as a parent of a teenage girl, balancing firmness with fairness, whilst also juggling all the balls, second guessing yourself within your career, and trying to centre yourself for your own wellbeing. The storyline of the Fairmile girls was so heart-breaking and affecting. I have read about forced adoptions before in previous novels, but this was a new take on it and I appreciated the balance between fact and fiction that Kayte applied to the topic. I absolutely loved the four generations of women being represented within this family and the feminist thread running through the story. So much sadness giving way to hope. There was still an element of mystery by the end of the story that remained unsolved, but I actually liked that, the realism of it, that sometimes, we just don’t ever find out what has happened to someone.
It goes without saying that I highly recommend The Only Child. Fans of Kayte Nunn will be more than satisfied with this new release and readers who have not yet had the pleasure should find this one a terrific introduction to her work. This one was a five star read for me. A great one for book clubs!
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
August 21, 2024
My favourite of Kayte Nunn’s books so far! A really interesting story following four female generations of the same family starting and ending with the house which inter-connects them all. This had a bit of everything, including murder & intrigue. I really enjoyed it all the way through but felt the ending slightly let it down as everything wrapped up so quickly it felt as if some of the stories weren’t properly explored or explained (Ingrid’s specifically ) but aside from that tiny niggle, I thoroughly recommend it.
August 17, 2022
Thank you Hachette for sending us a copy to read and review.
A dual timeline tale with the added bonus of an intriguing mystery from the past that effects the present.
It’s 2013 and Frankie Gray has arrived on Orcades Island in the hope of mending her relationship with her daughter.
One last summer before beginning her job as the local sheriff and staying with her mother Diana who is currently renovating The Fairmile Inn.
Then an elderly nun is found dead close by and soon after tiny baby remains, Frankie can’t help but be curious about the circumstances.
It soon sets off gossip from the past, in 1949 a pregnant sixteen year old arrives in the town and stays at what’s known as a house for fallen women run by the Catholic Church.
She and baby will disappear forever.
Now the past and the present have collided.
A murder whodunnit with a slight thriller component with lashings of drama.
Kayte is a wiz with her historical fiction storytelling, engaging the reader and mystifying them and with her well plotted characters, eerie atmosphere and vivid descriptions you are instantly whisked away to another time and place.
Haunting secrets, a knitted history, human spirit and a stunning conclusion.
The writer skilfully develops a sense of emotion and restlessness for the person reading as she weaves the story throughout the time zones making them question everything until the final reveal.
It’s always a pleasure to have a wonderful Kayte Nunn reading experience.
A dual timeline tale with the added bonus of an intriguing mystery from the past that effects the present.
It’s 2013 and Frankie Gray has arrived on Orcades Island in the hope of mending her relationship with her daughter.
One last summer before beginning her job as the local sheriff and staying with her mother Diana who is currently renovating The Fairmile Inn.
Then an elderly nun is found dead close by and soon after tiny baby remains, Frankie can’t help but be curious about the circumstances.
It soon sets off gossip from the past, in 1949 a pregnant sixteen year old arrives in the town and stays at what’s known as a house for fallen women run by the Catholic Church.
She and baby will disappear forever.
Now the past and the present have collided.
A murder whodunnit with a slight thriller component with lashings of drama.
Kayte is a wiz with her historical fiction storytelling, engaging the reader and mystifying them and with her well plotted characters, eerie atmosphere and vivid descriptions you are instantly whisked away to another time and place.
Haunting secrets, a knitted history, human spirit and a stunning conclusion.
The writer skilfully develops a sense of emotion and restlessness for the person reading as she weaves the story throughout the time zones making them question everything until the final reveal.
It’s always a pleasure to have a wonderful Kayte Nunn reading experience.
January 17, 2023
Personally I would not class this as a mystery/thriller more like a plodding mystery. It was too busy, with so many characters. I had to keep going back and rereading. Never a good sign. The story was good but once again I was mislead by the blurb. The characters had no substance and felt wooden. Don't get me wrong it is still a good read but definitely not what was promised.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
October 16, 2022
Words can't express at how fantastic The Only Child by Kayte Nunn is! Been looking forward to reading this and now it's over, I want to read it once again! Absolute masterpiece!
I'm a sucker for a mystery that involves a mother and baby home, and Fairmile takes the cake! It's unfathomable to believe what life was like back in those days for the 'unwed' mother's. There's one nun who features heavily- Sister Agatha who ends up in the same nursing home as our heroine Frankie's grandmother. Only trouble is, Sister Agatha is found murdered in her bed and it's likely an act of revenge.
