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War Orphans
If at all possible, send or take your household animals into the country in advance of an emergency. If you cannot place them in the care of neighbours, it really is kindest to have them destroyed."
Joanna Ryan’s father has gone off to war, leaving her in the care of her step-mother, a woman more concerned with having a good time than being any sort of parent to her.
But then she finds a puppy, left for dead, and Joanna’s becomes determined to save him, sharing her meagre rations with him. But, in a time of war, pets are only seen as an unnecesary burden and she is forced to hide her new friend, Harry from her step-mother and the authorities. With bombs falling over Bristol and with the prospect of evacuation on the horizon can they keep stay together and keep each other safe?
Joanna Ryan’s father has gone off to war, leaving her in the care of her step-mother, a woman more concerned with having a good time than being any sort of parent to her.
But then she finds a puppy, left for dead, and Joanna’s becomes determined to save him, sharing her meagre rations with him. But, in a time of war, pets are only seen as an unnecesary burden and she is forced to hide her new friend, Harry from her step-mother and the authorities. With bombs falling over Bristol and with the prospect of evacuation on the horizon can they keep stay together and keep each other safe?
- GenresAudiobook
360 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2016
238 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 18, 2023
War Orphans by Lizzie Lane is a pleasant story that is one part Cinderella and one part Annie set in a war time England. The jacket tells us that she was inspired by her mother who endured the war years and was a natural storyteller.
The Cinderella part is from the evil stepmother, but without sisters. Several times in the book they even refer to her the stepmother in that way, like this one:
‘Ah! The wicked stepmother! Every good fairy story should have one.’
Our hero Joanna’s father goes off to war in Europe, so is left with her stepmother Elspeth. She selfishly spends money on herself while abusing Joanna, including locking her in the coal cellar at times. Elspeth kills the cat, well, Joanna’s kitten in this case, at the start of the book as part of the public campaign to euthanize pets due to the war.
I only recently learned of the mass euthanizing that took place in England from the book ‘Doing Their Bit’ where it mentions that panic that caused so many people to euthanize their dogs. Here is an example from that book:
‘In what the national Canine Defence League termed the “September Holocaust,” some 400,000 pets, or more than a quarter of London’s canine and feline population, where euthanized in the British Capital in the days immediately succeeding the onset of the war in September 1939.’
My assumption is that the author is drawing on experiences of her mother when the panic and policies occurred to get so many people to have their pets euthanized. I didn’t see the descriptions of the wagons that went around to pick up people’s pets in another book.
Joanne’s teacher Sally notices the change:
“Just of late her hair, her clothes and the spark she’d seen in her eyes seemed to have faded. She’d also noticed she was usually the last to leave the classroom, and the last to leave the playground at four o’clock when the children swarmed like bees towards the school gate and home. ‘
Then through some sad circumstances, Joanne finds a cocker spaniel puppy. Joanne’s focus is then on not letting him meet the same fate as so many other dogs and cats that were ‘sent to the country.’ It is a good reminder of all the comfort and joy that comes from a dog that is sadly needed in war time. At one point the dog also comes to the rescue in the way dogs actually did during the blitz.
The book has a nice number of colorful characters, some good, and others painted in to be the villain. The teacher Sally is to have a big part in the book. Other than helping Joanne, she also has a complicated affair with a Frenchman named Pierre. When she asks him at one point ‘Is this love at first sight?’ He replies:
‘No. It was love before we even met. We were just waiting for it to happen.'
Sally’s father Seb also plays prominently. He was despairing after losing his wife. The next passage is how he feels when he finds the puppy that Joanne has left in his shed by his allotment space to grow vegetables:
‘Seb had never been a hard man, but neither was he a soft one. Yet seeing the vulnerable little animal his heart skipped a beat and something heavy, as stout as an old oak door, seemed to creak open. The reason for it opening was as light as a feather, an ecstatic feeling, like a bright light shining into a dark corner.’
The book does a great job portraying the stepmother as an evil selfish witch which makes you root for her demise. What I wish I had captured was some of the phrases Sally makes in reference to Elspeth, tame by today’s standards but shocking to the ones she shares those thoughts with.
I thoroughly enjoyed what I think is my first historical novel. It really gives you a nice feeling of having to endure uncertainties and rationing of the time, but not like a tedious history lesson. I also think the historical backdrop helps ground a fun fairy tale type story.
As an adult we would be following the news stories of the course of the war, but they are missing from the story. There also aren’t dates referenced in the book, and it felt to me like a gap to not know at what point Dunkirk happened, or when the Blitz started in relation to the story. Not a big deal but I did feel it might have helped me feel more connected to history and those shocks would have had a bigger point of impact reflected in points of the book.
In closing, a lovely book I enjoyed. Felt smoothly written. The ending maybe was a little too nicely wrapped up, but no Kleenex for sad tears needed.
The Cinderella part is from the evil stepmother, but without sisters. Several times in the book they even refer to her the stepmother in that way, like this one:
‘Ah! The wicked stepmother! Every good fairy story should have one.’
