Christmas Child

by Carol Rivers

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of the Lizzie Flowers series comes a spellbinding historical saga about the trials and tribulations of a young orphan.

Christmas Day, 1880, East London.

Snow fell in silent showers, settling peacefully on the cobbles of the lane as Colleen O’Reilly dragged herself over the carpet of white. Behind her, drops of blood, as red as summer cherries, melted into the snow.

It’s Christmas Day and Colleen O’Reilly is dying. But not before she drags herself to the sanctuary of an East End orphanage to deliver her new-born baby girl to the Sisters of Clemency.

Not one to ignore the cries of a baby, the nuns take in little Ettie O’Reilly and raise her as their own.

When Ettie turns thirteen, her world begins to crumble. The church can no longer fund the orphanage and the nuns announce its closure.

Separated from her friends and family, Ettie must navigate the dark streets of London alone and finds herself being pushed from pillar to post.

Struggling to find her place in the world without the Sisters to guide her, Ettie leans on Michael, a boy who promises his undying love and loyalty to her.

But Michael is young and fickle and soon betrays Ettie. Now she must finally accept the hard-hitting happiness comes at a cost.

Fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin, Cathy Sharp, Annemarie Brear and Carole Llewellyn will adore this captivating coming-of-age story set against the bleak backdrop of Victorian London.

PRAISE FOR CHRITMAS CHILD :

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An unforgettable, epic Victorian saga . . . a true gem of a read.’ Heather C

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A beautifully compelling, captivating and enthralling historical saga about strength, courage, determination, heartache and a dash of Romance set in the Victorian era.’ Dash Fan

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Christmas Child is the perfect read for any historical fiction lover .’ Lana

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I don't even know where to begin to describe this book. I guess one word could do it . . . SUBLIME .’ AnnMarie

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An enjoyable read . . . I loved every single page to the last .’ Booklover Bev

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ A fab read !’ Diane

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow I was gripped by this book from page one .’ Mois Reads

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This was so much more than a romance story . It was a story of life, death, survival, heartache and finally happiness. The ending was absolutely perfect .’ Rose

ALSO BY CAROL RIVERS
GIRL WITH SECRETS
CHRISTMAS CHILD
CHRISTMAS TO COME

Genres: Christmas, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Ebooks, Historical Romance

330 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2022

About the author

I’ve been fortunate enough to have made my living by writing and I’ve enjoyed a long and harmonious relationship with my publisher, Simon&Schuster. But in recent months I can only stand in awe of the growing and robust numbers of Indie authors whom I admire so much and who have revolutionized the publishing industry. There is fire in the belly of this movement, giving a whole new aspect to the accepted norms in the publishing world. I’m mind-blown at the variety of genres born of digital technology and I’ve made many friends in the Indie world. On-line life for me has become rich and diverse with tales of Indie adventures and successes that are simply staggering. This is mouth-watering stuff and I feel privileged to be here on Goodreads. If you want to know more about my East End novels, with their tough, rough, but warm-hearted Cockney characters, then perhaps you’d like to visit my website at www.carolrivers.com where you’ll gain an insight into the Rivers novels and their history.

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ Poignant yet Captivating Victorian Saga I couldn't put down!

Christmas Child is a poignant and heart warming story of a young girls survival, a beautiful coming of age to womanhood story.

Ettie grew up in an orphanage after her Mother passes away after childbirth, leaving Ettie in the Nuns Care.
After several years in their care, Ettie has to leave and she finds herself in her first serving position as a maid.

I loved how as a reader we experience all of Ettie's trials and tribulations as she grows into a young women and faces life outside the convent. All the drama, emotion, struggles, heartache she faces.

This book is set in the Victorian era, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It really shows how much research and time Rivers has put into making this story captivating and authentic.

If you are looking for a beautifully Compelling, Captivating and Enthralling Historical Saga about strength, Courage, determination, heartache and a dash of Romance set in the Victorian era then this is the perfect book.
Despite the title of the book, i feel this book is the perfect read for anytime of the year!

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.



My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...

[Lana (Bibliomedico) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out the full review on my blog : https://bibliomedico.wordpress.com/20...
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Thanks To Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources For Allowing Me To Be Part Of This Blog Tour.
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Why Didn’t I discover Carol Rivers books Before !!!!!