Things get even more complicated when the skeletal remains of an infant is found in the backyard of Fairmille, just as preparations are being made to turn the building into a luxury inn...
This has to be Kayte Nunn's best novel to date. Loved the setting of the remote Orcades Island, in particular Fairmile. The account of life in the late 40's and early 50's was a standout. Really felt for Brigid, Sally, Sara and the other girls who were treated no more than slaves, and an incubator for the babies who deserved 'a better life'. Sara's story is even more harrowing seeing that she was just thirteen years old at the time.
Of course, the characters also make the story! Really enjoyed the strong familial bonds between the four generations of women, and both Molly and Joe were such wonderful additions! Really wishing for a second book that explores Frankie and Molly's police partnership!
The Only Child is an unique must read. Absolutely positively in my top ten reads of 2022.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
I'm a sucker for a mystery that involves a mother and baby home, and Fairmile takes the cake! It's unfathomable to believe what life was like back in those days for the 'unwed' mother's. There's one nun who features heavily- Sister Agatha who ends up in the same nursing home as our heroine Frankie's grandmother. Only trouble is, Sister Agatha is found murdered in her bed and it's likely an act of revenge.
Things get even more complicated when the skeletal remains of an infant is found in the backyard of Fairmille, just as preparations are being made to turn the building into a luxury inn...
This has to be Kayte Nunn's best novel to date. Loved the setting of the remote Orcades Island, in particular Fairmile. The account of life in the late 40's and early 50's was a standout. Really felt for Brigid, Sally, Sara and the other girls who were treated no more than slaves, and an incubator for the babies who deserved 'a better life'. Sara's story is even more harrowing seeing that she was just thirteen years old at the time.
Of course, the characters also make the story! Really enjoyed the strong familial bonds between the four generations of women, and both Molly and Joe were such wonderful additions! Really wishing for a second book that explores Frankie and Molly's police partnership!
The Only Child is an unique must read. Absolutely positively in my top ten reads of 2022.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
July 30, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Note: There is a SPOILER ahead.
Based on the first line of the description, “almost every graduating class had a girl who disappeared,” and that the book was listed as a mystery/thriller, my expectation was for a “taut, clever whodunit.” Unfortunately, the plot line proved to be thin without a whole lot of mystery or thrills making this a mediocre read.
The story revolves around Fairmile, a Catholic home for unwed mothers in the 1940’s and 50’s located on an island in Puget Sound. The characters include Frankie, an ex-cop who left her previous position in Australia to return to the U.S. and reconnect with her daughter, Izzy, after a five-year absence. Frankie’s mother, Diana, has purchased Fairmile, is renovating it as a bed and breakfast, and Frankie and Izzy will be spending the summer there. But when a retired nun is found murdered in the island’s nursing home and a tiny skeleton is discovered in Fairmile’s backyard, Frankie has questions and seeks the answers.
The plot lacked substance and was predictable from the beginning. The characters, while developed, were totally unappealing. Frankie is the main character, who left her daughter with her ex-husband and went to work in Australia. Throughout the book, she is trying to convince herself that she did the right thing, even though it is apparent she feels guilty (but we saw each other for vacations and holidays, that counts, right?). Frankie is supposed to be reconnecting with her daughter in the summer, and will be joining the police force in September. But she just can’t stay out of the murder investigation, and seems to think no one else is capable of solving the crime. SPOILER: When Frankie finds out her grandmother was one of the unwed mothers at Fairmile, she confronts her mother, demanding to know why she wasn’t told as she feels she “deserves” to know. But does she? Isn’t her grandmother’s secret one for her to share? And if her mother knew, why is she obligated to tell her daughter? I was also troubled by Frankie finding a register with the names of the unwed mothers. While the register used aliases, Frankie wanted to find out who the women were. Why? How many lives would she affect with that knowledge being disseminated?
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
Note: There is a SPOILER ahead.
Based on the first line of the description, “almost every graduating class had a girl who disappeared,” and that the book was listed as a mystery/thriller, my expectation was for a “taut, clever whodunit.” Unfortunately, the plot line proved to be thin without a whole lot of mystery or thrills making this a mediocre read.
