REVIEW: The Orphan with No Name by Shirley Dickson

The Orphan with No Name by Shirley Dickson

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 15th September 2024

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Published: 19th September 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

England, 1942: ‘Will I ever find my mammy or daddy?’ She looks up, her bright blue eyes full of unshed tears, but the kind nurse gently says, ‘Sweetheart, if you can’t remember your own name, I don’t think you’ll ever find them…’

Waking up in a rickety hospital bed, the sweet ten-year-old girl with soft blonde hair and flushed cheeks is lucky to be alive. But all she can remember is the screech of the air raid siren. The nurses call her ‘Rosie’, and hope someone will save her. But no one does, and without a family, she is taken to Blakely Orphanage in Scotland under the supervision of the strict Miss Black.

The only glimmer of hope is her new friend Alice and the two lost girls decide to become make-believe sisters. They help each other through the long, hard hours with Miss Black standing over them as they work in silence, wondering if they will ever escape.

One day, Rosie watches a beautiful woman in a pretty dress and a tall, handsome man step through the gates. Her heart squeezes as she hopes they might be her mammy and daddy. But Rosie’s heart shatters when they take the hand of a little boy and leave the orphanage.

Slowly, Rosie begins to piece together the mystery of her past despite Alice telling her they don’t need any adults. But if she does find her mammy and daddy, will she remember them? And will she ever have a happy family again – or is there more heartache to come?

From the bestselling author of The Orphan Sisters comes a page-turning and unputdownable World War Two story of a little girl who loses everything and her journey to finding a place she can call home. Perfect for fans of Lisa Wingate, Nadine Dorries and Diney Costeloe.

MY THOUGHTS:

Welcome back, Shirley Dickson! It has been so long since the author has released a book I had begun to wonder where she'd got to. But her latest book has arrived to deliver a wonderful yet heartbreaking tale that will warm you from the inside out and keep you snuggled until you turn the final page.

I have read all of the author's books and I love how she incorporates something or other into each of her books to link them without being a series. In this case, it is Blakely orphanage, which evacuated to Scotland after the orphanage itself suffered a hit in an air raid.

The story begins in South Shields once again as we meet the little girl who survived an air raid when so many others were killed but her injuries meant that she had no memory of who she was, her name or where she came from. The nurses called her Rosie and after being shifted from the children's ward to the women's ward, Rosie is sent north to Scotland to Teviot Hall where Blakely orphanage now resides. The journey is both unfamiliar and frightening as Rosie watches South Shields disappear from view and into unfamiliar territory.

At he orphanage, run under the strict hand of Miss Black, Rosie befriends the spiky Alice who herself was a foundling left on the doorstep of the old Blakely orphanage almost 14 years before. The orphanage is the only thing Alice knows but she is approaching the age where she will soon leave to go into domestic service. With a huge chip on her shoulder, Alice is unruly, spiky and argumentative at almost every turn. But Rosie brings a calmness to Alice and the two become inseparable...make believe sisters.

Rosie dreams of recovering her memory and finding what became of her parents and why they never came looking for her, which is a bone of contention with Alice who harbours nothing but resentment for the woman who abandoned her on the cold doorstep without a second thought.

The two girls are unlikely friends and while they all suffer under Miss Black's harsh rule, kindness soon comes to the orphanage. First, in the way of the visiting American airmen who wish to sponsor the orphans and then in Miriam, Miss Balfour, who has been with the orphanage for many years. When an accident sees Miss Black housebound to recuperate, the orphanage gets a new lease of life under Miss Balfour's caring hand. But there is always the shadow of Miss Black's imminent return.

This is a moving tale from start to finish in Shirley Dickson's trademark way and I couldn't put it down until I turned the last page, reading it in one day. It is naturally predictable but in a good way and ends with that feelgood sense you have when finishing a wonderfully emotional story. 

I hope it's not another three years before Shirley Dickson brings out another as I love her books and can't wait for the next one. If you like Lindsey Hutchinson, you will love Shirley Dickson.