Our hero Joanna’s father goes off to war in Europe, so is left with her stepmother Elspeth. She selfishly spends money on herself while abusing Joanna, including locking her in the coal cellar at times. Elspeth kills the cat, well, Joanna’s kitten in this case, at the start of the book as part of the public campaign to euthanize pets due to the war.
I only recently learned of the mass euthanizing that took place in England from the book ‘Doing Their Bit’ where it mentions that panic that caused so many people to euthanize their dogs. Here is an example from that book:
‘In what the national Canine Defence League termed the “September Holocaust,” some 400,000 pets, or more than a quarter of London’s canine and feline population, where euthanized in the British Capital in the days immediately succeeding the onset of the war in September 1939.’
My assumption is that the author is drawing on experiences of her mother when the panic and policies occurred to get so many people to have their pets euthanized. I didn’t see the descriptions of the wagons that went around to pick up people’s pets in another book.
Joanne’s teacher Sally notices the change:
“Just of late her hair, her clothes and the spark she’d seen in her eyes seemed to have faded. She’d also noticed she was usually the last to leave the classroom, and the last to leave the playground at four o’clock when the children swarmed like bees towards the school gate and home. ‘
Then through some sad circumstances, Joanne finds a cocker spaniel puppy. Joanne’s focus is then on not letting him meet the same fate as so many other dogs and cats that were ‘sent to the country.’ It is a good reminder of all the comfort and joy that comes from a dog that is sadly needed in war time. At one point the dog also comes to the rescue in the way dogs actually did during the blitz.
The book has a nice number of colorful characters, some good, and others painted in to be the villain. The teacher Sally is to have a big part in the book. Other than helping Joanne, she also has a complicated affair with a Frenchman named Pierre. When she asks him at one point ‘Is this love at first sight?’ He replies:
‘No. It was love before we even met. We were just waiting for it to happen.'
Sally’s father Seb also plays prominently. He was despairing after losing his wife. The next passage is how he feels when he finds the puppy that Joanne has left in his shed by his allotment space to grow vegetables:
‘Seb had never been a hard man, but neither was he a soft one. Yet seeing the vulnerable little animal his heart skipped a beat and something heavy, as stout as an old oak door, seemed to creak open. The reason for it opening was as light as a feather, an ecstatic feeling, like a bright light shining into a dark corner.’
The book does a great job portraying the stepmother as an evil selfish witch which makes you root for her demise. What I wish I had captured was some of the phrases Sally makes in reference to Elspeth, tame by today’s standards but shocking to the ones she shares those thoughts with.
I thoroughly enjoyed what I think is my first historical novel. It really gives you a nice feeling of having to endure uncertainties and rationing of the time, but not like a tedious history lesson. I also think the historical backdrop helps ground a fun fairy tale type story.
As an adult we would be following the news stories of the course of the war, but they are missing from the story. There also aren’t dates referenced in the book, and it felt to me like a gap to not know at what point Dunkirk happened, or when the Blitz started in relation to the story. Not a big deal but I did feel it might have helped me feel more connected to history and those shocks would have had a bigger point of impact reflected in points of the book.
In closing, a lovely book I enjoyed. Felt smoothly written. The ending maybe was a little too nicely wrapped up, but no Kleenex for sad tears needed.
September 3, 2016
Kelly Furniss I really enjoy books about the War so I was attracted to this book right away.
Poor Joanna leads a life intimidated by her Step-mother who tricked her Father in to believing she would be a caring Mother to her. Whilst his back is turned and then he goes to War she goes out with other men and abuses Joanna making sure she keeps it all kept a secret. There is no surprise that Joanna seeks affection and love and it comes in the form of a little puppy. Here we see the pure determination and strength of character this girl has as she does everything to try and save the abandoned puppy which isn't easy at a time when food is rationed and she is only given tiny amounts anyway and the advice is to destroy animals if care can not be provided due to the War.
The characterisation was really good in this book and I was hooked in to the story from the first few pages.
There are trials and tribulations as the story develops but ultimately it becomes a heart warming tale.
A very enjoyable book which is hard to leave alone once started.
Thank you to the publishers, author and Netgalley in providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Poor Joanna leads a life intimidated by her Step-mother who tricked her Father in to believing she would be a caring Mother to her. Whilst his back is turned and then he goes to War she goes out with other men and abuses Joanna making sure she keeps it all kept a secret. There is no surprise that Joanna seeks affection and love and it comes in the form of a little puppy. Here we see the pure determination and strength of character this girl has as she does everything to try and save the abandoned puppy which isn't easy at a time when food is rationed and she is only given tiny amounts anyway and the advice is to destroy animals if care can not be provided due to the War.
The characterisation was really good in this book and I was hooked in to the story from the first few pages.
There are trials and tribulations as the story develops but ultimately it becomes a heart warming tale.
A very enjoyable book which is hard to leave alone once started.
