Book Synopsis:
As she looks at the baby wriggling in her father’s arms, a bolt of recognition goes through her and she takes a step back. And it’s in that moment that she begins to protect her father’s secrets.
1934, Weirfield-on-Thames. Connie Burroughs loves living in the orphanage that her father runs. Exploring its nooks and crannies with her sister, hearing the pounding of a hundred pairs of feet on the wooden stairs, having a father who is doing so much good. But everything changes the day she sees him carrying a newborn baby that he says he found near the broken front gate. A baby she recognises…
Present day. Arriving at her father’s beloved cottage beside the river, Sarah Jennings is hoping for peace and quiet, to escape her difficult divorce. But when she finds her father unwell and hunched over boxes of files on the orphanage where he was abandoned as a child, she decides to investigate it herself.
The only person left alive who lived at Cedar Hall is Connie Burroughs, but Connie sits quietly in her nursing home for a reason. The sewing box under Connie’s bed hides secrets that will change Sarah’s life forever, uncovering a connection between them that has darker consequences than she could ever imagine.
A heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting tale inspired by the lives of the children who lived at the author’s great-grandfather’s orphanage. Fans of Before We Were Yours, The Orphan’s Tale and The Orphan Train will be hooked.
The Orphan House is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.
My Review:
This was a hugely enjoyable, fantastic read which I found very absorbing.
Firstly, as I might have mentioned once or twice, I’m a huge fan of historical fiction – especially if they include two timelines so I knew straight away that I’d like this book. The author does a great job of setting the scene so I felt like I was actually in British ruled India. I’ve always been fascinated by this period of history so enjoyed learning more about army life there and was soon thoroughly absorbed in the story.
The two storylines were very interesting and I enjoyed following them as they weaved a fantastic story of secrets, lies and love. I did enjoy the past timeline more but this didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. There is lots of twists and suspense to keep the story flowing nicely and ensure that the book is very hard to put down. I really didn’t want this story to end and can’t wait to read more from this talented author.
Huge thanks to Noelle from Bookouture for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
About The Author:
Ann Bennett was born in a small village in Northamptonshire and now lives in Surrey. Her first book, A Daughter’s Quest, originally published as Bamboo Heart, was inspired by her father’s experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway. The Planter’s Wife (originally published as Bamboo Island) a Daughter’s Promise and The Homecoming, (formerly Bamboo Road) are also about the war in South East Asia. The idea for The Orphan House came from researching her great-grandfather, Brice Bennett, who was headmaster of a county school for pauper children in Wargrave, Berkshire. The Orphan House and a further WW2 historical novel will be published by Bookouture in 2020. Ann is married with three grown up sons and works as a lawyer. For more details please visit http://www.bambooheart.co.uk
Over The Rainbow Blog 
This sounds very emotional yet enjoyable. Great review Jo, this one was already on my TBR, but I will be moving it up.
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