I would like to thank #ShirleyDickson, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheOrphanWithNoName in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Shirley Dickson was born and grew up in the seaside town of South Shields. She left school at fifteen and can’t remember a time when she didn’t write. She entered her first short story competition in ‘School Friend’ when she was eleven. After Shirley retired from auxiliary nursing, she was able to devote her time to writing.

After living in various locations, she settled under the big skies of Northumberland and has lived with her husband in the same house for over forty years. Shirley has three daughters and four grandchildren and likes nothing better than family gatherings.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

REVIEW: The Orphan's Secret by Shirley Dickson

The Orphan's Secret by Shirley Dickson

Genre: Wartime fiction, Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 30th November 2021

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Published: 9th November 2021

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

England, 1940: A tear-jerking wartime tale of an orphaned baby who needs a home, and the woman who risks everything to provide it. Fans of Before We Were Yours, Wives of War and Diney Costeloe will be utterly swept away by this heartbreaking – yet beautifully hopeful – World War Two page-turner.

With the war raging, Lily has learned not to take life for granted. In a time of such tragedy, every day is a gift. Her husband is a soldier, fighting to save their country, and she prays that she will survive – to one day welcome him home.

One sweltering July night, bombs rain down. Lily and her dear friend Ethel, who is nine months pregnant, seek refuge in a shelter. Miraculously, a baby girl is born to the sound of ear-splitting shrieks and explosions in the distance. Once the raid quietens, Lily races into the house to find the newborn a blanket. But then the unthinkable happens, planes thundering right over the rooftops…

When Lily rouses, finding herself amongst broken glass and crumbled brick, she is devastated to discover that Ethel has been killed – leaving little Joy behind. With tears rolling down her face, Lily makes a split-second decision.

To save the orphaned child, Lily must tell a heartbreaking lie, a secret that she holds close to her chest for years. But when the truth comes out, whose lives will be destroyed? And will she ever be forgiven?

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour (albeit a little late) for Shirley Dickson's heartbreaking historical tale THE ORPHAN'S SECRET.

Shirley Dickson really knows how to tug at your emotions and this one was no different. But what was different to her previous books was that the story does not specifically revolve around a child or children but is the story of Lily whose greatest desire is to have a child with her soldier husband John. But her journey there is not an easy one and fraught with many heartbreaks along the way. A child is the primary focus by the end of the book but, unlike Shirley's other historical tales, not throughout.

The year is 1941 and Lily Armstrong has the most exciting news to impart to her family. John Radley has just proposed via letter and they are to be married next week during his four-day leave! However, her excitement dwindles when her mother refutes the idea as ridiculous particularly in such a short time. But her father, who rules the home, overruled her still angry mother who then left the house in a furious huff...only to return some time later drenched and cold from the rain and full of apologies for her only daughter.

Her wedding day was a memorable one ending with a couple of nights in a guest house that John had rented for their shortened honeymoon. Lily's greatest fear was having to spend her wedding night under her parents' roof whilst her brothers played some childish prank like filling their bed with flour or such like. At least at the guest house they could enjoy their time together...maybe even start a family. Although Lily didn't want the life of drudgery she saw her own mother suffer after bearing five children and two miscarriages and wanting something more for her life, she couldn't wait till she and John became parents. It was her greatest desire. For Lily had the heart of a mother. But fate had other plans...and Lily endured heartbreak after heartbreak.

With John away fighting abroad, Lily wanted to do something. Life at home was relentless in drudgery and life at the house John's mother have gifted them was big, empty and lonely with no one to share it with. She desired more from her life before settling down and with John away what better way than to serve the war effort. She trained and volunteered to drive ambulances, ferrying the injured during air raid after air raid. Then one day she heard the Women's Land Army were recruiting and felt she could see herself working the land for the war effort. And so she joined the Women's Timber Corp and was sent to Scotland where she was trained in felling trees. There she met the vivacious and frank Bella Campbell who had a story of her own to tell...but one she wasn't quite yet ready to share.

