The Orphan Sisters by Shirley Dickson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Read: 1st February 2019
Purchase: Amazon
★★★★★ 5 stars
Oh wow! Where do I begin with this book? I cannot believe this a debut it is THAT good!
THE ORPHAN SISTERS is beautifully told endearing story filled with love, laughter and heartbreak. What I also loved about this story was that it had an element of mystery to it as well.
It begins in 1929 when 4 year old Esther and 8 year old Dorothy were told by their mother, Eleanor Makepeace, that they were going to a special place. Little Esther was excited by the prospect and the ride in the tramcar whilst Dorothy was not so much. Upon arriving at this special place called Blakely Hall the girls soon discovered that it was an orphanage and was to be their new home until they turned fifteen. And that Blakely Hall was anything but special. Mrs Knowles was the matron, who was a strict disciplinarian with cold eyes, and Esther being so young couldn't understand why their mam had abandoned them. But as long as she had Dorothy, Esther knew she could endure anything. Blakely Hall was not a pleasant place and Esther, still smarting from her mother's abandonment, hardened her heart, rebelling against life at the orphanage. But all she had to do was to bide her time until she could leave.
Dorothy was the first to leave and was placed in service not far from the orphanage. She would visit Esther weekly until it was her little sister's time to leave.
By 1940 both sisters were free of Blakely Hall in body, though not quite in spirit. War had broken out two years before and Etty (as she was now known) and Dorothy find themselves learning how to live on their own and vowing to remain together. Life in Blakely taught them well when it came to rationing as they had lived without for so long that even living on rations seemed a luxury when they compared it to what they had, or rather didn't have, at the orphanage. Dorothy had married a wonderful man who adored Etty and, while Esther was apprehensive about sharing her sister with another, she soon discovered she loved Laurie just as much.
Blakely Hall had left their mark on the sisters - Etty in particular. She is defiant, questioning everything, and a little rebellious. She is determined to do something meaningful and make a different in the war. Dorothy, on the other hand, is the nurturer. She is content with making a home, taking things as they come, and often being the peacemaker and voice of reason for her sister. The two sisters are completely different and yet the love they have for each other is beautiful, heartfelt and fiercely loyal.
There is one point they disagree on and that is the topic of their mother. Dorothy has always wondered what happened to her and why she left them at Blakely Hall. She has always wanted to seek her out and find out. Etty, on the other hand, does not. Ever since the realisation that their mother had abandoned them and was not coming back, Etty hardened her heart towards their mother and claimed to want nothing to do with her. She didn't care what happened just as their mother hadn't for them when leaving them at Blakely. It tore at Dorothy's heart, but knowing how strongly Etty felt about it, respected her younger sister's feelings not to follow look for her.
The sisters' journey takes them through love, loss and the devastation of war as they each find themselves, embracing life and all that comes their way. I couldn't help but want the best for both Etty and Dorothy, hoping they come through the war - not unscathed, but fulfilled. At a time when air raids and bombs were an almost nightly occurence, what it was like to live through such devastation and atrocities must have been heartwrenching.
However, Shirley Dickson brings it all to life that the reader has a real sense of being there. Of hearing those sirens, of seeing the shadows of bombs, of hearing that whistling before they drop, of feeling that fear, of life during war. The story of Etty and Dorothy is breaktaking. It's heartbreaking and outstanding. A truly remarkable story that will remain with me for some time to come. I was surprised that THE ORPHAN SISTERS is her debut novel - it is THAT good.
I definitely recommend THE ORPHAN SISTERS. You will laugh, you will cry. But most of all, you will be entranced by Etty and Dorothy's story. And by the time you reach the end, you won't want to let them go.
A huge thank you to #ShirleyDickson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheOrphanSisters in exchange for an honest review.
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