Definitely, One of my New favorite authors . Thank you Rachel for giving me the opportunity to read Christmas Child and fall in love with Carol words . ❤
I’ve always loved Historical Fiction , actually , it’s my favorite genre . Christmas Child was the Perfect read for any Historical Fiction lover . It has every important element any Historical novel needs ; beautiful writing style , poetic and addictive words , Intriguing Plot , strong and deep characters and well-researched topics.

Carol Rivers has the brilliant ability to transfer you inside the characters , with every happy scene , I smiled with them , with every heartbreaking scene , I cried . Every Emotion the characters felt , I felt them too .

Our story takes place during The Victorian Era , Ettie grew up in an orphanage after her Mother passes away after childbirth . The nuns take care of her until she found herself serving as a maid . Ettie in this book goes through many experiences with a lot of struggles full of drama and heartache .
Captivating , gripping , entertaining , emotional and completely bewildering . Christmas child is one of the best Historical Novels I’ve read this year .

Highly Recommended .

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected

There was quite a bit more drama and hardship than I had expected in this book. If I had been unable to read it all in one day I may have been tempted to give up amidst all the sorrow and loss that the main character endured. I was glad for a positive ending, but it was so brief and had so much less detail than all of the loss, I'm not sure if I will read anything else by this author.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting...

This book ended up being more interesting than I expected. Lots of twists and turns that kept me wanting to know what would happen next. The writing was fairly simple, nothing overly extravagant... but the story definitely kept my attention.

[AnnMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Child is the first book in the Victorian Saga Romance Series by Carol Rivers.

I don't even know where to begin to describe this book. I guess one word could do it...SUBLIME. But a review must be longer than just one word, therefore I shall do my best.

Ettie was born on Christmas day. Her mother with her last steps managed to make it to an East End orphanage where she cradled the baby in her arms with the hope that the baby would survive until hopefully, the nuns would find her. With that emotional beginning, I just knew the book would make me run the gamut of emotions. It did just that!

We read all about Ettie's life from her birth up until her 17th birthday. She had many rough years where she would finally believe she had found a home where she could be content, only to have the rug pulled from under her feet and for her to find herself in dire circumstances again. The trials and tribulations she went through broke my heart, but her stoicism helped her immensely. She tried to make the best of whatever situation she was in and I admired her character greatly for that.

Despite the hardships that Ettie faced and the fact that I did indeed shed some tears, I did not find the book depressing. To me, that is a sign of a very talented author. Carol Rivers found the perfect balance to make sure that the reader never lost heart on Ettie's behalf. Thankfully, Ettie was also given a very believable happy ending that had me smiling from ear to ear. It took a long time coming, but Ettie definitely deserved her happy ever after.

Well, there you go, I did manage to find some words after all! I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read more from this author.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Christmas Day, 1880 , in Poplar East London. Colleen O'Reilly after giving birth in the brewery, takes her newly born daughter to the sisters of clemency convent, left in the care of Sister Patrick. Colleen knows it won't be long before she departs this world and wants her baby kept safe. This is Henrietta O'Reilly ( Ettie) story. Who grows up in the orphanage a young caring innocent lady with a lot to learn about London. After her departure she misses all the children, especially her long lost friend Michael Wilson, would she ever cross their paths again? This book throughout is full of heartache for Ettie as she grows older love and trust,affection, comfort and reassurance all play a very big part in her life as you read. She needed to survive and find happiness. The author has wrote this Victorian saga with all her passion to bring her readers what they want, an enjoyable read. This is worthy of a lot more and I loved every single page to the last. A perfect Christmas book.
,

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

a touching story

Henrietta is an orphan before her life has hardly begin. Raised and educated by nuns, the next few years of her life are a roller coaster ride, feast then famine. Her character is too good to be true. Writing is a bit immature in some places. I didn’t dislike the book by any means, but it isn’t one I’d recommend to friends.