The story revolves around Fairmile, a Catholic home for unwed mothers in the 1940’s and 50’s located on an island in Puget Sound. The characters include Frankie, an ex-cop who left her previous position in Australia to return to the U.S. and reconnect with her daughter, Izzy, after a five-year absence. Frankie’s mother, Diana, has purchased Fairmile, is renovating it as a bed and breakfast, and Frankie and Izzy will be spending the summer there. But when a retired nun is found murdered in the island’s nursing home and a tiny skeleton is discovered in Fairmile’s backyard, Frankie has questions and seeks the answers.
The plot lacked substance and was predictable from the beginning. The characters, while developed, were totally unappealing. Frankie is the main character, who left her daughter with her ex-husband and went to work in Australia. Throughout the book, she is trying to convince herself that she did the right thing, even though it is apparent she feels guilty (but we saw each other for vacations and holidays, that counts, right?). Frankie is supposed to be reconnecting with her daughter in the summer, and will be joining the police force in September. But she just can’t stay out of the murder investigation, and seems to think no one else is capable of solving the crime. SPOILER: When Frankie finds out her grandmother was one of the unwed mothers at Fairmile, she confronts her mother, demanding to know why she wasn’t told as she feels she “deserves” to know. But does she? Isn’t her grandmother’s secret one for her to share? And if her mother knew, why is she obligated to tell her daughter? I was also troubled by Frankie finding a register with the names of the unwed mothers. While the register used aliases, Frankie wanted to find out who the women were. Why? How many lives would she affect with that knowledge being disseminated?
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
September 4, 2022
I have read all of Kayte Nunn's books and enjoyed them immensely. The Only Child is probably her best to date. Full of intrigue, mystery and a hint of romance, there is something for everyone!
Thanks to Better Reading and Hatchette Australia for the opportunity to read a preview of this book for an honest review.
Thanks to Better Reading and Hatchette Australia for the opportunity to read a preview of this book for an honest review.
January 19, 2023
‘It is a sorry business.’
Set on a remote island in Puget Sound, in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, this dual timeline story shifts between 1949 and 2013.
In 1949, a home called Fairmile is run by Catholic nuns as a home for unwed mothers. Sixteen-year-old Brigid is sent there by her parents when she falls pregnant.
In 2013, Frankie Gray arrives on the island. While waiting to take up a position as a deputy sheriff, she is helping her mother Diana renovate the Fairmile Inn which she is turning into a boutique hotel. Frankie’s teenaged daughter Izzy will be joining her for holidays. Diana’s mother, frail and suffering from dementia, lives in a nearby nursing home. An elderly retired nun is murdered in the nursing home. The remains of a tiny baby are found during renovations at Fairmile. Frankie may not be due to start work as a deputy sheriff yet, but she is keen to investigate.
In 1949, in the coldest winter the island has ever experienced, Brigid makes friends with some of the other inmates at Fairmile. She knows she is unlikely to see any of them once they deliver their babies and leave. And, despite the pressure she is under both from the nuns and her parents, Brigid does not want to relinquish her baby.
In 2013, Frankie struggles to rebuild her relationship with her daughter, and is sure that her grandmother knows more about the murdered nun than she admits.
Ms Nunn takes us back to the shame and secrecy surrounding unwed pregnant teens, to the pressure applied to surrender their babies to ‘decent’ families, and their treatment. In the contemporary story, Ms Nunn gives us a crime to be investigated and a mystery to be solved as well as several contemporary parenting challenges.
I picked this book up and could not put it down. Another terrific book by Ms Nunn. Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Set on a remote island in Puget Sound, in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, this dual timeline story shifts between 1949 and 2013.
In 1949, a home called Fairmile is run by Catholic nuns as a home for unwed mothers. Sixteen-year-old Brigid is sent there by her parents when she falls pregnant.
In 2013, Frankie Gray arrives on the island. While waiting to take up a position as a deputy sheriff, she is helping her mother Diana renovate the Fairmile Inn which she is turning into a boutique hotel. Frankie’s teenaged daughter Izzy will be joining her for holidays. Diana’s mother, frail and suffering from dementia, lives in a nearby nursing home. An elderly retired nun is murdered in the nursing home. The remains of a tiny baby are found during renovations at Fairmile. Frankie may not be due to start work as a deputy sheriff yet, but she is keen to investigate.
In 1949, in the coldest winter the island has ever experienced, Brigid makes friends with some of the other inmates at Fairmile. She knows she is unlikely to see any of them once they deliver their babies and leave. And, despite the pressure she is under both from the nuns and her parents, Brigid does not want to relinquish her baby.
