Gritty, captivating and full of heart, Lindsey Hutchinson’s Minnie’s Orphans is the latest compelling saga from the undisputed queen of Black Country sagas.

Marshall’s Children Home has proved to be a safe haven for those who felt they had nowhere to turn to. Unlike other orphanages, Marshall’s is a place where children are loved and cared for and where they are made to feel like they have finally found a place they can call home. The Fitch children thank their lucky stars that they had been rescued from the evil clutches of Una Reed and from the horrors they had been forced to endure at Reed House. While their former home was a place where misery and anguish were the order of the day, the corridors of Marshall’s Children reverberate with love and laughter. When Billy and Minnie had set up their home their mission was to give children an alternative to the grimness of the workhouse and although the two of them have changed the lives of many children, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Waifs and strays are always welcome at Marshall’s and Minnie hopes to continue to work hard in order to rescue as many children from the workhouse as she possibly can. But not everyone is rejoicing in her philanthropy. Some people will do whatever it takes to bring Marshall’s down and they will not stop until their mission is accomplished and they see Billy and Minnie ruined once and for all. With Marshall’s under attack, Billy and Minnie must fight for the sake of their future and their children’s futures in order to keep their charges safe. But will they succeed in keeping their family together? Or will they end up crumbling in the face of all the adversity standing in their way?

Call the Midwife fans are sure to enjoy Lindsey Hutchinson’s moving and powerfully written tale Minnie’s Orphans. Packed with plenty of drama, conflict, pathos and emotion, Minnie’s Orphans is a tale of resilience, survival, courage and commitment that will pluck at the heart strings and bring a tear to the eye on many an occasion so make sure you keep a box of tissues handy as you devour this fantastic page-turner.

Full of characters you will love and root for, humour and warmth, Minnie’s Orphans is another winner by Lindsey Hutchinson.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

A great read .
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
Grab a cup of tea, get comfy and enjoy.

Minnie's Orphans is a heartwarming story of family, friendship and heartache. Unfortunately, alongside the wonderful Minnie and her loving, kind family we are introduced to other characters who see the world very differently and seeing those two sides to the very same coin really makes you think! 

This book stands on it's own, so if you haven't read The Five Shilling Children ( I haven't yet ) you will definitely want to, but don't need to, to enjoy this wonderful tale. 

Minnie and her second husband Billy are happily running their children's home. All of Minnie's children are back with her and living under her roof. Marshall Home is full of laughter, love and helping hands, everyone pitches in, kindness and acceptance is of the upmost importance. On the other side of town Reed House, the orphanage is run by a cruel woman who has allowed bitterness to rule her every decision. All the children at Reed House want is someone to care for them, but for Una Reed, that is too much to ask. 

There are some very emotional moments in this story that had me reaching for a tissue. There was also one of those moments in which you know, without a shadow of a doubt what will happen on the next page and you so terribly don't want it to, you have to put the book down for a few minutes, to try and avoid the inevitable. 

Minnie's Orphans is a lovely story, one that made me smile, laugh out loud and cry a few tears too. I will most definitely be reading more by this talented author. Lindsey Hutchinson has weaved her magic and created characters you will care about and never forget.

This is a warm loving story of a orphanage in England where children as a whole weren't taken care of very well,but this family did. There is a boom I understand before thus story and it was sorta hard to get into without reading the first book. Wish when they have books like this they would tell you if it's in a series or the tenth of this series and name it. I read, through but can tell you that you will get so involved with all the characters in this story they become real to you! Grab tissues,you will need them! I will read the one before this and if it's anywhere as good as this one,you will do the same with Lindsey Hutchinson "Minnie's Orphans".. If I was a orphan in this time ,I would want to be raised by these people!! Lots of love who cares if your poor!! Rich in love means more and this feeling comes across in this story!!! Received from Net Gallery.. Read the other biok,I am,it's too good to not read!!

4☆ A Heart warming, Authentic and Compelling Historical Saga.

Minnie’s Orphans is my first book in this series. However I don't recommend you read it as a standalone, as it took me a while to figure out the characters and their stories.

That said once I got into the story I really enjoyed it. I just wish I had read the previous book.
For this reason I'm not going to go into the plot incase your yet to read this one and I wouldn't want to risk spoilers.

I really enjoy Historical Sagas and this one was beautifully written, it was gripping, poignant, heartwarming, authentic, and compelling.
The characters were endearing, complex and were wonderfully written.
Minnie’s Orphans is a story about friendship, family, love, trust, survival, the orphanage and new beginnings.
I'm really looking forward to reading more from Lindsey Hutchinson.

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

I am so honoured to be a part of this book blog tour for Minnie’s Orphans by Lindsey Hutchinson.