Then one day, Lily was seconded to another camp where they needed a driver desperately before she finished her own training. She was disappointed to leave Bella but the two women promised to keep in touch. But upon arrival, the air was thick with discord when news of one of the women apparently fraternising with one of the German POWs which was strictly forbidden. The woman in question, Ethel, was ostracised by most of the corp but Lily decided to reach out and befriend the young woman...and in turn, some of the other women softened towards Ethel. And then Lily got the surprise of her life when Bella turned up at the camp with the news that she was to work in the stables.

When things take a turn and Lily realises that she is pregnant, she decides to do everything she can to ensure this child survives. But then she also discovers that Ethel, too, is with child and with the realisation that they can no longer do the heavy work of Lumberjills, Lily decides to invite Ethel to come home with her while they await the respective births of their babies. Ethel, having been orphaned, has nowhere else to go and Lily welcomes to company of someone else in her large and sprawling home in South Shields. Whilst there, Ethel works on a colourful blanket she calls a memory quilt in which she has stitched many squares detailing aspects that tell the story of her life...which she is making for her baby. Lily in enthralled by the idea and asks Ethel to tell her what each square means and the story behind them. The final square has yet to be added, which will feature Ethel's time in Lily's home, with which Lily has extended the offer to her friend indefinitely.

But then fate intervenes and everything changes in a heartbeat. A promise made in the huddle of a backyard shelter to the reality that it becomes. But the decisions made will have irrevocable consequences leaving a trail of deceit and guilt and the possibility that whatever the outcome there will be no guarantees. And so the journey of heartbreak continues...

The story begins in 1953 with a young girl and her younger brother playing hide and seek, in the process coming across a colourful hand-stitched blanket that had the little girl in awe of its creation. When her daddy opens her bedroom door to remind her that bedtime was long past, she shoves the coveted quilt under her covers before her father can see. But alas he has and she is then prompted to ask what it means. And so the plot segues back to 1941 where Lily's story begins...

THE ORPHAN'S SECRET is not so much as the orphan's secret but Lily's and as the story unfolds it is clear that it is Lily's story and no one else's. From the beginning the reader is privy to Lily's most devastating heartbreaks and silent thoughts as she experiences the intense pain of loss and heartbreak time and time again. And yet she is a strong woman, as the generation who lived through the war were. The stoic stiff upper lip of the British as they endured day after day and night after night of relentless bombing as what had originally been dubbed as "the phoney war" dragged on for six long years. The story follows Lily from her betrothal to John and their marriage, most of which was lived apart throughout the war, and the ensuing years from VE Day up to 1954 as events slowly played out and the mystery of the prologue becomes clearer.

This is Shirley Dickson's fifth historical novel and I have read every one of them since she debuted with "The Orphan Sisters" and one thing I enjoy spotting is each book's relation to each other. Every book features, either in actuality or in reminiscence, the orphanage Blakely Hall run by Mrs Knowles (I believe her name was) which is where the journey began in her first book with sisters Etty and Dorothy who spent many of their formative years there until they were released for domestic service. Each subsequent book since has featured another young girl who has come from or spent some time in the orphanage. There is also the often-made reference to funeral direction Mr Newman who features in passing in almost every book too. I like how Shirley Dickson has kept each book tied to the other without it being a series. Very clever of her.

As with the unfolding plot in THE ORPHAN'S SECRET, you will be taken on an emotional rollercoaster through heartbreaks and happiness, sorrow and joy as often taboo topics of the time feature - forbidden love, pregnancy out of wedlock, miscarriage, still birth - along with the more common themes of air raids, wounded soldiers, death and loss. The author also explores the question of whether a lie of omission is really a lie and it's a question you will find yourself tying yourself in knots over also.

As with most historical tales of this time, THE ORPHAN'S SECRET is a heartbreaking read but one that offer a little hope by the book's end. Even amidst the secrets, deceit and guilt.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE ORPHAN'S SECRET, as I do every Shirley Dickson novel, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to others who enjoy wartime fiction and those featuring the plights of women, children and orphans.