In 2013, Frankie struggles to rebuild her relationship with her daughter, and is sure that her grandmother knows more about the murdered nun than she admits.
Ms Nunn takes us back to the shame and secrecy surrounding unwed pregnant teens, to the pressure applied to surrender their babies to ‘decent’ families, and their treatment. In the contemporary story, Ms Nunn gives us a crime to be investigated and a mystery to be solved as well as several contemporary parenting challenges.
I picked this book up and could not put it down. Another terrific book by Ms Nunn. Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
June 27, 2022
Part historical fiction and mystery, part crime thriller, the novel has a dual timeline which switches between 1949 America and 2013. In 1949, the young teenage female main character falls pregnant by accident, outside of wedlock. To spare her family's shame, she is sent off to a nunnery on a remote island, to give birth in secret. The appalling treatment of young unmarried pregnant women in that era was eye-opening and thought-provoking, especially in light of the recent US judgement on abortion.
In 2013, ex-cop Frankie travels to the same remote island, where her mother is renovating a property. Secrets of the past are surfacing and once again, lives will be at stake.
I loved this atmospheric, addictive and beautifully written mystery!
In 2013, ex-cop Frankie travels to the same remote island, where her mother is renovating a property. Secrets of the past are surfacing and once again, lives will be at stake.
I loved this atmospheric, addictive and beautifully written mystery!
July 20, 2022
More a historical mystery then thriller, The Only Child features a dual timeline in both 1949 Seattle and 2013.
In the 40's a 16 year old pregnant teen arrives at a home run by the Church on an island in the Puget Sound. In 2013, we meet Frankie Gay, a former cop vacationing with her family at the same spot (now a Inn) with her daughter. Frankie is present when a former nun from the home is discovered along with a baby sized skeleton nearby. Frankie has to work against the clock to discover what is happening and is faced with some of her own family secrets. If you like historical based mysteries and slow burn thrillers, this book is for you!
#PenzlerBooks #TheOnlyChild #KatyeNunn #NetGalley
In the 40's a 16 year old pregnant teen arrives at a home run by the Church on an island in the Puget Sound. In 2013, we meet Frankie Gay, a former cop vacationing with her family at the same spot (now a Inn) with her daughter. Frankie is present when a former nun from the home is discovered along with a baby sized skeleton nearby. Frankie has to work against the clock to discover what is happening and is faced with some of her own family secrets. If you like historical based mysteries and slow burn thrillers, this book is for you!
#PenzlerBooks #TheOnlyChild #KatyeNunn #NetGalley
August 22, 2024
3.5. I enjoyed this on the whole but I found the parts from 1949 much more engaging than the 2013 parts, some of which seemed to be added and were not needed. The ending seemed quite rushed which was a shame as some parts were not fully explained.
Read
August 24, 2022This was my first Kayte Nunn story, but certainly not my last. I'm a keen fan of dual timelines and The Only Child had a great mystery thread that linked both plots and kept the reader immersed in the tale. Strong but flawed characters, a remote American island setting and several key contenders for this whodunnit made it an excellent read. Thanks to Hachette for an early copy.
August 23, 2024
I enjoyed this one but I found it disjointed and the 2013 chapters were confusing with so many random characters and the story just didn’t flow. Overall it was a good story, the execution of it just fell flat for me with too much going on in the current day.
February 23, 2023
The storyline goes back and forth between 1949 and 2013.
In 1949 we are introduced to ‘The Girl’. I liked this mystery as it kept me guessing who she could be in the present timeline until it is revealed later in the book. The Girl is 16 years old and having got pregnant is sent away by her parents to have the baby. This was frequently how pregnant unmarried girls were dealt with at this time, bringing shame and embarrassment on their families. She is sent to Fairmile, on Orcades Island in the Pacific Northwest, a mother and baby home run by nuns. The girls have little choice other than to give away their babies to the nuns, to be adopted by a proper Catholic married couple. This left the distraught girls with lifelong psychological problems.
The Girl is given the name of Brigid by the strict nuns when she arrives, as real names are banned. This was common practice in these homes.
In the 2013 timeline, Frankie Gray
has moved to Orcades Island from Sydney for a new job as deputy in the local small police force. She is staying with her mother at an old rundown house, Fairmile, which her mother has bought and is preparing for it to be a boutique hotel.