Thank you to the publishers, author and Netgalley in providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
December 2, 2025
Set in Great Britain at the start of WWII, this novel has reminded me of a version of “Orphan Annie” for adult readers (minus the musical numbers!) The main protagonist is a little girl who loves her dog more than anything, determined to keep him safe despite the government’s orders to put down all pet animals. You will root for Johanna and Harry, and boo for the more sinister characters who want to separate these two!
February 5, 2022
I picked up this book simply because I love dogs and couldn't resist the gorgeous dog on the front of the book however I never expected to be blown away by such a beautiful story of the most amazing love and friendship between Harry and Joanna.
This book made me cry at times but also left me smiling too and shows just how powerful love is between a pet and their owner.
This book made me cry at times but also left me smiling too and shows just how powerful love is between a pet and their owner.
June 14, 2017
This wasn't really my kind of book it was an easy to read story.
I tried it because I like books about the war and animals.
It was a bit predictable but overall a good story.....
Thank you netgalley the Author and publisher for a chance to read this book.....
I tried it because I like books about the war and animals.
It was a bit predictable but overall a good story.....
Thank you netgalley the Author and publisher for a chance to read this book.....
September 21, 2016
Lizzie Lane has a great, engaging writing style. I love historical books set around the war and was really pleased to be approved to read this one on Net Galley. Joanna has a very tough life with her step mother after her father goes to war. She finds a puppy at a time where the government are keen to reduce the amount of pets kept. Joanna finds comfort in this lovely puppy, Harry. It’s a really heartwarming book with it’s share of sadness, romance, friendships and is a real page turner thoughout. You are left wondering where it will take you next. I am really keen to read more by Lizzie Lane.
October 21, 2016
I liked the simple narrative way of the story which attracted me easily but by reading the first few chapters I knew what will happen next(it was so predictable :(
September 23, 2016
Looking at Lizzie Lane's author page on Amazon she has quite a back catalogue of books but War Orphans is the first book I have read by this author. Honestly I had never heard of Lizzie Lane previous to reading this book but I couldn't not read it when faced with such a cute dog on the cover. I'm a sucker for a dog in a story and in this one Harry is a star that brings comfort, solace and support to our young female protagonist Joanna Ryan.
This book is set in Bristol during World War Two and I've read plenty of books set during this time period before all focusing on different aspects of the war but War Orphans presented a different viewpoint, one which I had never read before. It had the added bonus of focusing of what happened to the majority of domestic pets once the war had begun. I suppose nowadays you wouldn't give much thought to such a thing considering the six long years of hardship that was to follow the outbreak of war and all the horrific events that went with it. But here Lizzie Lane has shone light on what happened and used the puppy Harry as a focus for the book and in doing so Joanna's story along with a few older characters is free to be told.
Joanna finds a bag of puppies left for dead and drowning in the river but one determined little fighter is still barely alive and has the strength to keep going. The only problem is all animals had been ordered by the government to be sent 'to the country' - realistically thousands of pets were put down within the first few days of the announcement of the war. Joanna had already lost her beloved cat and in finding this puppy she know she must keep him a secret. At the time it was believed there would be no extra food for pets or animals unless they could be killed for food so it was best to get rid of them. But a unique bond is formed between Joanna and Harry - a bond which will be tested to the limit. Can they survive everything the war will throw at them?
Overall War Orphans is a very light, easy read and it is not until the last quarter of the book that I felt the pace of the book really picked up and it became a bit more meatier as things began to happen. Right from the start although I admired Joanna and her steely determination despite all the hardships and obstacles she endures I did wonder how can an author pull off a war time saga book with a 9 year old as its lead character? I thought it would be rather monotonous following her daily routine in keeping away from her stepmother Elspeth and also keeping Harry a secret from the older generation. Thankfully my fears were quashed when other older characters were introduced in the form of Joanna's teacher Sally Hadley and her father Seb. Their stories at first were told separately from that of Joanna's but slowly they all began to become connected and the book felt a bit more solid and less filling in the pages. As I have said it only became grittier towards the end and at times I did wonder would anything ever really happen?
The blurb suggests Joanna and the puppy weather the storms of war together but at times the story felt very far removed from that. Lizzie Lane does set the scene very well throughout the book as to how everybody was affected by the war. Although the main events may be occurring across the channel every bit of the hardship is felt right at their doorstep. None more so than for Joanna whose father has had to enlist. She had lost her mother at a very young age and now Elspeth is the new woman in her father's life, a stepmother who is useless, cruel and a waster but what can Joanna do when left with such an abhorrent woman whilst waiting for her father to return home?