I’ve never read any books from this author before, and those who know me, know that this is not my usual genre of books. I was offered an ARC copy of the book & I volunteered to participate in the book blog tour as this book had me hooked from page one.

I’m usually drawn to contemporary romantic comedies and women’s fiction, rather than anything remotely historical, but something intrigued me after reading the synopsis…

My Thoughts
Minnie’s Orphans opens with the collection Digit, who is being welcomed home after a 5 – year stint in prison.

Although this is set in the Black Country in England, many years ago in the 19th Century, we get a real feel for the way society was back then, within the opening pages.

The book sheds a light on the extremely hierarchal class system, the lack of child protection, legal injustices etc that people faced back in then, when orphans, orphanages, and workhouses were a part of the normal fabric of English society.

Themes covered in the book include, child poverty, poverty in general, lack of social mobility, within the class system, trust issues and the human need for somewhere to call home, somewhere to belong.

I LOVED Minnie, she had a heart of gold & I hope I would be just like her, if I were living in this situation, providing a safe refuge for children who were alone and felt unloved in this world, it’s amazing how she created a real family home for them, as well as dealing with all the ‘issues’ each child brings with them, due to their backgrounds and for some, quite abusive pasts.

It’s quite sad to think of how some children were treated back then and I am so glad that as a society we aim to protect children as much as possible and have plenty of “Minnie’s” around to look after those children who are unfortunate to not have a family, are regulated by the government to ensure there are no more ‘Workhouses” in modern Britain.

This book is quite an emotional read and will definitely pull on your heartstrings, you may also shed a tear or 2.

I liked the pace of the storytelling and it is brilliantly written, and I love the style of Lindsey Hutchinson’s writing and will be checking out the rest of her books 👍

Lindsey Hutchinson is a bestselling saga author whose novels include The Workhouse Children. She was born and raised in Wednesbury, and was always destined to follow in the footsteps of her mother, the multi-million selling Meg Hutchinson.

Minnie’s Orphan’s is out now – Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/33rBCQd available in Paperback, Kindle or Audible Book Formats.

Keep up with Lindsey Hutchinson via the links below;

Newsletter sign up: http://bit.ly/LindseyHutchinsonMailingList

Twitter @ https://twitter.com/LHutchAuthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Lindsey-Hutchinson-1781901985422852/

Bookbub – Bookbub: @LindseyHutchinson

Goodreads – GoodReads: Lindsey Hutchinson

Thanks for reading and enjoy the book!

Chanel x

Chanel Williams

We all need a genre change at times don’t we? This was perfect for me inbetween all the thrillers lately. A lovely, heart-warming and uplifting read. Something different but well worth the read. I enjoyed it. I recommend it. It’s brilliantly written. I fell in love with Minnie. A true historical fiction read.

A page turner. A different world. A different time among this present chaos. A break for the mind. I love the cover too. A well deserved four stars from me.

First Initial Thoughts

Minnie owns an orphanage with her husband Billy. We start the story with Digit coming home after being in prison for 5 years for theft. We soon learn the love and kindness Minnie gives in her home. She takes Digit in even after all that has happened with love and respect. She also treats her children with love, good food, and a warm home. Good things are happening to the Marshall orphanage. Adam, one of Minnie’s biological children befriend an elderly man who owns a beautiful garden. Sadly, this elderly man passes away and gives everything to Adam. With that money, his family is able to acquire electricity in the home and plans on expanding the property.

Una Reed is an elderly woman who also owns an orphanage down the street. However, she runs the orphanage completely different than Minnie. The Fitch children remember all too well what it was like to live at Reed’s. It was dark, depressing, and harsh. Reed barely feed them nutritious meals and didn’t show them any affection. She was kind of a mean woman. However, as the novel progresses we soon learn how she came to be and how she knows the Marshalls. After a heart attack, will her perspective on life change?

Setting

Lindsey has such a talent for getting the setting just right. She really did her research on what it was like for orphans during this time and how the poor and disadvantaged survived. Life was hard in the city as much as it was out in the country and Lindsey really portrayed that well.

Final Thoughts

This story really tells a story of what it was really like in the early 20th century for orphans and the poor. Children could be sent to orphanages even if they were not technically orphans. If the family could not keep them clothed and fed, they could sell them to an orphanage. It was quite sad to learn that fact. Also, back then there were no regulations on orphanages. Many orphans were often not treated well at the home they were sent to as many were often used for labor and home keeping. It was almost unheard of to find an orphanage like Minnie’s. It was so sweet that Minnie treated each of her orphans like her own children.

While Una Reed was a troubled woman, we start to learn more about her and how she became such a mean old lady. I think as a reader in the beginning we want to feel like we just don’t like her. However, by the end, through certain circumstances, people were still there for her. It shows that we should still show someone, even if we don’t like them, kindness.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story of the Marshalls orphans, their life, and experiences. Even though it was depressing at times, there were always good things happening.

