They only had each other . . . until they were torn apart. London, 1910.Lily is ten years old when she realises her grandmother, a washerwoman in the backstreets of London’s Bermondsey, is seriously ill. She’s determined to do what can she can to help and keep her grandmother’s illness a secret – even from her beloved twin, Artie. But Gran isn’t getting any better, and there’s only so much Lily … there’s only so much Lily can do…
When tragedy strikes and the twins are faced with the prospect of a workhouse or an orphanage, a benefactor offers to take Artie in and educate him. All Artie’s needs will be taken care of – but the gentleman has no use for a girl. The twins have lost everything they knew and loved, but they never thought they’d lose each other.
As the orphan twins grow up and take different paths, their new lives are beyond anything they could have imagined. Will they ever find a way to be together again?
Set against the backdrop of the First World War, The Orphan Twinsis the heart-wrenching new saga from Lesley Eames, bestselling author of The Brighton Guest House Girlsand two-time RNA Romantic Saga award nominee.
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I would like to thank Aria and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.
I was immediately attracted by the cover of this book where we see the twins Lily and Artie.
The story takes place in London in 1910 where Lily, who is ten years old, has to look after her grandmother who is ill, she is a washerwoman in the lower districts of Bermondsey. She is a washerwoman in the slums of Bermondsey. She wants to help her as much as possible and keep her illness a secret. As for Artie, her twin, he also keeps all this a secret, except that their grandmother is not getting better and there is nothing they can do about it.
They will end up in a workhouse or an orphanage. A man offers to take Artie in to educate him. He doesn’t want Lily, so the twins will lose everything and go their separate ways.
Will they ever find each other again?
A book read in one sitting, so much so that I was hooked on the story, so gripping, so moving in certain passages, so captivating, so addictive, so full of suspense and twists and turns with very endearing characters. I love the author’s writing.
I absolutely loved The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames. The story is told through Lily’s POV and takes the reader on a journey through her childhood to age 20. Artie is Lily’s twin brother and when the story begins, the two are young children living with their grandmother before World War I. Lily is the more mature of the twins, and when Gran dies, Lily is sent to an orphanage of sorts and Artie is sent to live with a wealthy man who has decided to raise Artie and pay for his education. Artie promises that one day he’ll provide for Lily, make up for him living in comfort and her in the orphanage.
Ms. Eames spins a heart-warming tale, keeping the reader enthralled with Lily as a child and as a young adult, with the friends she makes, the jobs she takes and the ‘twin’ relationship she shares with Artie. I loved Lily’s spirit, her energy and her selflessness. No matter what obstacles life throws at her, she meets them head-on and doesn’t begrudge her brother his good fortune. Through Lily’s eyes, I enjoyed watching Artie grow from a boy only interested in hanging out with his friends to a young man who is just as hard-working as Lily. With a bit of romance and secondary characters who’ll touch your heart, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Orphan Twins and start reading today.
The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames is an engaging historical novel. Lily Tomkins and her twin brother, Artie live with their Gran on Jessey Street in Bermondsey in 1910. Lily is just ten years old when she notices that Gran is unwell. Gran passes within a year leaving the twins with just each other. Artie is fortunate to have found a benefactor in Mr. Crispin Alderton. He agrees to take in Artie and provide him with an excellent education which will allow him to obtain a good position later. Lily is sent to Booth’s Cottage Schools in Sevenoaks where she will train for life as a domestic. The twins will need to work hard to get ahead and fight to keep in touch with each other. I thought The Orphan Twins was well-written and it moved along at a good pace. The characters are developed, and I enjoyed following the twins’ journey. We get to see how differently boys and girls were treated. The Orphan Twins is told from Lily’s point-of-view. Lily Tomkins is smart, and she knows that she wants more out of her life. Artie is given a great opportunity (one Lily would have loved) and Lily encourages Artie to accept it. The education of a boy was considered a higher priority than that of a female. We get to see the differences in the twins’ lifestyle. I thought the author captured the time-period with the clothing, books, attitudes, and historical events. There are great descriptions of London and the scenic places the characters visited. Lesley Eames brought the setting to life with her vivid word imagery. The Orphan Twins is an emotional novel about love, family, trust, friends, and hope. We get to see good times and the bad (make sure to have tissues handy). The ending was just lovely. My favorite phrases from The Orphan Twins is, “It isn’t how much money a person has that matters. It’s what’s in their hearts.” The Orphan Twins is a captivating historical novel with a raging war, fine friends, tons of tea, romantic despairs, ingenious ideas, and steadfast siblings.