It's sad to think that there could have been many children in this situation with their fathers away fighting and they are left behind with a woman who cares only about herself and finding fancy men rather than looking after the child left in her care. Joanna was virtually left to look after herself, keep the house going all without any love, care or affection. Being locked in the coal bunker was a cruel form of punishment not to mention never having clothes that fitted or a decent meal in her belly. Cutting words and cruel treatment would have done nothing to give Joanna hope or happiness in her life. So finding Harry was the salvation she needed, a little ray of sunshine which would give her the strength to go on and believe that maybe things could come right in the end. But tragedy and difficulties aplenty are placed in her path all which she must attempt to overcome.Joanna loves Harry because she has no one else. So she must keep him a secret and when she finds a shed abandoned at the local allotment it is the perfect hiding place. Little does she realise this shed belongs to a man who himself is lost and struggling and when he uncovers the little girls secret it in turn begins to help him come to terms with his own loss and provides a ray of positivity that he believed he would never again experience. It proves that in times of hardship and pain that there is always someone or something out there that will come good again in a way which could be very unexpected but none the less provide a good outcome.
Sally Hadley is Joanna's teacher. She is single and living with her father Seb who is stuck in an endless cycle of sadness and depression following the death of his beloved wife. Gone are the days when he would spend hours down at his allotment tending all the flowers he grew for his wife. Now the government wants all available land to be turned over to planting vegetables to help with the rationing but Seb can't bring himself to leave the house let alone help out with the war effort. Sally is frustrated with him as she is left to carry the burden at home whilst keeping up her teaching job. Also she can see in school that Joanna is becoming increasingly neglected and tormented but confronting Elspeth does little good as the threat of evacuation is the carrot dangled in front of her. If Joanna were to leave what would happen to Harry secretly hidden in the shed? Sally was a lovely character who only wished for a bit of personal happiness in her life. She just wanted someone to love her and take care of her but feels she can't move on with her own life as her father is suffering. Meeting Pierre, nephew of Lady Ambrose De Vere who is trying to save as many animals as possible, provides Sally with a little light relief and I hoped this would develop into something more. Although Pierre seemed to have some sort of back story and was clearly hiding something. Sally was kind, compassionate and loving the total opposite to Elspeth who was always out for her own gain. She was greedy, manipulative and trampled anyone who got in her way of finding a man who would set her up for life.
All the setting up of plot lines came together nicely at the end with unexpected twists and turns that left you wondering would any character find happiness or contentment in any sense of the word? In the end the setting and characters were vastly different from the circumstances we encounter within the first half of the book. Is this a positive or negative thing? Well you will have to read the book yourself to discover the answer.
War Orphans was a nice,pleasant read with a few obstacles thrown in for the main characters. It was a lovely read at the time but I don't think it will be one I will remember the most come the end of the year. I think it is a perfect read for those who exclusively read in this genre reading family wartime sagas one after the other. But for people new to this genre or for those like me who dip in and out of it as I like to mix genres up this book is maybe not the best book to start with. I appreciate the author taking a different slant using Harry as a focal point as it must be difficult to keep writing books in this genre adding in new aspects to the war that haven't already been written but for me it just lacked that something that would have made this a riveting read. Don't get me a wrong it is a good read and people should try it out but it just didn't fully hit the mark for me
This book is set in Bristol during World War Two and I've read plenty of books set during this time period before all focusing on different aspects of the war but War Orphans presented a different viewpoint, one which I had never read before. It had the added bonus of focusing of what happened to the majority of domestic pets once the war had begun. I suppose nowadays you wouldn't give much thought to such a thing considering the six long years of hardship that was to follow the outbreak of war and all the horrific events that went with it. But here Lizzie Lane has shone light on what happened and used the puppy Harry as a focus for the book and in doing so Joanna's story along with a few older characters is free to be told.
Joanna finds a bag of puppies left for dead and drowning in the river but one determined little fighter is still barely alive and has the strength to keep going. The only problem is all animals had been ordered by the government to be sent 'to the country' - realistically thousands of pets were put down within the first few days of the announcement of the war. Joanna had already lost her beloved cat and in finding this puppy she know she must keep him a secret. At the time it was believed there would be no extra food for pets or animals unless they could be killed for food so it was best to get rid of them. But a unique bond is formed between Joanna and Harry - a bond which will be tested to the limit. Can they survive everything the war will throw at them?
Overall War Orphans is a very light, easy read and it is not until the last quarter of the book that I felt the pace of the book really picked up and it became a bit more meatier as things began to happen. Right from the start although I admired Joanna and her steely determination despite all the hardships and obstacles she endures I did wonder how can an author pull off a war time saga book with a 9 year old as its lead character? I thought it would be rather monotonous following her daily routine in keeping away from her stepmother Elspeth and also keeping Harry a secret from the older generation. Thankfully my fears were quashed when other older characters were introduced in the form of Joanna's teacher Sally Hadley and her father Seb. Their stories at first were told separately from that of Joanna's but slowly they all began to become connected and the book felt a bit more solid and less filling in the pages. As I have said it only became grittier towards the end and at times I did wonder would anything ever really happen?