Before this book, I’d never heard of this author. And now, after having read this delightful book, I’m feeling the need to check out all of Lindsey Hutchinson’s books!

As someone who has a heart for children, this book touched me on so many levels. I love the way the characters in this book came together and made a home for children in need. I know this is fiction, but it really warmed my heart to read about this couple taking care of children, many of whom, were treated so poorly.

Lindsey Hutchinson is a talented story-teller, who evokes emotions and sucks the reader into her story.

I’m fairly certain there are more books in this series, but I wasn’t at all lost for not having read any of the previous books.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lindsey has done it again, this is another great read. Set in the Black Country this book tells of the hardships, love and friendship of the Marshall’s children’s home. There are some great characters in this story, which continues on from The Five Shelling Children. If you’ve not read this book first you can still enjoy reading this as a stand-alone instead, but I’d recommend both books.

Minnie's Orphans is another visit to the 19th century Wolverhampton, England by Lindsey Hutchinson. I had thought when I had finished reading The Five Shilling Children that it would be wonderful to see them in their new home. What a delightful insightful tale of life for them and their mother and step-father. Then there are some that are not so pleasant to see such as Una Reed with her Reed House. Sadly, there were sure to be some just like her in the 19th century.

The story continues with conflict between the Marshall Home and Reed House among other things. The children are so much of the story including the oldest ones who were not sold in the first book. This is a family that you will come to love. There are new people as well. It is a wonderful story of characters who love and help each other no matter how hard or difficult the circumstances become. You will be rooting for this family!

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Minnies Orphans by Lindsey Hutchinson is a historical fiction saga.I do believe there are books connected to this but I have read no other work by Lindsey Hutchinson, so this will be reviewed, by me as a standalone.Set in Wolverhampton in the 19th Century, we meet the Marshalls, Minnie and Billy. Minnie has had a troubled background, do they decide to start a childrens home. Their first move was to regain Minnie's children from a previous marriage. They make a point to found Marshalls on love and laughter while treating everyone as equals. This creates a happy home for all. Minnie has a mission, and that is to take in all the unwanted waifs and strays. I was astounded to discover people then got paid to take their children to an orphanage! That almost made me shed a tear alone!
We meet Una Reed, who has her own childrens home Reed House, she is the exact opposite of Minnie, in every way. This particular homenis run by a rod of iron as the workhouses were then. These two women have their issues with each other and as the story unfolds we see how kind hearted Minnie deals with trouble.
I really loved being transported back into ages past and learning about how the world workes back then. Although the fact that children were treated so badly tore me up, I was glad that people such as Minnie and Billy would have existed. The love from Minnie for all the children is so real I could almost touch it. Lindsey Hutchinson has created a set of lovable characters, they exude warmth.On the other side we have Una Reed, cold, bitter and selfish, now that woman needs a comeuppance and fast in this book.
In conclusion this is a great read that enveloped me in the past for the few days I was reading it. Yet another author I have discovered through blog tours! Thank you to Rachels Random Resources and NetGalley for the book to write my review today.

The Fitch children are now safe and secure living with their mother and her new husband, Billy. Minnie and Billy Marshall have opened up their own children's home. Marshall's is full of love and laugnter and everyone is treated equally. Una Reed, the owner of Reed House and Minnie run their homes differently. The kettle is never off in Minnie's home, the children are looked after and well fed. Una punishes the children in her care and she feeds the children substandard meals

The story follows on from where The Five Shilling Children left off. All of the characters from the previous book are back, plus we meet a few more. There's quite a lot going on in the book. Adam and his sister Polly are still close. Adam takes care of the allotment and becomes friendly with old Mr Jackson. James, Minnie's oldest son, is getting married to Felicity (Fliss). Una Reed who runs Reed House resents Minnie. Una once thought that it would be her that Billy would marry. I love Lindsey Hutchinson. She's one of my go to authors. She never disappoints.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #BoldworldBooks and the author #LindseyHutchinson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big lover of historical fiction especially sagas and how the people during that period survived.


Believe me when I say, this book got me hooked from page one.


I was horrified at the fact that parents sold their kids for few shillings at orphanages. Can you believe that?


What an adventurous, suspense filled tale.
Each character will keep you interested in the plot.


All those food prepared at Minnie’s Kitchen made my mouth water. I was proud of Minnie and her ever expanding family.
We need more Minnie’s in this world.


I wanted to cry at some scenes. Grab some tissues, this book took a big twist at some part and it was so unexpected.


This is a sweet clean historical saga deserving of 10 perfect stars!
I got so emotional at the plot. I love the ending.


Lindsey Hutchinson writes well!


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.