I would like to thank #ShirleyDickson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheOrphansSecret in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Shirley Dickson was born and grew up in the seaside town of South Shields. She left school at fifteen and can’t remember a time when she didn’t write. She entered her first short story competition in ‘School Friend’ when she was eleven. After Shirley retired from auxiliary nursing, she was able to devote her time to writing.

After living in various locations, she settled under the big skies of Northumberland and has lived with her husband in the same house for over forty years. Shirley has three daughters and four grandchildren and likes nothing better than family gatherings.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

REVIEW: The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson

 

The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, General fiction

Read: 26th September 2020

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Published: 30th September 2020

★★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

As they walked towards the railway station, their mother took an envelope from her handbag. ‘I want you to keep this somewhere safe.’

‘What’s in the letter?’

‘Listen carefully. You’re never to open it unless you or your sister are in real trouble. Promise me.’

England, 1943: Home is no longer safe for eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob. Night after night wailing bombs and screeching planes skim the rooftops overhead. They cradle each other, shivering in terror, not knowing if they will live to see dawn. Their mother, Martha, has no choice but to evacuate them to the safety of the countryside.

At the train station, Martha bites back tears as she says goodbye to her precious children. Knowing she might never see them again, she gives Jacob a letter, pressing the envelope into his hands and telling him to only read it if they are in danger.

In the country, Molly and Jacob must adjust to life with strangers. Every night they dream of returning home to the arms of their beloved mother. But then the unimaginable happens. Martha is killed in an explosion, leaving the twins all alone in the world.

The war has robbed Molly and Jacob of everything – all they have left is one another. Motherless and destitute, they face the grim reality of life in an orphanage. The time has finally come for Jacob to open the letter. What secret does it hold, and could it change the course of their tragic fate? Because if they are together, they can survive anything – but what if they are torn apart?

From the bestselling author of The Orphan Sisters comes an utterly heartbreaking and unforgettable tale of two children who must lean on each other in a time of tragedy and learn the shocking truth of their past. Fans of Wives of War, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe will be swept away by this sublime World War Two novel.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Shirley Dickson's latest emotional historical tale THE LOST CHILDREN.

I have been a fan of Shirley Dickson since her debut "The Orphan Sisters". Since then I have followed her book trail of fabulous historical fiction, reading each one and loving them all. Though having the backdrop of the second world war, her books are not about the war but more about those affected during the war...generally orphans or evacuees. 

But what I especially love about Shirley's books, while none of them are part of a series, each one includes some characters from previous stories. For example, the orphanage that was much of the focus in her debut has been mentioned in each book since. As well the funeral director Mr Neville who has gained a mention briefly in this book who was so much a part of the first and second books. Now THE LOST CHILDREN features so many characters from her third book from earlier this year "The Outcast Girls" that they each play something of a different part now..and it was was lovely to revisit them once again.

South Shields, 1935: Working as a typist at a garage, Martha Moffat falls under the spell of Edward Fenwick and soon finds herself pregnant. When her condition is discovered, her boss sacks her with immediate effect and her mother is not best pleased either. Unmarried and pregnant, Martha is shipped off to a hospital for unwed mothers for the remainder of her pregnancy. Determined not to grow attached to her child her plan is to have the baby adopted, but then she is surprised when the nurse finds two heartbeats. Her mother, when she tells her, is livid. But when her babies are born, Martha is overwhelmed by a sense of pure love for them...and in that moment, she knows that she cannot give them up.

1943: The war is now into its fourth year with no sign of letting up and Martha works at a munitions factory while her mother looks after her twins Jacob and Molly She hasn't been home for some time to visit and when she manages to get 24 hours leave she is eager to see her now 8 year old twins. But upon arrival she finds South Shields in disarray. The wardens will not let her enter her street which had been decimated by a raid the night before. Her house was now a pile of rubble and her mother gone, who died protecting her children.

Determined her children must remain safe at all costs, Martha decides to evacuate them to the country where they will out of harms way. At the station she thrusts a letter into Jacob's hands, telling him not to open it but to give it to a grown up when they find themselves in trouble. How will I know, her young son asks. You'll know, she whispers to him.