The blurb suggests Joanna and the puppy weather the storms of war together but at times the story felt very far removed from that. Lizzie Lane does set the scene very well throughout the book as to how everybody was affected by the war. Although the main events may be occurring across the channel every bit of the hardship is felt right at their doorstep. None more so than for Joanna whose father has had to enlist. She had lost her mother at a very young age and now Elspeth is the new woman in her father's life, a stepmother who is useless, cruel and a waster but what can Joanna do when left with such an abhorrent woman whilst waiting for her father to return home?
It's sad to think that there could have been many children in this situation with their fathers away fighting and they are left behind with a woman who cares only about herself and finding fancy men rather than looking after the child left in her care. Joanna was virtually left to look after herself, keep the house going all without any love, care or affection. Being locked in the coal bunker was a cruel form of punishment not to mention never having clothes that fitted or a decent meal in her belly. Cutting words and cruel treatment would have done nothing to give Joanna hope or happiness in her life. So finding Harry was the salvation she needed, a little ray of sunshine which would give her the strength to go on and believe that maybe things could come right in the end. But tragedy and difficulties aplenty are placed in her path all which she must attempt to overcome.Joanna loves Harry because she has no one else. So she must keep him a secret and when she finds a shed abandoned at the local allotment it is the perfect hiding place. Little does she realise this shed belongs to a man who himself is lost and struggling and when he uncovers the little girls secret it in turn begins to help him come to terms with his own loss and provides a ray of positivity that he believed he would never again experience. It proves that in times of hardship and pain that there is always someone or something out there that will come good again in a way which could be very unexpected but none the less provide a good outcome.
Sally Hadley is Joanna's teacher. She is single and living with her father Seb who is stuck in an endless cycle of sadness and depression following the death of his beloved wife. Gone are the days when he would spend hours down at his allotment tending all the flowers he grew for his wife. Now the government wants all available land to be turned over to planting vegetables to help with the rationing but Seb can't bring himself to leave the house let alone help out with the war effort. Sally is frustrated with him as she is left to carry the burden at home whilst keeping up her teaching job. Also she can see in school that Joanna is becoming increasingly neglected and tormented but confronting Elspeth does little good as the threat of evacuation is the carrot dangled in front of her. If Joanna were to leave what would happen to Harry secretly hidden in the shed? Sally was a lovely character who only wished for a bit of personal happiness in her life. She just wanted someone to love her and take care of her but feels she can't move on with her own life as her father is suffering. Meeting Pierre, nephew of Lady Ambrose De Vere who is trying to save as many animals as possible, provides Sally with a little light relief and I hoped this would develop into something more. Although Pierre seemed to have some sort of back story and was clearly hiding something. Sally was kind, compassionate and loving the total opposite to Elspeth who was always out for her own gain. She was greedy, manipulative and trampled anyone who got in her way of finding a man who would set her up for life.
All the setting up of plot lines came together nicely at the end with unexpected twists and turns that left you wondering would any character find happiness or contentment in any sense of the word? In the end the setting and characters were vastly different from the circumstances we encounter within the first half of the book. Is this a positive or negative thing? Well you will have to read the book yourself to discover the answer.
War Orphans was a nice,pleasant read with a few obstacles thrown in for the main characters. It was a lovely read at the time but I don't think it will be one I will remember the most come the end of the year. I think it is a perfect read for those who exclusively read in this genre reading family wartime sagas one after the other. But for people new to this genre or for those like me who dip in and out of it as I like to mix genres up this book is maybe not the best book to start with. I appreciate the author taking a different slant using Harry as a focal point as it must be difficult to keep writing books in this genre adding in new aspects to the war that haven't already been written but for me it just lacked that something that would have made this a riveting read. Don't get me a wrong it is a good read and people should try it out but it just didn't fully hit the mark for me
September 22, 2022
Very predictable read, and feel good book. Hope, Faith and Love features throughout, even when things were going wrong, or bad.
The story line was very familiar, very much like Goodnight Mister Tom.
Setting was war time. Child orphaned. Gone to live with foster parents, and then has happier childhood.
There are some slight differences. Best friend was a dog, whose life child had saved. Child was a girl, who lost both parents. Evil step mother gets killed, so justice was served.
Her teacher became part of her foster family, with the teacher's dad becoming father figure. A new family, and they lived happily ever after.
The story line was very familiar, very much like Goodnight Mister Tom.
Setting was war time. Child orphaned. Gone to live with foster parents, and then has happier childhood.
There are some slight differences. Best friend was a dog, whose life child had saved. Child was a girl, who lost both parents. Evil step mother gets killed, so justice was served.
Her teacher became part of her foster family, with the teacher's dad becoming father figure. A new family, and they lived happily ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2017
Excellent
A beautiful written book, with some history of the second world war. Its the story of a little girl who lived with her stepmother who was terrible. The little girl was down by the river when she discovered a small puppy who was alive trying to get out of a sack after being thrown in the river to drown with the rest of the litter. She managed to rescue this puppy who she kept hidden in a shed.. This puppy changed the outcome of this child's life for the better. It has a truly wonderful ending and is a must read as far as I'm concerned.