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Child is the first book in a new Victorian Saga Romance series.
This is my first introduction to the work of Carol Rivers and oh my goodness from the get go I felt emotionally involved with this story.
Carol Rivers has written a Victorian saga that will pull at your heart strings again and again. The author didn't shy away from the real, raw intensity of life in Victorian ages and especially the city slums area of London. I could feel the struggle of everyday life but I could also sense a flicker of determination to keep the hope and faith for better things to come.
This is Ettie's story who has been cared for by a catholic orphanage since the day she was born, Christmas Day 1880. For young Ettie living with the Sisters and as one of the oldest orphans she adored caring for the younger ones. However, sad times were to face the orphanage and Ettie was forced to leave and start a life in the outside world away from the security of the convent and the guidance of the Sisters. Ettie's life was about to start anew bringing all sorts of new, exciting, testing and dangerous challenges her way. But Ettie was to never forget her faith and upbringing and this would serve her well for what lay ahead.
Ettie was one of thousands struggling to survive in the cities across England. The sights, sounds and abuse they endured daily must have been soul destroying. Spirits were sorely tested and these young people had to find an inner strength to survive.
Christmas Child is a heart wrenching story of life in it's raw state but it's also a story of strength and love in adversity. I adored the authenticity of the era and so pleased we have more to come in this Victorian saga series. I've definitely found myself a new favourite saga writer. Historical fiction is a perfect medium for bringing history to life.

[Heather Copping · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Carol Rivers, in fact I would go so far as to say it was an unforgettable epic Victorian saga, this one is set in Victorian London and Ettie is the main character. Her mother gave birth to her in the snow on Christmas day 1880 and the baby daughter was left at the orphanage run by the nuns at Clemency Convent in Poplar before her mother passed away. Over the years Ettie was brought up by the nuns until the Bishop decided that the convent was to be closed and everyone must leave. Ettie is placed with a shopkeeper and his wife in Soho. Here Ettie soon settles in but is fleeced by her so called friends, she is left wondering if she has any friends now. Over the years many things happen to Ettie making her wonder if she will ever be happy and find her soulmate. This is a very readable book with lots of historical facts about the city of London in Victorian times which makes the story even more interesting and a "can't put downable read". I loved the character of Ettie and how she overcame all the problems that were thrown at her and how she worked out who were her friends. She certainly did have some hard times to overcome.
This book is not only a book for the Christmas period but for any time of the year, Carol Rivers has done it again in a book that you can't put down and is a true gem of a read.

[Kathy E · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable Victorian saga with it spanning Ettie(Henrietta O'Reilly) being left by her dying mother at an Orphanage in Poplar in the East End of London in the care of the Nuns. When the Orphanage closes it follows her to Soho where she looks after Benjamin and Clara and learns how to run the Tobacconist shop. Then she falls down on her luck and ends up in the Workhouse and is not treated nicely and then sold into service, where once again her luck fails. Everything turns out right for her in the end. This is a well written book by Carol Rivers and worth the five stars I have given it.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fab read telling the story of Ettie, who was born on Christmas Day. Her mum died in childbirth and she was found by a Nun. This book draws you in, and you become involved in the emotional rollercoaster of Ettie’s life. Although she had a hard start to her life Ettie is happy and looks on life with a positive attitude. You can’t help but feel for her, she certainly doesn’t have an easy life, but you have to admire how she battles on. I couldn’t put it down as I became engrossed in Ettie’s life.

[mois reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ettie

Wow I was gripped by this book from page 1 all the twists and turns the perfect Christmas book all the research that has gone into it definitely 5 STARS .

[Carrie Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Although not my usual kind of book, I felt the urge to read something festive and this title was one I’d downloaded from somewhere.

Anyway, the story itself wasn’t too bad, but it did feel contrived in some places and contradictory in others. I think it took me a while to get going because the initial chapters - or certainly up until Ettie is ruing her Christmas Day visitors in Soho - felt a little contrived and she a little too gullible (even for a convent-educated orphan). But this was compounded by the text seeming quite simplistic. It did improve greatly after that, but I’m still torn as to whether the book is aimed at an adult or YA audience, given the prosaic differences. There were a few niggles, too, including one time-specific event which added a day which later didn’t fit, and the head-scratching lack of danger upon her return to Poplar, where she’d been chased through it on her way to the park waterfall, not too many moths earlier. Where did the street cred and ability to no longer be a target come from? They just prodded at my OCD, rather than spoil the story, if I’m honest.