Frankie has been at Fairmile for just 3 weeks when a body is discovered. A 90 year old ex nun. Found dead in her nursing home - where Frankie’s own gran lives. She was tied to the bedpost and some nettles left in a jar. Not long after, the remains of a newborn baby are found when excavating at Fairmile.
Izzy, Frankie’s teenage daughter, joins her from LA for the summer at Fairmile. Frankie hopes to reconnect with Izzy
after leaving her behind to live with her dad so she could go to work in Sydney, putting her career before her family.
As Izzy gets more involved with a boy, Frankie gets more concerned about her safety as she is going out late to parties with him, and Frankie has a gut feeling something bad is going to happen to her. Her police background means she is not trusting of many people.
I enjoyed every page of this emotive and wonderfully written novel. Both timelines were equally compelling, and I found myself lost in both Frankie and Brigid’s stories, with a tear in my eye more than once!
The two timelines weave together extremely well, leaving me on a knife edge each time one moved to the other, and I loved the kindness of strangers when needed the most.
I have a few other books by Kayte Nunn I will be moving up my TBR!
I will certainly be recommending this book.
In 1949 we are introduced to ‘The Girl’. I liked this mystery as it kept me guessing who she could be in the present timeline until it is revealed later in the book. The Girl is 16 years old and having got pregnant is sent away by her parents to have the baby. This was frequently how pregnant unmarried girls were dealt with at this time, bringing shame and embarrassment on their families. She is sent to Fairmile, on Orcades Island in the Pacific Northwest, a mother and baby home run by nuns. The girls have little choice other than to give away their babies to the nuns, to be adopted by a proper Catholic married couple. This left the distraught girls with lifelong psychological problems.
The Girl is given the name of Brigid by the strict nuns when she arrives, as real names are banned. This was common practice in these homes.
In the 2013 timeline, Frankie Gray
has moved to Orcades Island from Sydney for a new job as deputy in the local small police force. She is staying with her mother at an old rundown house, Fairmile, which her mother has bought and is preparing for it to be a boutique hotel.
Frankie has been at Fairmile for just 3 weeks when a body is discovered. A 90 year old ex nun. Found dead in her nursing home - where Frankie’s own gran lives. She was tied to the bedpost and some nettles left in a jar. Not long after, the remains of a newborn baby are found when excavating at Fairmile.
Izzy, Frankie’s teenage daughter, joins her from LA for the summer at Fairmile. Frankie hopes to reconnect with Izzy
after leaving her behind to live with her dad so she could go to work in Sydney, putting her career before her family.
As Izzy gets more involved with a boy, Frankie gets more concerned about her safety as she is going out late to parties with him, and Frankie has a gut feeling something bad is going to happen to her. Her police background means she is not trusting of many people.
I enjoyed every page of this emotive and wonderfully written novel. Both timelines were equally compelling, and I found myself lost in both Frankie and Brigid’s stories, with a tear in my eye more than once!
The two timelines weave together extremely well, leaving me on a knife edge each time one moved to the other, and I loved the kindness of strangers when needed the most.
I have a few other books by Kayte Nunn I will be moving up my TBR!
I will certainly be recommending this book.
August 9, 2022
It’s 1949 and the coldest winter Orcades Island has seen in a century. To save her family the shame of being unwed and pregnant, a teenage girl is sent to Fairmile, a mother and baby home run by Catholic nuns.
In 2013, Frankie now lives on the island with her mother Diana and can’t wait for her teenage daughter Izzy to visit for the summer before she starts her new job on the local police force. But Frankie can’t help but get involved with an elderly nun is found dead in mysterious circumstances at the local rest home.
When the body of an infant is found in the backyard of Fairmile Inn, the run-down home Diana is renovating to a guesthouse, pieces of a decades old puzzle start to fall together.
I jumped out of my skin when I saw that Hachette had sent me a review copy of THE ONLY CHILD. I am a HUGE fan of Nunn’s work and was really looking forward to this new novel which while follows a similar methodology of a dual timeline, adds a delicious and well plotted element of mystery.
Given the events surrounding reproductive rights in recent months, THE ONLY CHILD was an exceptionally timely read. For decades young women (and I’m talking as young as twelve) who were unmarried and pregnant where shamed from their families and sent to homes just like the fictional one in this novel. It didn’t matter if conception was the result of abusive or the very minimal access to contraception, they were shipped off and made to work for their board. Grueling tasks in the laundry (think Magdalene Laundries), very little medical or pre-natal care and then often forced into signing adoption documents against their will.