A beautiful written book, with some history of the second world war. Its the story of a little girl who lived with her stepmother who was terrible. The little girl was down by the river when she discovered a small puppy who was alive trying to get out of a sack after being thrown in the river to drown with the rest of the litter. She managed to rescue this puppy who she kept hidden in a shed.. This puppy changed the outcome of this child's life for the better. It has a truly wonderful ending and is a must read as far as I'm concerned.
June 30, 2022
A lovely book to read took me awhile to read it as the beginning pages I learnt that animals were taken away and killed at the start of the war and as a animal lover it made me quite upset I didn’t realise this happened at all
But the book is beautifully written and the life of poor Joanna lived with an evil stepmother was awful
But in the end she ended up with a loving and very large family
But the book is beautifully written and the life of poor Joanna lived with an evil stepmother was awful
But in the end she ended up with a loving and very large family
July 24, 2022
Lovely book, I really enjoyed it and found it hard to put down. Some are saying it was a predictable story, so what, a lot of books are. Read it for what it is, a lovely story about a little girl struggling through a hard life, finding a loving friend in a dog that significantly helped change her misery. So sad to learn about all those pets put down just when people needed them to help them get through terrible times. Ridiculous decisions made some equally stupid plutocrats.
May 9, 2023
What a story! Wicked stepmother! Prince charming in the form of a puppy and older widowed man. Lovable characters except the stepmother and a few near the end. Hope there is a sequel for Sally to have a happy ending. And to find out how Joanna gets on with her life.
June 13, 2017
Nice read. Plot a bit slow but I enjoyed it all the same.
October 15, 2021
Cute little story about a girls love of animals through WW2.
March 8, 2022
War Orphans
Another year jerking and very emotional book reading this book is like living through their lives the fears and breathtaking feats
Another year jerking and very emotional book reading this book is like living through their lives the fears and breathtaking feats
May 20, 2022
Interesting
I didn't know that they had told th English people to do that to their animals. And they way the orphans were treated was appallingly. It made me sick
I didn't know that they had told th English people to do that to their animals. And they way the orphans were treated was appallingly. It made me sick
December 20, 2024
A decent holiday read with an interesting story and lots going on. The writing isn’t great, but it’s easy to pick up and put down. Good for passing the time, but nothing you’ll miss leaving behind.
August 2, 2025
Addictive
Enjoyed and happy ending couldn't put it down. Loved the dog they are man's best friend and so lovable if looked after properly.
Enjoyed and happy ending couldn't put it down. Loved the dog they are man's best friend and so lovable if looked after properly.
November 28, 2025
lovely emotional book, such detail of how Bristol used to be during the war.
September 26, 2016
I don't read as many wartime sagas as I used to but when I saw the puppy on the front of War Orphans I was powerless to resist. Although I don't have any pets of my own, I do consider myself an animal lover and dogs seem to recognise this in me, as I'm a bit of a dog magnet as well as a book magnet. War Orphans is based around a true story, that of so many household pets who were put to sleep during World War II, many of them by less than humane methods. We take the time to remember all of the fallen on Remembrance Day and we shouldn't forget the plight of so many innocent animals. Through War Orphans, we will remember them.
Joanna's mum died when she was 6 so her father remarried, as men did in those days, to provide Joanna with a mother to care for her. Only Elspeth, the woman her father chose, wasn't quite as maternal as he thought - a fact that she hides from her new husband. Elspeth is very selfish and only looks after herself, so when Joanna's dad goes off to war, Joanna doesn't look forward to returning home from school. One day, when she is playing beside a stream after school, she sees what she thinks is a rat but on closer investigation turns out to be a puppy clinging onto life. She rescues the puppy, names him Harry and hides him in an abandoned shed at the local allotments. Joanna doesn't know this at the time, but the shed belongs to her teacher's dad, Seb Hadley.
Seb Hadley lives with his daughter, Sally, who is Joanna's teacher. Seb is struggling after the loss of his wife and doesn't leave the house. After some nagging from Sally to 'dig for victory' and grow their own vegetables, he visits his neglected allotment where he finds Harry living in his shed. Seb can see that Harry is being fed and watered so he wonders who is looking after this lovely puppy. He sees Joanna visiting Harry after school and it isn't long before the pair strike up an unlikely friendship.
War Orphans, although being based around such a disturbing storyline, is such a heart-warming read with characters we can liken to those in our favourite fairytales. Elspeth is the traditional wicked stepmother to Joanna's Cinderella and Seb may very well be Joanna's Fairy Godfather. Harry's part is the prince who steals all our hearts - he certainly stole mine!
I enjoyed War Orphans more than I expected so I gave it a well deserved 5 stars. It is quite heart-breaking at times, with both human loss and the plight of the animals, but like all good fairytales it ends with a heart-warming happily ever after.
I received this book from the publisher, Ebury Press, in exchange for an honest review.