Like I said: it’s not a bad story, and - if you keep going, past the earlier gullibility and dumbed-down prose, it does greatly improve and is capable of delivering something for the overfed, Christmas caked mind to ponder on.

[Marie Birkbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of strength, endurance and survival that left your heart aching for many of the experiences that the young girl suffered.

I felt that the author was a bit long winded in a lot of places, and thought that much of the dialogue and the flowery descriptive text could have been omitted without taking away from the story! I honestly got really bored around the 65 - 70 % mark! It was like " just let this be over!"

For that reason and because I could not give a 3 and a half, she got a 4 *

If this novel is indicative of the authors writing style, it is highly unlikely I will read any more of her book.

[Barbara Deeprose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

Ettie O'Reilly was brought up by nuns until she was 13, then she was sent out into the world to take care of herself. After finding a job she loved, with people who looked after her, her world came tumbling down again and she had no option but to go to the workhouse. She had made a friend at the convent, Michael, he had also had to leave the home, but he promised to always look out for her, but then when she needed him the most he seemed to have forgotten her. Would Ettie ever find peace and happiness. This was a lovely book which kept me gripped from beginning to end.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story! This story was a heart wrenching story about an orphan girl, Henrietta, who is raised in a convent that has been set to close. Sent out into a world she has been sheltered from ,who does she trust, who preys on her, how does she survive? Ettie is a force to be reckoned with and has many obstacles to overcome. I couldn’t put this book down. It opened my eyes to those less fortunate who were homeless, living on the streets and the horrible world around them!

[Lennie McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book..couldnt put it down til I finished!

Marvellous story...growing up in an orphan home gave Ettie her life long love of children and her excellent work ethic.
Carol Rivers, the author gives us a very real look at how innocents felt back in old England. (other countries too)
I liked the writing style..easy to follow and full of emotions.
A stand alone novel, I think anyone who likes historical books and an intriguing story would enjoy this one.

[Mary Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Wow! What an emotional roller coaster this book takes you on! Several times I was outright sobbing. There were moments of humor as well. The description of life in the Victorian era for the poor was so vivid and heartbreaking that it can easily bring on the tears. Through it all though the main character keeps her faith that life can be better. Well written!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the first few lines of this story, I was hooked. I truly had a hard time putting it down and did not accomplish very much until I finished it. I can not say I "enjoyed" it, it was very sad in spots and shocking in others. But what a work of art. Ms. Rivers is very gifted in her ability to capture your every feeling. It is a read that I will not soon forget.

[Carrie Stader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read much about the 1800s so this book was an eye opener to how people of London lived during the time. The author filled this book with happiness, tears & sorrow to tell the life of a young orphan born on Christmas day. You wont regret reading this book & getting to know Ettie.

[Alison Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful story

Victorian London in all its misery and class ridden wealth and poverty, well illustrated and in the main well written and certainly a gripping tale which keeps the reader entertained to the end

[Carol Holder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story

A well written story with heart break, kindness with good friends and eventually ending with love. Having faith in God plays an important part in Ettie life after growing up in the orphanage with the nuns. Good story good reading.

[Deborah R Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hard start

The hope and love that is shown in the story is so heartwarming that you must keep read until the story ends ! I will be looking for the next good book Carol Rivers writes

[Romona Gaudet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas child an amazing girl with her heart torn apart

Loved this book, the strength and courage of a very young girl who gave her heart to others. Easy read. Your heart breaks as the story continues but by keeping her faith God was by her side.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just short of 5 ⭐️ for me

I enjoyed the story and the author's writing, but the ending seemed a bit rushed. It was as if the publisher's deadline was nearing and she had to get it submitted. That’s why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable read

This is an interesting book which follows an orphan in Victorian England. It has a good ending and goodness overcomes evil.

[Cheryl Bland · Rating 3 out of 5]

great drama

A sweet story with a pure child. You were a bit explicit with some of the characters. All in all a happy surprise Ending. I thought she might die.

[Judy Wahl]

God book

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orphan Ettie has to leave her place with the nuns. Placed in a tobacco business, she learns the trade. A hard lesson and back on the streets. Not an easy life!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

orphaned at birth

Ettie was orphaned day of her birth. Story shows much of her sufferings. Many tears shed while reading. Much suffering. Liked the ending.