Jacob is the older of the twins with a forthright manner, a stubborn streak and will protect his sister at all costs whereas Molly is the quieter of the two and much shyer. She had a difficult birth, leaving her with a weakness on her left side they called Cerebral Palsy resulting in her having to wear a calliper on her left leg. It often angered Jacob that people thought Molly wasn't bright because of her physical disability but she was much cleverer than him. Other kids often teased her and on such occasions Jacob was quick to jump to her defence. Their mam treated them as equals and that Molly was no different. It made him mad when no one else saw it that way.

The children arrive in Leadburn, a seemingly sleepy village with cows and horses and none of the smell of industry that they have been so used to back home. Not wanting to be separated, and no one wanting to take on a crippled child as soon as they see Molly, the children are billeted to Mrs Merryfield who they call Aunty Brigit. Though wary at first, the children adjust to life in the country and Aunty Brigit is a godsend. She is just like an older version of mam and the children grow to love her. But when Aunty Brigit fails to return from the coal merchant one day, they are shocked to discover she had fallen and broken her hip and is now recuperating in hospital.

So Doris Leadbetter, the postmistress, takes charge of the children and delivers them to somewhat grumpy farmer Bob Nichols, who had recently lost his son in the war and wife to illness. Reluctant to take them on at first, Mr Bob (as the children call him) takes them in until Doris is able to find something more suitable for them. But when the unthinkable happens and the children's mother Martha is killed in an explosion at the munitions factory, they are faced with the possibility of being sent to the orphanage. When Molly overhears a conversation stating as such, she and Jacob devise a plan to escape so they can remain together. 

But then Jacob remembers the letter their mam gave him for safekeeping until they were in trouble. Does this constitute "trouble"? And which grown up does he trust enough to give the letter to? And what will it mean when he does? Will he and Molly be separated? But nothing will prepare Jacob or Molly for what is to come when a secret in the letter is revealed.

THE LOST CHILDREN is a heartfelt story of love, loss and tragedy in the face of a turbulent time such as the war. The bond between the twins is so fierce no one could break it and Jacob wouldn't let them. The way he takes care of his sister and looks out for her is endearing and yet when Molly begins to find her inner strength standing up for herself and putting others needs before her own is exemplary. Jacob is the embodiment of the British 'stiff upper lip' that was so abundant of the time and yet he also showed a vulnerability which reminded us that he was just a child.

Alongside Jacob and Molly, I was delighted to return to Leadburn again and revisit Sandra, Frieda, Doris Leadbetter, Bob Nichols and Matthew Carlton, whom we all met in the previous book "The Outcast Girls". I love how Shirley blended their stories with the current one, bringing out a side not previously seen to one particular character that was simply endearing. It reminded me another favourite read of mine, "Goodnight Mr Tom".

A heartwarming story that is also heartbreaking, THE LOST CHILDREN will have you reaching for the tissues throughout but by the end you will be smiling. It's an emotional rollercoaster ride from beginning to end but one that will leave you satisfied.

A wonderful heartfelt tale that Shirley Dickson has delivered yet again! Recommended for fans of feelgood wartime historical fiction.

I would like to thank #ShirleyDickson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLostChildren in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Shirley Dickson was born and grew up in the seaside town of South Shields. She left school at fifteen and can’t remember a time when she didn’t write. She entered her first short story competition in ‘School Friend’ when she was eleven. After Shirley retired from auxiliary nursing, she was able to devote her time to writing.

After living in various locations, she settled under the big skies of Northumberland and has lived with her husband in the same house for over forty years. Shirley has three daughters and four grandchildren and likes nothing better than family gatherings.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Outcast Girls by Shirley Dickson (ARC)

The Outcast Girls by Shirley Dickson

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 9th April 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 24th January 2020)

★★★★ 4.5 stars

THE OUTCAST GIRLS is the third book by Shirley Dickson I have read and I knew I was in for a treat. I loved "The Orphan Sisters" and "Our Last Goodbye" so when I saw another release by the author I knew I just had to have it. Dickson easily transports the reader back in time with her wonderful stories quickly absorbing us in life during World War 2. An enthralling page turner, we journey from Germany to England in this poignant tale of love, loss and friendship.

