Blurb
Shilling Grange Orphanage, England, 1949. She would do anything to protect the innocent children in her care. But soon they could be sent into danger…
When Clara Newton’s fiancé died during World War Two, she thought her life was over. But now she looks after orphans who, like her, lost everything during the war. Children like sweet little Peg who won’t speak, and Joyce whose body was scarred by polio. Clara loves them all dearly, even though life as a housemother can be lonely – especially now that Ivor, a D-Day war hero with dark brown eyes who once helped with the children, has disappeared…
But then Clara receives some terrible news. The orphanage is going to be sold and the children sent far away. Joyce and Peg will be taken to a notorious home for disabled children. The others will be sent to Australia, where Clara fears they will be mistreated by unknown families. Any day now, the children could lose everything she worked so hard to provide…
With wealthy buyers lined up to purchase Shilling Grange and a ship already docked waiting to carry the children away, Clara is desperate. She must find loving new homes for them quickly, but time is running out… Can she save the orphans before they lose everything all over again? And even if Ivor returns when she needs him the most, will it be too late?
A completely heart-wrenching and unforgettable historical novel, set after the devastation of World War Two. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Diney Costeloeand The Orphan Sisters.
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Review
I was so excited to read A Place to Call Home, it is the second book in the Shilling Grange Children’s Home series and it did not disappoint me at all.
After the troubles that Clara had in the first book this one carries on from there. Clara is the housemother of Shilling Grange, I really like her character, she was more than a housemother, she was like a mother to all the children. She wants the best for the children and that might not always be what the county council thinks is best.
When the children’s home is put up for sale Clara is in for another fight, she has been misled by the council in many ways, now, not only is she fighting to save the children’s home but to keep the remaining children in her home together and safe, not shipped abroad or sent to a home for the disabled.
I loved this book, it is so nice to read of place names I know like Lavenham and Dedham which are not very far from where I live.
It wasn’t just the place names that made me love it though, the whole vibe in the book was one of family, even though they were not blood-related, Clara was their mother in every way that a mother would be.
Each child had such different characteristics, and it was nice that two more children arrived at the home, it was nice getting to know them too.
Overall, this was a fantastic book that was written beautifully and I would recommend it to all my friends and family.
Author Bio
Lizzie Page is the pseudonym of Sam Lierens, a mum of three, who has lived and worked in Paris, Tokyo and London and loves combining her love of history with fiction.She loves reading ALL the books, and always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to her to write historical fiction.
She lives with her family and dog by the sea in South East England. She enjoys travelling and she’s had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling – but being a writer is her absolute favourite.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this ebook from Netgalley, thank you to Bookouture for allowing me to review this book and be a part of the book tour.
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