A Place to Call Home (Shilling Grange Children's Home #2) by Lizzie Page
Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Post-war
Read: 16th February 2022
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Published: 17th February 2022
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Shilling Grange Orphanage, England, 1949.She would do anything to protect the innocent children in her care. But soon they could be sent into danger…
When Clara Newton’s fiancé died during World War Two, she thought her life was over. But now she looks after orphans who, like her, lost everything during the war. Children like sweet little Peg who won’t speak, and Joyce whose body was scarred by polio. Clara loves them all dearly, even though life as a housemother can be lonely – especially now that Ivor, a D-Day war hero with dark brown eyes who once helped with the children, has disappeared…
But then Clara receives some terrible news. The orphanage is going to be sold and the children sent far away. Joyce and Peg will be taken to a notorious home for disabled children. The others will be sent to Australia, where Clara fears they will be mistreated by unknown families. Any day now, the children could lose everything she worked so hard to provide…
With wealthy buyers lined up to purchase Shilling Grange and a ship already docked waiting to carry the children away, Clara is desperate. She must find loving new homes for them quickly, but time is running out… Can she save the orphans before they lose everything all over again? And even if Ivor returns when she needs him the most, will it be too late?
A completely heart-wrenching and unforgettable historical novel, set after the devastation of World War Two. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Diney Costeloe and The Orphan Sisters.
MY REVIEW:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Lizzie Page's heartwarming A PLACE TO CALL HOME.
A PLACE TO CALL HOME is the sequel to "The Orphange" in which we were introduced to Clara Newton, the recently appointed housemother of Shilling Grange Children's Home. This book picks up where the previous one left off still in 1949 and with a new challenge facing them. As we followed their story perviously, Clara would do anything to protect the children in her care and see that they are given the best possible chances and hopeful outcomes.
When Clara's fiance Michael was killed on Christmas Eve in 1944, she thought her life was over. Then the war ended, her life went on but it was unfulfilling. When an opportunity arose for a housemother in an orphanage in Suffolk, Clara applied and was surprised when, despite her lack of experience with children of any kind, she was offered the job. Arriving in Lavenham and the orphanage gave her something of a shake-up and within the first day she had already decided that she couldn't do it. But...upon making an agreement of a trial period with her point of contact with the council (who run the home), Clara decided to stay...and she soon discovered she loved it and the children. Not to mention the dashing mysterious Ivor Delaney...but that's another story entirely.
After the troubles she faced previously, Clara is determined to do her level best for the children and help give them the best chance of a loving forever home. Being housemother to the nine children in her care is the greatest privilege she has ever experienced but with that job comes a lot of blood, sweat and tears. As a council run children's home money is naturally tight and so Clara continues to manage as best she can. Unfortunately, everyone she'd previously had to lean on have gone - Judy's dead, Ivor's disappeared without a word, Julian is history and Anita, her last and somewhat precarious confidante, has her hands busy with her family. Not for the first time, Clara feels completely alone. Even Miss Bridges, who was once sympathetic and helpful, has withdrawn and she is left with the efficient if somewhat distant Miss Cooper.
As if she's not overwhelmed enough under the weight of tight budgets and an even tighter council, two new girls arrive at Shilling Grange and each of them come with their own set of challenges. Evelyn is a quiet reserved 11 year old who, once left malnourished and neglected in foster care, now eats anything and everything. Joyce, also 11, was rejected by her parents when she developed polio leaving her slightly disabled with a leg heavy with atrophy that she drags everywhere. As a result, she is angry, rude and belligerent and Clara, despite her attempts to win her over, often despairs as to what to do with her.
Added to that, twins Barry and Billy, whose adoption quickly fell through previously live and breathe their new-found passion: football. And although she has made every effort to attend one of their matches, something else always comes up to prevent her...but the boys, bless them, understand that the other children need her more. Maureen is the oldest and is still something of a concern to Clara, even after the trouble she found herself in last year, and that doesn't change this time round either. Alex is still her sturdy child, content with the world of academia, continuing to bury his head in books. Peter, who was abused by his uncle previously, has taken some time to thrive but, through his talent for creating the most amazing cartoon comics, is given a promising opportunity. Rita though 10 often appears older, has come along in leaps and bounds on the piano and is now busy practicing to participate in the Festival of Britain and it's all she can talk about...when she doesn't whisper "mama" in the vain hope her mother somehow survived the Blitz eight years before. And then there is little Peg, who never speaks and yet uttered but one word "cows" which thus saved Clara from a stampede, for whom Clara's heart aches the most as she is such a sweet innocent little girl. All these children, plus the new additions, are all dear to Clara's heart and she would do anything to protect them.
And then she hears the most devastating news. Shilling Grange is to be sold and, despite the council's promise to move them into a purpose-built dwelling thus keeping them together, discovers that half of them are to be shipped to Australia as part of the Child Migrant Scheme (a cheap solution for the council resulting in child slavery). The remaining few are to installed at the Home for Handicapped Children. Clara is livid. Despite all her hard work, all the children's hard work, to cut costs and keep Shilling Grange an efficient and viable commodity she soon discovers she has been naive in her trust and that the council has lied to her.
Joining forces with Miss Bridges and Miss Cooper, Clara endeavours to find homes for the children to save them from the fate that otherwise awaits them. Staving off the buyer who had initially approached the council with the idea, Clara soon finds out that with the loss of one buyer there will be plenty of other wealthy ones lining up to purchase Shilling Grange, going up for auction in just a few short weeks' time.
Can Clara save her children from the fate that undoubtedly awaits them? Or will they lose everything they hold dear? And if Ivor returns at a time she needs him most, will it be too late? For the children, for Clara and for them?
A PLACE TO CALL HOME is a heartwarming and, at times, a heartbreaking read. The author weaves a tale that has readers spellbound through vivid descriptions and the heartfelt stories they each have. Every moment is poignant, inspiring and touching with a few twists that have you wondering where it is all going to end up. Is this the end of Shilling Grange?
The ending is satisfactory to a point, tying up the loose ends facing them now, but still leaves it wide open for a third of which I hope there is because really...Clara and Ivor need to stop second guessing each other and just move forward together. So as the most prominent issues were resolved, readers were still left wondering what happens next?
Wonderfully written and cleverly crafted, A PLACE TO CALL HOME is a heartwarming read perfect for fans of Call the Midwife, Shirley Dickson and Diney Costeloe.
I would like to thank #LizziePage, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #APlaceToCallHome in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Sam was born in February 1971, in Essex, England. After studying politics at Warwick University, she worked as an English teacher in Paris and then for five years, in Tokyo. She then went to live in London, and had various uninspiring jobs there.
Sam did an MA in creative writing at Goldsmiths and returned to live in Essex a few years ago and have worked in marketing, teaching, assisting, etc ever since.
She loves reading ALL the books, and always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to her to write historical fiction.
She claims her partner Steve, three children and cockapoo all conspire to stop her writing.
Sam lives with her family and dog by the sea in South East England.She enjoys traveling and she's had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling - but being a writer is her absolute favourite.
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