Joanna's mum died when she was 6 so her father remarried, as men did in those days, to provide Joanna with a mother to care for her. Only Elspeth, the woman her father chose, wasn't quite as maternal as he thought - a fact that she hides from her new husband. Elspeth is very selfish and only looks after herself, so when Joanna's dad goes off to war, Joanna doesn't look forward to returning home from school. One day, when she is playing beside a stream after school, she sees what she thinks is a rat but on closer investigation turns out to be a puppy clinging onto life. She rescues the puppy, names him Harry and hides him in an abandoned shed at the local allotments. Joanna doesn't know this at the time, but the shed belongs to her teacher's dad, Seb Hadley.
Seb Hadley lives with his daughter, Sally, who is Joanna's teacher. Seb is struggling after the loss of his wife and doesn't leave the house. After some nagging from Sally to 'dig for victory' and grow their own vegetables, he visits his neglected allotment where he finds Harry living in his shed. Seb can see that Harry is being fed and watered so he wonders who is looking after this lovely puppy. He sees Joanna visiting Harry after school and it isn't long before the pair strike up an unlikely friendship.
War Orphans, although being based around such a disturbing storyline, is such a heart-warming read with characters we can liken to those in our favourite fairytales. Elspeth is the traditional wicked stepmother to Joanna's Cinderella and Seb may very well be Joanna's Fairy Godfather. Harry's part is the prince who steals all our hearts - he certainly stole mine!
I enjoyed War Orphans more than I expected so I gave it a well deserved 5 stars. It is quite heart-breaking at times, with both human loss and the plight of the animals, but like all good fairytales it ends with a heart-warming happily ever after.
I received this book from the publisher, Ebury Press, in exchange for an honest review.
September 19, 2016
I was very kindly sent this book by Ebury publishers and when I read the synopsis of the book I knew instantly that I would like it.
The Second World War is subject and time that interests me and I love puppies.
From the first chapter it had me gripped. It was full of drama, adventure, friendship, romance, heartache, heartbreak and was a real page turner from the very beginning and in my opinion this makes a great book.
I wouldn’t say that it was a happy story all the way through, as Joanna doesn’t have a great life and the time the story is set in there was a lot of sad and upsetting times.
As I was reading the book, there was a number of twists and turns that kept you on the edge of your seat and you didn’t really know what would happen to Joanna and little Harry until the last couple of chapters. This in my eyes shows great writing.
On the subject of the writing, I think that Lizzie Lane is a fantastic author. She captures you in every moment of the story and you really feel that you are with Joanna every step of the way and as a reader you really go into the book. I loved Lizzie’s writing style as it was really easy to follow and the story flowed beautifully.
What also loved about the book was the fact that you could really tell that Lizzie the author had done her research around the time the story was set in. In some parts I really felt I was there and I could smell all the smells, hear all the noises and just feel the feelings and emotions some of the characters where feeling and in my eyes this shows brilliant writing.
On the subject of characters there are number of wonderful characters. Some of them you will love and some you will hate.
The main character however is young Joanna Ryan. She is a very vulnerable but also as the story goes on you see her determination and actually that she isn’t as timid and weak that some of the other characters think she maybe and is actually a very strong young girl. This another great part of the book that I loved because as you read the story you see Joanna grow and it’s wonderful to read and again brilliantly portrayed by Lizzie.
There are a number of other characters who play a big part in the story, whether that me Elspeth Ryan who is Joanna’s step mother, Miss Hadley Joanna’s teacher or Seb who is Miss Hadley’s father. They all play big roles in not only the story but also Joanna’s life.
We cant however forget to mention little Harry the puppy who in my eyes plays the biggest part in changing Joanna’s life and helps her through a lot of difficult times.
I thought the story line was a great idea and something I had not read before, which always interests me.
The main story line was mostly about Joanna but I loved how Lizzie made the other characters have their own little stories going on but in the end they all link in and have an impact on Joanna and this was really clever.
This is the first book I have read by Lizzie Lane and I definitely be purchasing and reading more of her work.
On that note I highly recommend that you read this enchanting, gripping, heart wrenching, but lovable book.
It will have you crying with heartache or crying with happiness and will send you on a emotional rollercoaster.
The Second World War is subject and time that interests me and I love puppies.
From the first chapter it had me gripped. It was full of drama, adventure, friendship, romance, heartache, heartbreak and was a real page turner from the very beginning and in my opinion this makes a great book.
I wouldn’t say that it was a happy story all the way through, as Joanna doesn’t have a great life and the time the story is set in there was a lot of sad and upsetting times.
As I was reading the book, there was a number of twists and turns that kept you on the edge of your seat and you didn’t really know what would happen to Joanna and little Harry until the last couple of chapters. This in my eyes shows great writing.
On the subject of the writing, I think that Lizzie Lane is a fantastic author. She captures you in every moment of the story and you really feel that you are with Joanna every step of the way and as a reader you really go into the book. I loved Lizzie’s writing style as it was really easy to follow and the story flowed beautifully.
