Cover Image: The Forgotten Orphan

The Forgotten Orphan

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Member Reviews

Maisie Reynolds abandoned and separated from her twin, Jack as a child at the orphanage always felt unloved and not wanted. Her bright red unruly red hair made her feel as if no one would ever want her. She was treated so bad by the leaders of the Holly Bush Orphanage.
Taking place during World War 2. She grew to be a very strong woman, but always wondered about her past and who her parents were. She loved the children of the orphanage and finally became their leader. She meets a Canadian Paratrooper, Cam, and falls in love with him. So emotional and full of surprises that will keep you reading and wanting Maisie to find happiness.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC and I am submitting my voluntary and honest review.

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Maisie, an older orphan who has been endlessly mistreated, and lost in the orphan system is trying to cling to any hope of finding a home and also her twin brother who was adopted away from her long ago. Through events at the start of the war, the orphanage comes under her supervision briefly and is given a job in the orphanage building when the military takes it over. With this sliver of hope, Maisie begins to finally find and build a life of her own. She meets a Canadian military man Cam and thus begins a beautiful and tender relationship that spans the years of the war. It's a beautiful, heartwarming story of love, war, strength, and hope. Highly recommend!

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Oh, The Forgotten Orphan is a book that will NOT disappoint. It will make you feel all of the emotions like a good book should. It gives so many good details that you can just see what is happening in the book play like a film in your mind but so much better than a film would ever be. The details didn’t leave anything out and didn’t leave me with any lingering questions. I feel like each main character was given ample time in the spotlight. I learned so much about each character and the war they were facing.

“This book was provided to me by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.”

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Maise, with wildly curly red hair, has lived in an orphanage in England her entire life. She has
her twin brother when she enters the orphanage., but he gets adopted. Maisie watches many of the children getting adopted, but she's never adopted. Eighteen and still living at the orphanage., Maisie helps convert the orphanage to a hospital for soldiers. With the war raging around them. Maisie helps care for the soldiers in at the former orphanage.

Maisie builds a life of her own. She works hard and makes friends. As the war rages around her, Maisie meets a young Canadian soldier who she becomes smitten with.
The war continues and Maise grows. Into a strong woman.

An incredible story with WWII going on simultaneously.

A bit of a mystery and twist in the story as Maisie searches. for information about her mother.q

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A tragic story of an orphanage where a little girl suffered torment and loss. She eventually leaves to devote herself to help the wounded in the war. Through many trials and tribulations, she finally finds love and happiness far away from all the heartbreak of the past.

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Historical drama set round an orphanage which becomes a military care home.The orphanage becomes our heroine life after she fails to be adopted,she grows up there working hard even after it closes She overcomes much,learns the truth and finds happiness.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this ARC in return for my honest review. I'm a big fan of historical fiction, especially set in WW2, so I really enjoyed this book. I went through a range of emotions reading this and I think it will appeal to a lot of readers,

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Genre Historical fiction 
Rating: 5/5
Plot: 
From the internationally bestselling author of The Secret Orphan.
A world at war
A secret from her past
A chance to be together…
A moving and compelling historical novel about love, second chances and resilience in the darkest of times
Southampton 1940
Abandoned when she was tiny, Maisie Reynolds was separated from her twin brother and forced to grow up in Holly Bush orphanage – a place where she has never known love or kindness.
But with the world at war and Hitler’s devastating bombs coming ever closer, fate has other plans for Maisie and a secret from her past changes everything.
When she meets handsome Canadian paratrooper, Cam, Maisie learns that love might not be lost to her after all – but not before her past life and D Day bring a tragic twist to her happiness.

