The Orphan House

Absolutely Gripping and Heartbreaking Historical Fiction

By: Ann Bennett

Narrated by: Naomi Frederick

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Baby born September 5th 1934, approximately. Place of birth, unknown; father, unknown; mother unknown.

Present day. Sarah Jennings knows there’s one place she can go to find some peace and quiet during her difficult divorce. But arriving at her beloved father’s home in the countryside, she finds him unwell and hunched over boxes of files, studying the records from Cedar Hall, the crumbling orphanage in town. He says that hidden behind the wrought iron gates and overgrown ivy are secrets about their family, and he asks for her help.

Sarah goes to speak to Connie Burroughs, the only person left alive who lived at Cedar Hall. Her questions take Connie from the comfort of her nursing home right back to a chilly night in 1934, when as a little girl she saw her own father carrying a newborn baby, bundled in rags, that he said he’d found near the broken front gate. The day Connie began to protect his secrets.

But just as Sarah begins to convince Connie that the truth can set her free, she realizes that unlocking the past might have heartbreaking consequences...

An emotional and uplifting reminder that incredible acts of courage can change the course of history, Ann Bennett’s powerful tale is inspired by the lives of the children who lived at her great-grandfather’s orphanage. Fans of Before We Were Yours, The Orphan’s Tale, and The Orphan Train will be hooked.

This book was previously published as The Foundling’s Daughter.

©2020 Ann Bennett (P)2020 Bookouture

Loved it

It is a well written story. Although sometimes predictable and has many coincidences I found it charming and relaxing especially after reading the vanishing half

Twists and Turns

It kept me taking longer routes in the car so I can kept listening. Takes time to develop but worth it. Lots of jumping between past and present.

Intriguing

Sometimes I had a little hard time following. The ending was to fast. It was a long climb to get to the story point and the closing I wanted more. I always like when the author tells a little about how and what their research gave them. This book did not have that.

I loved this book!

Ann Bennett is a new author for me. She wrote an excellent book, The Orphan House. It's beautifully read.

India and England

I enjoyed listing to this book and the narrator was superb! The story itself was plausible and I really enjoyed the parts describing India. The time line of the story was annoying at times when it would reference that a few days had passed for Connie however for Sarah she’d been getting weekly updates from a solicitor. The author needs to pay more attention to the timeline of the setting.

GREAT story

Hard to follow at first with all the jumping around generations and locations. Who belongs whom and where.
Finally got it and story started making sense. Reccomend it.

Amazing history

It was hard for me to put this down. I did not want it to end. I was hoping for a followup to the story.

OUTSTANDING

I'm not sure I can find words to express how much I loved this book. It's the best book I have listened to in a long time. I was hooked by the first paragraph to the very end. I had so many emotions while listening. My favorite character was Connie. I felt so sorry for the life she lived and the fear of her father that gripped her for her entire life. The plot had so many twists and turns and it wasn't the kind of book that you could figure it out for yourself what was going to happen. There were a few parts that were eery and sent chills down my spine. I loved this book from the first paragraph to the very end and am sad that it's over.

Intriguing

Excellent historical novel of a seldom discussed part of British history. It is a personal story of a young woman’s struggles as she tries to build a new life in British India. It is also the story of an orphanage and the family running it in England. It further explores the story of a man in search of his past and his daughter seeking her future. The individual stories touch each other in intriguing ways and stretch across three generations. It is history, family life, young women growing, romance and mystery all rolled into one book. Well worth the time to read or listen to. I did audio because I had driving and waiting time to fill. It was a delightful way to fill that time.

good book

loved the book, a little disappointed that there wasn't any commentary regarding any historical background at the end, but otherwise great read