England 1939: After the death of their mother, Sandra Hudson and her younger brother Alf are sent to live at Blakely Hall by their father who is unable to cope. Soon after, their father also dies so the two children are left to grow up in the orphanage until the age of 15, when they must then leave to find a job. When the time came, Sandra is given a job as a housemaid in the Kirton household. But she soon discovers that life in the orphanage was a lot safer when the Kirton's eldest son Duncan comes home on leave. The only other servant is the cook, Olive Goodwin, who takes young Sandra under her wing and gives her a place to stay with her and her husband Tommy. Not wanting to be idle and yet not wanting to return to service, Sandra decides to join the Women's Land Army. A decision that is only cemented upon learning that her brother Alf has joined the RAF.

Germany 1938: Eleven year old Frieda Sternberg lives in the Jewish quarter in Berlin with her family. Tensions are rife and before the Nazis deport them to concentration camps, the Sternbergs learn of the "Movement  for the Care of Children from Germany"...where Jewish children are relocated and looked after by families in England. They decide at once that Frieda and her younger brother Kurt must be sent to safety. Their papa goes back to their apartment for the shop's weekly takings, a few precious possessions and photograph for the children to take with them for financial secrutiy...but he does not return, having been arrested as he left the Jewish quarter.

So Frieda and Kurt board a train, clutching their suitcases and identity cards, to Holland where they then board a ship that will take them to England. But at the last minute, Kurt jumps from the ship and escapes into the crowd leaving Frieda to travel to England alone where she doesn't speak a word of the language. Upon arrival in England, she travels by train to the north to Newcastle and ends up in a little village outside of Hexham called Leadburn, where she is given a home with Doris Leadbetter, the local postmistress. Over the months and years, Doris shows Frieda a kindness she didn't expect and teaches her the English language. She attends the local school but is bullied terribly by the other children for being German. Frieda grew to love the village and the kind widow who had given her a home, who she called Aunty Doris.

But at the back of her mind, Frieda could not stop thinking about her family back in Germany. Or her younger brother Kurt who jumped ship as they were about to embark on their new lives together. What had become of them? And would she ever see them again?

England 1943: Sandra is thrilled to be accepted into the WLA and is soon sent to the country to begin her work as a Land Girl in the village of Leadburn. The Land Girls reside in a hostel in the village and are tasked with their duties on various farms throughout the area. Sandra, never having ridden a bicycle before, soon learns its value when travelling to and from the farm she works on. But there is something else Sandra has never learnt to do...and that is read. So when letters from Alf and Olive arrive for her at the hostel, she secretes them for later when she can have someone read them to her...thereby keeping her illiteracy a secret from the others.

Upon arrival in Leadburn, one of the first things Sandra does is find the local church. She has made a bargain with God to keep her Alf safe and she will pray for him at church every Sunday. It is there she meets the young curate, Matthew Carlton. Sandra decides that as a man of the cloth she can trust him with her secrets, and so she asks Mr Carlton to teach her to read...as well as having him read her letters to her until she is able to read them herself.

One of her first jobs as a Land Girl was working on the Wilson farm milking cows, mucking out stalls and feeding the pigs. But as a townie, Sandra had never done such work before and the grumpy Mr Wilson - owner of the farm - had no time to teach her. It is there that Sandra meets shy German girl Frieda, who shows Sandra what to do. The two girls soon become friends and find that their childhoods, though different, were both difficult and they felt as if they were kindred spirits. Both girls worried for their younger brothers, miss their families and have low self confidence. While Sandra doesn't think very highly of herself being unable to read and thinks she is stupid, Frieda has been bullied throughout school for being German and has taken it upon herself to not eat for as long as her family is suffering. Both girls deal with their difficulties in secret until they find the strength to confide in each other and together they form a bond that changes them both for the better with their friendship.

Beautifully written, THE OUTCAST GIRLS is a story about two lost and lonely young women who find friendship in the midst of war and a happiness neither thought they would. Raw, heartbreaking and heartwarming, Frieda and Sandra's strength simply shines through the pages as they grow from girls into women, finding love where they least expect it.