My verdict: A fab piece of fiction from Glynis Peters! If you love Ellie Dean and Kitty Neale, you’ll love this heartbreaking and equally heartwarming narrative all about family and not just biological family but the family that you find along the way in life. Not only does this deal with the atrocious results of war and PTSD but also adoption, child abuse, child trafficking, first love, poverty and briefly prostitution.
Glynis Peters writing is almost lyrical whilst at the same time being realistic about the time period and it’s social prejudices. I love the mixture of forms that added extra elements to the narrative, for example Maisie’s poetry records her transition from girlhood to womanhood ultimately showing how deeply she feels things and despite not being shown any love or remote kindness in her childhood she is shown to be compassionate and caring especially towards her patients.
The letters between her and Cam show how resilient she is especially when it comes to finding her brother and discovering the nature of her origins. With Cam we see her start to feel secure and how they both learn to trust one another and we start to see them allowing themselves to be vulnerable.
I love how she advocates through Maisie how cathartic writing can be and how it can help you grasp big changes and make sense of a mixture of your feelings by putting them in context and perspective.
Overall, a very romantic and at times gritty love story and even with the secondary characters with their own subplots, it is still an emotional rollercoaster with a heartwarming ending.
Peter’s gratitude for those who served and helped during World War Two shines through in this novel and her passion for the time period is evidently apparent. I applaud her for writing a novel that is in a sense a love story and a characters quest for belonging while not shying away from the gritty and at times horrific consequences of war.
Thank you to Netgalley for helping* me discover this underrated historical fiction author. I was reminded of Sebastien faulks Bird Song when reading especially regarding the emotional toll a war can take on a person. I implore you to read this. It’s like sticky toffee pudding on a cold winters day, a hug within a book.

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Key Themes and Tropes

Historical fiction
WW2
Orphan
Soldier
Love overcomes all tragedy
Perseverance and strength in adversity


REVIEW
I love me some historical fiction and I love books set in WW2. I am a known sucker for pilots, soldiers and love conquering all. This book had all of that and more. The author pulls us in to tell the story of Maisie, a orphan who has spent her life within the walls of the local orphanage. Maisie, about to turn 18, is a bright light to all who cross her path. The author depicts Maisie as a selfless, humble, and grateful young girl, deserving of a love that has not yet found her. I was immediately drawn to her character, her determination and her strength, becoming invested in her past and her future. The reader follows Maisie’s struggle to discover a way forward as the only home she has ever known is being taken over to become a government rehab hospital for returning soldiers. The authors attention to the details of the time (the rationing, local dances to boost moral of troops etc.) lend credence to the storyline.
As a reader I was rooting for Maisie and hoped she would find love and peace in the end. Overall a great read, perfect for historical fiction lovers.

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This was an absolutely amazing story. It gave me a look at a different side of WWII to think about. This is a historical WWII fictional book but I choose to believe there is a lot of truths weaved in.
This storyline centers around the life of Maisie Reynolds, a young girl who was separated from her twin brother when she was eight years old, and was forced to grow up in Holly Bush Orphanage, a place where no one has ever been nice or kind to her, let alone shone her any kind of love. She feels as though she’s not lovable.
With the world at war and bombs dropping closer and closer, as Maisie gets ready to convert the orphanage into a hospital for the injured, a secret from her past changes everything.
Maisie is talked into going to a dance and she sees handsome paratrooper Cam again. She leans that love might be possible for her but not before Maisie settles her past and the tragedies of D Day bring a tragic twist I never saw coming to her happiness.
The plot kept a steady pace. Character development was wonderful. There were several characters but they were very easy to differentiate.
I was very impressed with this book. I had a hard time putting it down. It just grabbed ahold of me and wouldn’t let go. I’ve never read a book from this author but this book will definitely not be my last.
#OMCreads #NetGalley

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This was a heartwarming novel of WW2. I love the character of Maisie and her experiences. Would love to see her character in another novel continuing her story.
In reading this novel you will smile, feel sad and happy. feel anger and joy! The full gamete of emotions!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Again Netgalley has given me an opportunity to read a book in a genre that I don't often visit. Maisie and her brother Jack were abandoned in an orphanage at a young age and separated when Jack was adopted. Maisie was then left at the orphanage unwanted until the start of WW2 when she stays on to help with the orphanage's new purpose. A chance encounter with a Canadian paratrooper, Cam, brings the chance of love into her life.
A very moving book where you hope that love can finally come into Maisie's life to compliment her loving nature. It also gives an insight into life for civilians during WW2, together with the effect on soldiers returning wounded in body and spirit. Southampton, where the book is based, is just down the coast from where I live which always brings a story to life as I can visualise the area.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

