A Surprise Gift
The Home For War Orphans by Jenna Ness is a powerful historical debut. It is the first book in The Orphans Of St Agnes series which promises to be fabulous. The ending is perfectly poised for the next book to begin.
The book opens in Paris in 1940 as the Nazis begin to take power. The leader of the orphanage and the remaining orphans flee South in the hope of getting a ship and visas for America. As the reader joins them on their perilous journey, we witness the very best and worst of humanity along the way.
Jenna Ness has perfectly captured the atmosphere as we sense both the bravery and the desperation of all those travelling South.
Within the group there is ‘sibling’ rivalry as well as much love for each other.
The mannerisms of the young girls have been perfectly drawn by the author. We ‘feel’ their conflicting emotions and their bravery.
We witness sacrificial love in action. This is a love that puts others above self.
There is an intriguing backstory surrounding the leading lady. Her activities following World War I are still having consequences in 1940. She is the prey as she is hunted by a sinister and powerful top Nazi.
As an American, the leading lady seems to be so much more than just the patron of the orphanage. Her name brings respect and action. The reader wonders why?
I thoroughly enjoyed The Home For War Orphans and am looking forward to the subsequent books.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Buy link: https://geni.us/B0F48YQ4G4social
Paris, 1940. Golden light bathes the crumbling rooftop of the orphanage. I stroke my little sister’s hair and comfort the other war orphans climbing into the rickety truck. We must leave the only home we have left, or the Nazis will find us…
Margot has spent most of her life at St Agnes’ Orphanage with her little sister Lucie. She does her best to care for all the children, cradling them under the stars when Sister Helen can’t get them to sleep. But she knows that when the Nazis reach the gates of Paris, the Jewish orphans will be in terrible danger. She must help them escape…
Holding on tightly to Lucie as they all scramble into a truck bound for the countryside, Margot cannot prevent her hands from shaking. Then one night, by the flickering light of the makeshift fire, Sister Helen tells Margot she has found a rich family to take Lucie in. But there will be no safety for the other children – unless Margot can lead them to the French coast for a ship destined for America.
Looking from her sister’s bright blue eyes to the little patchwork teddy the children share, Margot realises she must trust someone else with the only family she has left. But as soon as the wrought-iron gates of Lucie’s new home slam shut, Margot knows she’s made a mistake. Devastated at being left behind with strangers, Lucie runs away.
Margot knows the only place Lucie will run to is the high stone walls of the orphanage, where she last knew warmth and food and comfort. With fear in her heart, Margot is faced with an impossible choice. Should she race to save her sister from a terrible fate, or make sure the other orphans escape?
A heart-wrenching and powerful historical fiction page-turner set in World War Two Paris. Perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer, Anna Stuart and Rhys Bowen.
About the author
Jenna Ness’s debut historical novel THE HOME FOR WAR ORPHANS, to be published by Bookouture in June 2025, is the first in a World War II-set trilogy about orphan girls faced with a heartbreaking choice: will they surrender to the anguish of war, or courageously fight for themselves and those they love? Under a pseudonym, Jenna has also sold four million romance novels in twenty different languages and is a USA Today-bestselling author.
She lives in Idaho with her family and two dogs who follow her like ducklings from her desk to the fridge – Cosmo, a badly behaved Labrador-Collie mix, and Scootie, a chunky Chihuahua.
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