Full of female characters that I admire and respect, I appreciate that while there is a hint of a romance in the story, it’s just a hint. Nothing over the top and distracting from the main storyline.
I enjoyed the mystery element and raced through THE ONLY CHILD purely because I wanted to see how it would all tie in together.
Nunn is 100% an auto-buy author and this new book has cemented that fact for me.
In 2013, Frankie now lives on the island with her mother Diana and can’t wait for her teenage daughter Izzy to visit for the summer before she starts her new job on the local police force. But Frankie can’t help but get involved with an elderly nun is found dead in mysterious circumstances at the local rest home.
When the body of an infant is found in the backyard of Fairmile Inn, the run-down home Diana is renovating to a guesthouse, pieces of a decades old puzzle start to fall together.
I jumped out of my skin when I saw that Hachette had sent me a review copy of THE ONLY CHILD. I am a HUGE fan of Nunn’s work and was really looking forward to this new novel which while follows a similar methodology of a dual timeline, adds a delicious and well plotted element of mystery.
Given the events surrounding reproductive rights in recent months, THE ONLY CHILD was an exceptionally timely read. For decades young women (and I’m talking as young as twelve) who were unmarried and pregnant where shamed from their families and sent to homes just like the fictional one in this novel. It didn’t matter if conception was the result of abusive or the very minimal access to contraception, they were shipped off and made to work for their board. Grueling tasks in the laundry (think Magdalene Laundries), very little medical or pre-natal care and then often forced into signing adoption documents against their will.
Full of female characters that I admire and respect, I appreciate that while there is a hint of a romance in the story, it’s just a hint. Nothing over the top and distracting from the main storyline.
I enjoyed the mystery element and raced through THE ONLY CHILD purely because I wanted to see how it would all tie in together.
Nunn is 100% an auto-buy author and this new book has cemented that fact for me.
July 7, 2022
Kayte Nunn presents an intriguing mystery whose dual timelines center on Fairmile, once a maternity home, or home for unwed mothers as they once were known. In the late 1940s, a teenage girl becomes pregnant and is sent away to Fairmile on an isolated island in the Pacific Northwest. The nuns that operate the home are brutal, and nearly all of the young women are coerced into giving up their children for adoption. In 2013, Frankie Gray has just moved to Fairmile from Australia to try and reconnect with own daughter, Izzy, before starting a new job as the island's deputy sheriff. Frankie's mother Diana is renovating Fairmile as a bed-and-breakfast, and Diana's mother Ingrid resides in a nearby assisted living facility. When a body is discovered on the grounds of Fairmile during renovations, Frankie begins to investigate the history of the house in an attempt to solve the decades-old death. But someone out there doesn't want the truth uncovered and will stop at nothing to protect Fairmile's secrets.
February 4, 2023
Present day and Frankie moves to Fairmile House on Orcade Island to assist her mother Diana in renovating the old house with a view to using as a B & B. She also wishes to be closer to her ailing grandmother who's living in a local nursing home.
But soon after arriving an elderly resident is found murdered.
In the 1940's Fairmile House was used for young girls who found themselves alone and pregnant. Treated harshly by the nuns who run it the girls stick together for support.
I found this was a slow burn drama rather than a thriller but enjoyable all the same. I found myself more invested in the past storyline than the present. Very enjoyable read nonetheless
But soon after arriving an elderly resident is found murdered.
In the 1940's Fairmile House was used for young girls who found themselves alone and pregnant. Treated harshly by the nuns who run it the girls stick together for support.
I found this was a slow burn drama rather than a thriller but enjoyable all the same. I found myself more invested in the past storyline than the present. Very enjoyable read nonetheless
January 7, 2023
This was a very enjoyable mystery that takes place over two, different timelines. It’s not quite a cozy book but it is milder than most books I read. I enjoyed all of the characters and thought the author did a great job displaying the relationships among four generations of women. Although the ending didn’t come as a surprise, it was still very satisfying. I would definitely read more books by this author.
January 28, 2023
An atmospheric novel about mothers and daughters, with a murder mystery thrown in. Dual timelines can often go either way, but this was one book that made it work. Except for a few predictable twists, I enjoyed this one, and will look out for the author's other work.
(Review copy from NetGalley)
(Review copy from NetGalley)
March 2, 2023
Fantastic
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