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The Forgotten Orphan is an amazing historical novel that takes place during World War II in Southhampton, England. The main character, Maisie Reynolds, is an orphan at Holly Bush Orphanage. She has been at the orphanage for as long as she can remember. Over the years, she has known nothing but heartache. The staff at the orphanage show no affection and are cruel. Maisie's twin brother, Jack, is adopted as are most of the other children at the orphanage. Maisie is raised to believe that she is too ugly to find a home. She tries desperately to find out information about her family, and her brother Jack, to no avail. Will she find information about her family, especially Jack? You'll need to read the book to find out!! Through all of her hardships, Maisie is nothing but kind and loving to the orphans that she helps raise. She longs to fall in love and have a family of her own. By chance, she meets a Canadian paratrooper by the name of Cam. Will her dreams come true? Will she finally have the life that she wants and deserves?
In my opinion, this book is well written. The author, Glynis Peters, does a good job in describing the characters, setting, and feelings of what it would have been like living during World War II. Maisie's character is someone that we should all aspire to be.
This is the first Glynis Peters book that I have read. I will definitely read some of her other novels.

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1940 Holly Bush Orphanage. This is where we find Maisie Reynolds and where Maisie will be for some years to come. Life is unkind, and in particular, in Maisie's case love and kindness has eluded her. Adoptive parents want the "cute" child, the pretty girls, the handsome boys. For Maisie this was not meant to be, as her limbs were gangly, her ginger hair frizzy with a face that held freckles. The ache with each adoptive and future parents ignoring her, it would seem fate wasn't kind to her. There was no one to comfort her, to love her, to protect her. As a twin both she and her brother were separated. Where was he? What did fate have in store for her? This was an emotional story as we follow along on the journey that Maisie takes. Will she ever find love, or happiness for that matter? This is a novel that will touch your heart. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This was my first time reading a book by historical fiction author Glynis Peters and it will definitely not be my last! Instantly Peters’ writing transported me back in time making it so I couldn’t put the book down. The main character, Maisie, is so likable and a character you wish was “real.” The story line was full of raw emotions, unforgettable surprises, & an ending that will surely be talked about. I love historical fiction so I had high expectations, but The Forgotten Orphan exceeded my hopes.

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From reading Glynis Peters first book i have been hooked on her books and this book is the story Maisie Reynolds in Holly Bush orphanage.Abandoned there when tiny along with her twin brother Jack maisie is met with hostility and never shown love which she sees every day.One day Jack is taken from her and adopted leaving maisie bereft but one day she is going to find him.I have loved reading about Maisie and her life and the day she meets a lovely Canadian who is to change her life.Well done to Glynis Peters well worth 5*

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Maisie grows up in the orphanage and is the only one left when it closes. When war comes to take over the orphanage she gets a job in the wards and finds confidence, friends and love.

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A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre,  however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different. Characters were so well developed that I felt as though I knew them. I love when a book draws you into the story and it feels like you are living it with them.

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This is a story about an orphan girl in Southhampton, England during WWII and it was amazing to read about this girl's rise in life and the way her character developed and bloomed.
In this book we follow Maisie Reynolds, an orphan at Holly Bush Orphanage that is separated at early age from her twin brother. She is forced to grow up without love or kindness while never losing the kindness in her own heart. That was without a doubt one of the most admirable traits of her character, in my opinion.
With the second world war, Maisie has her life completely changed as fate has other plans for her future, different from anything she has ever imagined.
When she meets Cam, a canadian paratrooper, she learns that maybe love is possible in her life after all.

This book made me incredibly happy, It was amazing to see Maisie grow as a person and as a character as she is forced to experience life in ways she never experienced before. I loved watching her discovering love and falling in love. It was such a cute and heartbreaking romance for sure, but we experience so many other types of love that Maisie is feeling for the first time.
I have to say that one of my favourite parts was this girl's kindness. Maisie faced every obstacle with a kindness that was deeply challenged by the atrocities of WWII but that never wavered. To experience such kindness and innocence in a time that is known for its despair and horrible moments was heartwarming.
I also loved Cam and her entire love story with him. It made me cry so many times.

I've read many historical fiction novels and this was one of the kindest ones for my heart, but it also kept those deep heartbreaking moments that make WWII novels so memorable. I definitely recommend this for you if you are starting to read WWII historical fiction or if you are looking for an easier (but of course never actually easy) one to read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the chance to read this ARC.

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Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher, this was a real harrowing story and in places made me feel very emotional. Good storyline, would recommend but be prepared for tears,

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