The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames is a charming story of 11 year of twins orphaned before World War I in England. Artie and Lily had been raised by their grandmother after the death of their parents and now, she too, was dying. Lily did her best to maintain the household while Artie went to school. They both knew the value of an education. At Gran’s death, Artie was “adopted” by a benefactor who had taken on his education months before and Lily went to the workhouse and from there was sent to Booth’s Cottage Schools, a kind of orphanage, but better than most. There she met her two life-long pals, Elsie and Phyllis. After spending three years there she was deemed ready for service so off she went and landed in a situation where she was the helper to an older woman, Hilda. After several years both their futures were put into question when their employers sold up with no notice, leaving them both without jobs. Hilda retired with her sister, several years earlier than was the plan and Lily left for London to find and job to begin her future.
This was an utterly charming story of perseverance and loyalty. Lily is a well written character who stand on her own two fee from childhood. She is loving and hardworking which is a combination difficult to beat. As a young adult she is faced with the onslaught of World War I, with her brother and many friends being called into service for their country. She continues to thrive, mostly through her own industry and comes out the other end in tact. Many adventures intercede in her life in a plot so much like real life it makes the read cringe sometimes. This is a wonderful book and I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of The Orphan Twins by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #theorphantwins
A Sharing of Hearts
An adorable story of two orphan twins Lilly and Artie orphaned at the age of twelve when their grandmother who was raising them passed away. Although separated and sent different ways they never forgot their love for each other and visited whenever possible.
As they grew into adulthood, Artie in school and Lilly finding her way into employment they never lost touch with each other. As they grew and were separated again by war and reunited they found a way to stay close to each other.
I loved the story and the characters. The story of the tea room, the chocolate store, and all the different friends. Lilly met Elsie and Phyllis in the orphanage and they became close friends staying in touch and sharing their lives with each other. They were all there for each other through their life challenges as they grew to adulthood and began new lives.
I loved the history and the descriptions of the scenic places they visited. I felt like I was on tour and visiting. The descriptions were wonderful and the characters were realistic.
The book is about love, trust, relationships, heartache and triumph. It is about new beginnings and new friends. The ending was perfect. I enjoyed the book immensely and would recommend it.
Thanks to Lesley Eames, Aria Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This book has been on my TBR (To Be Read) pile on my phone. I finally finished the other books and picked The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames. Immediately I started the first two pages,I knew this was a good book.
I am a big fan of historical sagas.
I love the twins ,Lily and Artie. I favour Lily the more. She seems more mature and knowledgeable for her age and she loves her twin brother and granny.
This book is deserving of a 5 star rating. So page turning, attention grabbing, edge – of- a seat feeling and overall,an excellent book.
My heart broke at the suffering Gran experienced due to old age and poverty. I wanted to cry at some scenes. With food sparse and money tight,the twins and their Granny looked forward to the next day.
The quest for education by the twins touched my heart. Both of them love reading books. I felt for Lily more. Such a sweet brave girl.
Grab some tissues,you are going to cry at some scenes. I love this book.
Siblings love is so great and emotional.
I love Lily’s friends;Elsie and Phyllis. What a great bond of friendship between them.
I love dear old Mr. Bax. An awesome man he was!
Mr. Alderton is a good man despite him not taking large part of the plot but his support towards Artie’s education will make me to appreciate him.
Leasley Eames writes well. You can’t help falling in love with her book characters.
War is terrible but life must go on. I salute Lily for her courage in the midst of war.
This is the best historical saga I have read this year that touched my heart deeply.
I love this book so much.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Aria through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely mine.