Captivating and compelling, THE OUTCAST GIRLS is so heartwarming I was absorbed from the very first page and found myself becoming invested in the beautiful friendship between the two girls. I also love the characters or Olive, Doris and Matthew Carlton which added a depth to the stories involving each of them.

I have just one complaint about this otherwise wonderful story, and that was the ending. I found it just came to such an abrupt end that I was left feeling...what just happened? And it is that which keeps it from a 5 star rating this time.

As with all of Dickson's novels, THE OUTCAST GIRLS is an enjoyable read that shines a light on a different perspective to war in the way that it affects those at home and how the women do their bit for the war effort and keeping things running until their lads are home. It is heartwarming, heartbreaking but beautifully written.

My third read by Shirley Dickson, I especially love how pieces of her previous two - "The Orphan Sisters" and "Our Last Goodbye" - were cleverly incorporated into THE OUTCAST GIRLS. Blakely Hall featured in the first book, along with the friends she made there Dorothy and Esther (Etty) which were briefly mentioned. A nod to her second book with the mention of May Robinson and her parent's boarding house also noted. Having said that, it is important to note that all books can be read as standalones and do not follow on from each other...although they do complement each other. I thoroughly recommend them all!

I have loved Shirley Dickson's books since I discovered "The Orphan Sisters" and I continually look forward to more by this wonderfully talented author. Can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

I would like to thank #ShirleyDickson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheOutcastGirls in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson (ARC)

Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 17th May 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 29th May 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

I read Shirley Dickson's debut novel "The Orphan Sisters" earlier this year and I absolutely loved it! So I was thrilled when I began OUR LAST GOODBYE to discover it picked up with familiar characters such as May, Etty, Derek and the Newmans as well as the introduction of some new faces. But this time, rather than Etty's story, we follow May and her journey. 

From the first pages, OUR LAST GOODBYE is an emotional, heart-wrenching story of love and loss amidst the horror of war during WW2, set in the northeast of England in 1943 and 1944.

At 24, May Robinson didn't have much to show for her life except her son Derek, being brought up as her younger brother by her Mam. She worked in a factory making munitions and went home to frosty reception from her father who had practically disowned her after "shaming the family" with her indiscretions. The only light she had was her loving Mam and Derek, who was now billeted to a farm in the country, out of harm's way from the attack of air raids, and her friendship with Etty. Without them, May doesn't know what she would do.

One foggy night, May and her Mam are walking home in the blackout after a night out at the pictures. Unable to find her torch in her bag, her Mam sees a trolley bus approaching and in an attempt to hail it in the fog, falls into its path...and is tragically killed. May is devastated. Worse still, she must break the news to Derek who adored their Mam.

One night after work, May opens the door to the place she has called home since she was a bairn, where she had given birth to Derek, to find a strange woman ordering her to find somewhere else to live as they have tenants moving in. THEY, being her father and his new woman. Suddenly, May finds herself homeless. Where now can she go? Etty.

Etty and May go way back when Etty and her sister Dorothy came to Shields from the orphanage in which they grew up. Dorothy had befriended May and soon after Etty joined her sister and became friends with May also, despite a little jealousy between the two as Etty was not used to sharing her sister with anyone. But when Dorothy was tragically killed in an air raid just 6 months ago, Etty and May were there for each other throughout their grief. Now Etty was there for May in her's.

Finding it had to difficult to deal with her mother's death, May made a decision. To train as a nurse with the thought that if only she'd known what to do when Mam had her accident she might have saved her. So at Etty's suggestion, May applied to become a probationary nurse at Edgemoor General Hospital and much to her surprise she passes the entry exam and begins her training.

Now living in the nurse's quarters, the arrangement suits May after being kicked out of her only home and falling out with Etty after discovering the truth about Etty's daughter's parentage. She swore she would never forgive Etty and buried herself in her training and becoming a nurse without another thought. But soon she found herself missing Etty. Still after her transgression she couldn't forgive her...not yet.

