The Lost Orphan #ourgoodlifebooklist

I read a lot of books and rarely am I so riveted that I cannot put the book down, but this was the case for The Lost Orphan by Stacey Halls.  My favorite genre is historical fiction and I am a stickler for accurate information.  I actually had to do some of my own research, because I was unfamiliar with the setting.

I was carried away into this new part of English history that I was unaware of.  The author wove the story beautifully and I was stunned when a major part of the story revealed itself, at the perfect time.  I was enthralled by the author's description of the Georgian period in London.  It is a complete picture, just like Dickens is to Victorian London.

The author did a lovely job of developing the characters. Bess is the lead, and we understand and feel for her situation in life.  I hadn't heard of a shrimp vendor before and that provided an interesting detail to the story.  Alexandra is a widow with some issues of her own, that limit her in developing loving and caring relationships.

The book is centered around how women at that time could not keep their children if they were unmarried.  They are expected to bring them to the Foundling Hospital for the first six years of the child's life, after that, they can be reclaimed by their mothers.  Bess works hard and saves to reclaim her child. This is where the story becomes very deep and dark.

And this, dear readers, is where I am going to leave you in this book.  The poverty, depth of characters, superior writing and excellent ending are going to have to encourage you to purchase this book and read it yourself!

Stacey Halls has been the media editor at the Bookseller and the books editor at Stylist.co.uk. She has also written for the Independent and Fabulous magazine, where she is currently deputy chief subeditor. Halls grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire, and has always been fascinated by the Pendle witches. She currently lives in London. This is her first novel.