What also loved about the book was the fact that you could really tell that Lizzie the author had done her research around the time the story was set in. In some parts I really felt I was there and I could smell all the smells, hear all the noises and just feel the feelings and emotions some of the characters where feeling and in my eyes this shows brilliant writing.
On the subject of characters there are number of wonderful characters. Some of them you will love and some you will hate.
The main character however is young Joanna Ryan. She is a very vulnerable but also as the story goes on you see her determination and actually that she isn’t as timid and weak that some of the other characters think she maybe and is actually a very strong young girl. This another great part of the book that I loved because as you read the story you see Joanna grow and it’s wonderful to read and again brilliantly portrayed by Lizzie.
There are a number of other characters who play a big part in the story, whether that me Elspeth Ryan who is Joanna’s step mother, Miss Hadley Joanna’s teacher or Seb who is Miss Hadley’s father. They all play big roles in not only the story but also Joanna’s life.
We cant however forget to mention little Harry the puppy who in my eyes plays the biggest part in changing Joanna’s life and helps her through a lot of difficult times.
I thought the story line was a great idea and something I had not read before, which always interests me.
The main story line was mostly about Joanna but I loved how Lizzie made the other characters have their own little stories going on but in the end they all link in and have an impact on Joanna and this was really clever.
This is the first book I have read by Lizzie Lane and I definitely be purchasing and reading more of her work.
On that note I highly recommend that you read this enchanting, gripping, heart wrenching, but lovable book.
It will have you crying with heartache or crying with happiness and will send you on a emotional rollercoaster.
February 23, 2017
War Orphans is a nice easy read, lots of heart and tugs at the heart strings. A little girl Joanna in the midst of war is a determined little fighter, she is treated badly by her stepmother and finds her salvation in looking after a little puppy who she finds left for dead after someone cruely throws a bag full of puppies into the river to drown. She rescues Harry and is determined to help him survive. The problem is that wartime means that food is hard to come by and having Harry and feeding him is against the law so Joanna hides Harry in an abandoned shed on the allotments.
Joanna grows up during this awful wartime and makes some friends along the way and those lives she crosses have their own hardships to bear.
It was a sweet little book and I suppose it does end how it should but didn't have any surprises for me; a nice distraction read and a little glimpse into this genre but not a great novel. I give this one a 3 star rating.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Joanna grows up during this awful wartime and makes some friends along the way and those lives she crosses have their own hardships to bear.
It was a sweet little book and I suppose it does end how it should but didn't have any surprises for me; a nice distraction read and a little glimpse into this genre but not a great novel. I give this one a 3 star rating.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2016
War Orphans is what I would classify as a lovely book. I read a lot of crime fiction, so to read a story with some heart is a very nice change!
Joanna is a determined little girl, who is abominably treated by her stepmother, and finds comfort in an equally determined puppy. Despite her deprivations and the very poor conduct of her stepmother, she keeps her strength and spirit to help her puppy survive – making new friends along the way.
The supporting characters, including Joanna’s caring young teacher are a world away from Joanna’s own domestic situation, but they have heartaches of their own, made worse by the continuation of the war.
It really isn’t spoiling anything to say that the book wraps up to the reader’s satisfaction and War Orphans is a rewarding, heart-warming read.
Joanna is a determined little girl, who is abominably treated by her stepmother, and finds comfort in an equally determined puppy. Despite her deprivations and the very poor conduct of her stepmother, she keeps her strength and spirit to help her puppy survive – making new friends along the way.
The supporting characters, including Joanna’s caring young teacher are a world away from Joanna’s own domestic situation, but they have heartaches of their own, made worse by the continuation of the war.
It really isn’t spoiling anything to say that the book wraps up to the reader’s satisfaction and War Orphans is a rewarding, heart-warming read.
July 17, 2016
I loved everything about this book! It is a real life Cinderella type of novel except it takes place in England during the 2nd ww.
Joanna is my favorite character. I love her strength and determination to save her dog and herself. Elspeth is a mean stepmother who only thinks abut herself.
I cried when Tom was killed in an accident because that made joanna an Orphan right along with her puppy.
I love how she made friends and I especially loved her personality.
I recommend this book strongly to ppl who love Fictional history along with a good dose of reality.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Joanna is my favorite character. I love her strength and determination to save her dog and herself. Elspeth is a mean stepmother who only thinks abut herself.
I cried when Tom was killed in an accident because that made joanna an Orphan right along with her puppy.
I love how she made friends and I especially loved her personality.
I recommend this book strongly to ppl who love Fictional history along with a good dose of reality.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
January 16, 2017
This is a good World War 2 saga. Joanna is a young girl whose father has gone off to war. She is left in the care of her cruel and selfish stepmother. Joanna finds a stray puppy and calls him Harry. She is befriended by Seb, her teachers father, and he helps look after the dog. Its a time when food is scarce. Upon hearing of her fathers death, Joanna and Harry run away. How will they survive? Read on.
November 20, 2016
A simple, easy story. One might call it a " nice" story. I'm sure it will appeal to some readers and will be boring for others.
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