Whilst in training, May meets Maureen another probationary nurse. She reminds May of Etty with her gentle ways and her wise words. She found in Maureen a confidant that she missed in Etty.  When May met young Alec on the road one evening he began to pursue May and was persistent in his intentions, despite May's misgivings about getting involved with anyone. She was still mourning Billy to whom she was engaged (a term Billy used "loosely") and had become another casualty of the war. But Alec was persistent. May, being the gentle soul that she is and not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, always gave in and went out with him. 

At Christmas Alec took her to his nan's, who appeared on edge and always fussing and making sure everything was perfect. When Alec spoke abruptly to his nan, May thought it strange that the woman was so compliant and apologetic toward him. Then Alec saw her talking to a young naval officer at a dance and becoming angered he accused her of flirting with him. He later apologised and said it was because he cared for her so much that he got so jealous. May confided in Maureen who said that caring for someone means you love and respect them and you don't hurt them. She urged her to be careful.

Then Alec began surprising her on her days off by turning up at the nurse's quarters. May was uncomfortable with this and began to feel a little suffocated. When Alec displayed his jealousy in the form of violence when he saw her talking to the son of a patient at the hospital, he grabbed her and began accusing her of having all these men on the go and stringing him along. She knew then she must escape him, and ran for the approaching trolley bus yelling "I don't ever want to see you again!" Then just as May thought she was safe, he followed her back to her quarters and told her she was his now and he decided how things were to be. But as he drew his arm back to throw May a punch to the face, he was grabbed from behind and told in no uncertain terms not to return. May was ever grateful, and turned to her rescuer - Richard Bentley, a porter at the hospital and a known "conchie", a conscientious objector.

It was common knowledge around the hospital that Richard was a "conchie" and that put him in a bad light as far as most people were concerned. May, on the one hand, couldn't understand how he could just stand by while others put their lives on the line for their country, while on the other, admired him for standing up for his beliefs and convictions. Unfortunately, it didn't always come out of her mouth that way and she usually ended up insulting him. Richard, however, was used to such talk. But May found herself drawn to Richard, often thinking about him but telling herself there would be no future for them. Maureen advised her to be careful because feelings about "conchies" was rife.

Then Maureen decided to follow her heart and do what she set out to do before training as a nurse. After speaking to the chaplain at the hospital she entered the convent to become a nun. But she was put her nurse's training to good use and move to London to work in convent hospital there. May felt Maureen's absence bitterly when she left, particularly as she still missed Etty. Although May knew she had forgiven Etty she wasn't ready to speak to her yet.

May and Richard become friends, but to have a relationship would be difficult due to Richard being a "conchie". Can they ever have a chance at a life together? As May holds the secret of her past close, would Richard still love her if he knew the truth? But then the unexpected happens and May's life is thrown into turmoil. How could she deal with everything? Find a home for her and Derek and give up her nursing career? Can May and Etty's friendship survive? Will Richard and May ever have the chance at a future together?

Life in England is not easy in the midst of war with the constant threat of invasion, food shortages and rationing, air raids and bombing almost nightly. It would a terrifying time in which to live.

A heart-wrenching novel OUR LAST GOODBYE will have you reaching for the tissues throughout. With a twist to the story near its end, your heart will just ache for May and all she has endured in her short life. A wonderful saga about love and friendship, May's story will just tug at your heartstrings. From the time I picked up the book, I didn't want to leave as I was so wrapped up and invested in the the people and the era I had been transported to.

My only complaint was how it ended. I would have liked to have seen it go a little further than it did and see May get a little more of her happy ending. Don't get me wrong, May DOES have a happy ending...but I just would have liked it to go a little further than it did. Having said that, I hope a third installment will pick up from here so we can see May and Etty in the next stages of their lives.

I would like to thank #ShirleyDickson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #OurLastGoodbye in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Orphan Sisters by Shirley Dickson (ARC)

The Orphan Sisters by Shirley Dickson

Genre: Historical Fiction

Read: 1st February 2019

Goodreads

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.