As she looks at the baby wriggling in her father’s arms, a bolt of recognition goes through her and she takes a step back. And it’s in that moment that she begins to protect her father’s secrets.1934, Weirfield-on-Thames. Connie Burroughs loves living in the orphanage that her father runs. Exploring its nooks and crannies with her sister, hearing the pounding of a hundred pairs of feet on the … pairs of feet on the wooden stairs, having a father who is doing so much good. But everything changes the day she sees him carrying a newborn baby that he says he found near the broken front gate. A baby she recognises…
Present day. Arriving at her father’s beloved cottage beside the river, Sarah Jennings is hoping for peace and quiet, to escape her difficult divorce. But when she finds her father unwell and hunched over boxes of files on the orphanage where he was abandoned as a child, she decides to investigate it herself.
The only person left alive who lived at Cedar Hall is Connie Burroughs, but Connie sits quietly in her nursing home for a reason. The sewing box under Connie’s bed hides secrets that will change Sarah’s life forever, uncovering a connection between them that has darker consequences than she could ever imagine.
A heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting tale inspired by the lives of the children who lived at the author’s great-grandfather’s orphanage. Fans of Before We Were Yours, The Orphan’s Tale and The Orphan Train will be hooked.
What readers are saying about The Orphan House:
‘Oh my goodness. What an amazing story of life, love, loss and finding yourself… Awe inspiring. I honestly am left reeling. This is my first book from this author, although it definitely will not be my last. Thank you for a journey that I will not soon forget.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘An amazing and spellbinding read. Exceptionally well done. I hated when it ended.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wonderful storytelling! I have just finished reading this book and I’m bereft! I was able, for a few days, to lose myself completely in the story… I highly recommend this book to anyone.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘What an amazing read!!! I didn’t expect this to be a rollercoaster of emotions, suspense, and mystery but it was everything!!… I recommend this book so much!!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘This book gave me all the feelings at once… Keeps you hooked through the whole book.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘If there were ever to be a perfect bookclub book, it would be The Orphan House… Beautifully portrayed characters, who were so vivid… Almost felt like watching it on the big screen, every place, person, and circumstance came to live and felt almost tangible… Will surely touch your soul.’ Goodreads reviewer
‘True to life and totally believable. The plot was intriguing, and the delivery was perfect.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘I was hooked only a few pages in to the story… I cannot say enough about this book and I hope you will love it too.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Loved this book… captures so many emotions… Couldn’t put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘This was a fantastic read… It lured me in and I ended up hooked. By about the halfway point, I was completely captivated by the story and the mystery kept me guessing as I tried to figure it out… Beautifully written.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Oh what a wonderful book! This beautifully written story tugs at the heart strings… I lived this book, it hooked me from the first line and kept me engrossed until the last… A book to treasure and reread. A masterpiece.’ Renita D’Silva, 5 stars
This book was previously published as The Foundling’s Daughter.more
Connie and Evie Burroughs were raised alongside many other children, her father ran what was known as The Orphan House. They never turned anyone away, and often her father found homes for the numerous babies left on their doorsteps. How a mother could do this, Connie had always questioned. It was a tough upbringing and the two girls eventually became teachers and then lived the rest of their lives out in Cedar Hall, the home behind where the orphanage used to reside. Her sister has passed and now she is the only left to keep the secrets.
Sarah’s life has abruptly changed course after finding out her husband was doing some shady business deals and cheating on her with another co-worker. She is wanting to start new and fresh and strengthen the relationship with her father. Her father has always struggled with the fact that he was an orphan and wants to find out who he really is before his time is up, so she decides to dive into the search as well.
After having exhausted various agencies and hitting brick walls with old records either being lost or unknown Sarah decides to try and confront the one person who might still have the knowledge of her fathers background – Connie Burroughs. Her father at one time did attempt to talk to the sisters but he was turned away and told to never reach out again. Now it’s only Connie and Sarah has a feeling that she knows more than she is letting on, will Connie be able to come to terms with the secrets she’s held all of these decades and finally tell someone the truth of the orphan house.
