Book Review – The Secret Orphan by Glynis Peters #20booksofsummer #historicalfiction

Goodreads Synopsis:

As the Nazis’ relentless bombs fall during the Blitz of Coventry, six-year-old Rose Sherbourne finds herself orphaned and under the guardianship of a Cornish farmer’s daughter, Elenor Cardew.

Elenor knows that the only way to protect spirited Rose is to leave the city and make a new life for themselves away from harm. But soon Elenor discovers that Hitler’s firestorm is not the only thing she must fear when she learns a devastating secret about Rose…

With Rose’s life in imminent danger, Elenor turns to the only person she can trust to keep the deadly secret, heroic Canadian pilot, Jackson St John. And amidst the destruction of war, an unlikely romance blossoms as they find a way to protect the child they have both grown to love…and each other.

My Opinion:

Elenor Cardew lives on the family farm in Cornwall, England with her twin brothers, Walter and James. Her aunt sends her a one-way ticket and requests that she come live with her in London. Initially she is hesitant, but the thought of getting away from her brothers, who treat her horribly, is quite appealing.

Elenor is a self-proclaimed country bumpkin and is now being thrust into life in the big city. Pair that with moving in with an aunt she hardly knows made for an interesting and somewhat humorous story at times.

I found the first couple of chapters a bit confusing and was expecting the book to be told from Rose’s perspective. To my surprise, the story is actually told from Elenor’s perspective and how she came to meet and eventually protect Rose from those who want to take her away.

The first half of the story takes place in London and the second half in Cornwall when she returns to the farm. I initially preferred the London setting more. I found it more lively and interesting, and wondered where the storyline would go. As the book started to come to a close I did eventually warm to the farm and felt a bit more invested in the characters’ lives.

Elenor was nineteen when she went to live in London. I felt that she came across as much older and I kept having to remind myself that she is only nineteen. She is an interesting character. She is a very confident young woman with a whole lot of spunk and drive, and she is quite the go-getter.

This historical fiction book will appeal to historical fiction fans that enjoy the WWI time period with lots of secrets, love and lies.

*Thank you Harper Impulse for the opportunity to read and review this book via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: None
Publisher: HarperImpulse
Publication Date: 12/18/2018
Pages: 400 (eBook)