My first book by this author, although her name and that of her mother, Meg Hutchinson was instantly familiar! We find ourselves transported back in time to Wolverhampton and the Black Country, and I have to admit this did sway my decision to read this book as I live in the area! We meet Minnie Marshall, who runs a children’s home with her husband Billy. The book is set in the days when workhouses were common place, and orphans even more so. Minnie and Billy’s children’s home, Marshalls, is a proper home for the orphans that they take in and they given them the love and support that they need.

Minnie is a lovely character, with such a warm heart and a big kind soul. Having had a troubled background herself, Minnie is determined to look after all the orphans she takes in. At the start of the book, we are introduced to many of the children under her care as they wait outside Stafford Gaol to welcome the release of one of their young friends, Digit. It was so heart-warming to see the friendship between them all, and it did bring tears to my eyes for Digit’s first night under Minnie’s roof. It also brought home the hardships which were faced in those days for petty crimes, ones today which would barely make the legal system would result in 5-year sentences in Digit’s time.

There was a huge amount of characters and names within the first few chapters, and it did take a while to pick up on all these and remember who was who. I did wonder if the book was part of a series as the way it was written seemed to suggest that these characters were already know, but when checking it did seem it was a standalone book. The wide array of characters, at first, was a bit daunting, but the storyline was so well written that I quickly settled down and enjoyed it. The historical accuracy was well researched and I loved reading of places that I’ve heard of, but which are now long gone. It was also fascinating and saddening to hear of the lives that not just the adults had, but the young children also, particularly when they were orphans. Orphanages, poor houses and workhouses were obviously not nice places, but it was heart-warming to think that there were people like Minnie and Billy to protect, feed and clothe the children of these times.

The story was gripping and emotional all the way through. I guarantee it will have you wiping tears away on one page while biting your nails on the other. From an area with a strong industrial background, this book certainly captures the feelings and emotions of the people who would have lived through these times. If you love historical sagas, then this is definitely the book for you!

Minnie and Billy Marshall run a children's home in 19th century Wolverhampton, England. Minnie has her own troubled background, and the Marshalls started the home with Minnie's own children from a previous marriage. Her husband had, after learning a dark secret about Minnie, sold them for five shillings each to Reed House, a rather stark, harsh orphanage. The children had to be rescued from the orphanage and its abuse, and they brought a few of their friends--and the Marshalls found an empty house that the city couldn't find an owner for. It became Marshall's Home for Children, and more children found their way there.

As the book opens, Billy and one of Minnie's sons, Adam, are waiting at the prison gate for Adam's friend, Digit, to be released after serving five years for a minor crime. (His nickname is Digit because he's light-fingered; one of his brothers is Flash because he's so fast, and a third brother is called Echo. They think he's slow-witted because no one knows what autism is, yet. They eventually realize he's not at all slow-witted.)

The family and the orphanage get a lot of their food from their allotment garden, and this proves to be a key factor in much that happens.

Adam does a lot of the gardening, and becomes friendly with Mr. Jackson, an elderly widower who works the adjoining allotment. It's also at the allotment that Adam meets Dickie Stanton, the oldest of the three Stanton brothers currently among the seven children living at Reed House, after being sold there for five shillings. Dickie routinely escapes Reed House during the day, and returns only for meals and sleep--and the meals are unappetizing and inadequate. The first meetings between Adam and Dickie are not good.

Adam is kind and helpful to old Mr. Jackson, worries about him, and one day, when he doesn't show up, goes to his house, and finds him ill. This is only one incident that shapes Mr. Jackson's view of Adam.

Adam's sister, Polly, is in training to be a nurse, but the shrinking economy and budget cuts at the hospital cost her her job and she starts looking for something useful to do.

James, Minnie's oldest son, meets a young woman, and it's not long before Felicity is telling James she's pregnant and they need to get married.

Una Reed, the owner of Reed House, used to, when they were young, have dreams of marrying Billy, and resents Minnie for having married him instead. Her resentment of Minnie and of Marshall's Home for Children is large. The stark conditions at Reed House versus the warm and happy atmosphere at Marshall's are a big contrast, and the source of some of the low-level conflict that finally explodes.

It's a warm, loving story, with decent, caring people not only in the obvious places, but in the less obvious places as well. Very satisfying.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, and am reviewing it voluntarily.

Oh dear, I'm going to be the one who bucks the trend of fulsome praise for this book
I found it trite, mawkish, unconvincing and flat. There was no character development, events seemed very contrived and I didn't get a feel for the historical period at all.
Not a fan, as you might have guessed.

I must be stupid but is this book a part of a series. It felt like it was. I enjoyed the book. Learnt a lot. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest review

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. A great old fashion read, great characters, great storyline and of course a happy ending. Loved it.