Thank you to Forever Publishing for the free book. This was a really great historical read and loosely based on true places and events makes it that much more interesting. I love how the author brought the present and past all together in this one.
Pensive, tense, and emotive!
The Orphan House is an engaging, mysterious tale that sweeps you away to the idyllic village of Weirfield and immerses you into the lives of two main characters, Sarah Jennings, a young woman who, after heading to her father’s home to regroup after her marriage falls apart, finds herself taking care of her father, purchasing a historic home, and endeavouring to rebuild a new life in a house that needs a lot of work and seems to contain a lot of hidden surprises; and Connie Burroughs, an elderly woman who, after a recent fall and subsequent move to an assisted-living facility, decides to let the memories she’s been protecting and her father’s long-buried secrets finally come to light.
The prose is evocative and expressive. The characters are focused, troubled, and attentive. And the plot, set in both the 1930s as well as present-day, is a tender, heartfelt mix of life, love, family, friendship, self-reflection, history, abuse, power, negligence, community, new beginnings, and second chances.
Overall, The Orphan House is a hopeful, absorbing, reflective tale by Bennett that, with its compelling storyline and endearing characters, I’m sure glad I didn’t miss.
The Orphan House is a heart-wrenching story that weaves the past with the present and tells the story of two women’s journeys to find answers. Every page holds a secret or tidbit that keeps you wanting to turn the pages and discover where they lead, all the while getting you closer to the uplifting and surprising ending. From beginning to end this one held my interest intently, it was dramatic, heartfelt, unpredictable, and quite moving. There wasn’t a single thing about it that I didn’t love! Highly recommend!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
The premise is good and it kept me listening (audiobook) through to the end, but it wasn’t edited tightly enough to keep me in the story the whole time. I know a story is really polished when I don’t think about the words on the page.
I discover so many good books from Bookbub. I would probably never have come across this book without its Bookbub sale. It’s a somewhat tragic story told from multiple viewpoints in multiple time periods, but all the stories are woven together neatly in the hopeful ending. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Historical fiction is one of my favorite topics, and if it deals with the Orphan Train era, then I can’t resist reading it, since my mother and aunt were a part of that period in our history. Whether you agree with the way the orphans lived in those days or not, I think you will enjoy reading the story that Ann Bennett has written. Put yourself in the lives of those homeless children and those who helped them. I think you will enjoy reading the story of our past and how these children were helped. Or sometimes not.
Loved the mystery in this book.
This insightful book tor at my heartstrings, I read it in one sitting. Have hankies handy when you read this book!
Very good !
Realistic enough to be true. Two elderly sisters live in the house they grew up in. It used to be an orphanage that their father ran. The house is sold to the daughter of a dying man whose wish is to find out who is biological mother was. He was adopted from this orphanage. The story follows the search for documents, memories of one of the sisters, and following the trail of Anna. A very nice read.
The Orphan House was written with such wonderful descriptive characters. I was able to have a clear picture in my mind of each setting. The book had so many twists and turns I had difficulty putting it down as life’s chores beckoned me. I can’t wait to read another book by Ann Bennett. What a phenomenal read!
Very enjoyable read, sad but real!
So well written; couldn’t put it down and was sorry when it ended, tho some good twists & turns and outcome. Will read more by this author!
Sometimes predictable but yet enough twists to keep you wanting to read and find out what happens.
I had a hard time staying with this book. I read another and then came back to it. Once I got used to the ‘bouncing’ of lives and time, I kept reading. I did figure out the ending about half way through, but I was still surprised. I was saddened by the stories of the different people in this story. I personally have a problem with ‘control’ that men have over females> youngers and then into adulthood.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Loved the characters.
The story was very interesting and kept me interested all the way through. Several stories within the story but easy to connect. This was one of the better books I’ve read this year. Would recommend it.
Good story. Surprising ending
loved it
This book is inspirational without being overtly Christian. Going back and forth between the 1930’s and current time, the stories develop independently, and then (surprise) end up as one. Well written and a good read.