Cover Image: The Orphan’s Homecoming

The Orphan’s Homecoming

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I didn't realize at first that this was the third book in the series so at points I did feel slightly lost. However, I did enjoy the story and will be picking up the first two books in the series.

Was this review helpful?

Heartwarming historical fiction that made me feel sad and hopeful at the same time. It is a story of resilience and courage.

Was this review helpful?

Heartwarming historical fiction. I love this series and this installment tugged at my heart. Very well written.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
.

Was this review helpful?

this is the 3rd book in the series from Glynis Peters and is just catching up with the characters and their lives and heartbreaks.
This book continues the story of Kitty who works for the red Cross but can be read as a stand alone book.
it's a lovely end to this great series of books.

Was this review helpful?

A well written book set in world war 2, story of Kitty a nurse working for Red Cross, she needs to keep busy after her fiance is injured and returned home, she feels lost when she does not hear from him. She moves from job to job to find peace. And goes full circle and finding herself in orphans home where she herself started out. A gripping story while you try and find out if things will work out for her.

Was this review helpful?

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Was this review helpful?

What another beautiful instalment in Kitty's story. This one had me worried, especially with her relationship with Michael. I love the letters going to various loved ones, giving some idea of how Kitty is feeling. Highly recommend to read the series.

Was this review helpful?

Loved this 3rd book in the series from Glynis Peters and just catching up with the characters and their lives and heartbreaks really kept the pages turning
My thanks as always to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One more Chapter for the early read.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Collins, for this book.

I have enjoyed this series about orphans from the UK from WW II.

It has been a roller coaster ride following Kitty since she joined the Red Crosd.

This book continues the story and can be read as a stand alone book, but.I highly recommend reading the prior books. They are all fantastic reads.

WWIi books tend to focus on the brutality of the adults in the concentration camps and we are given very little about the children and orphans from the war.

The book is emotional, but so worth the read.

Highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! The Orphan's Homecoming by Glynis Peters is the culmination of a young nurse's life at the end of the second world war. Kitty, a young nurse, working for the Red Cross has lived a full life in the few short years since the war began. She has worked in an orphanage, has travalled quite literally from one side of England to the other and has even been stationed in Scotland a couple of times. Glynis Peters three book series takes us on a voyage of Kitty's life. The characters come to life through Kitty's eyes and I found, especially throughout the second novel, that I really started to empathise with all that they were going through. This last novel in the trilogy, however, didn't do it for me. I found it much too predictable and didn't really go anywhere new. I realize that the author was attempting to tie up a lot of loose ends that she had left in her previous novels but I didn't find the story gripped me like the first two had. Overall, I am glad that I read it. It gave me the chance to see where the characters ended up. However, not one I will likely read again.

Was this review helpful?

One of the most dramatic World War II stories was The Orphan's Homecoming. Ever since I read The Red Cross Orphans and Kitty became a Red Cross member, I have been following her life. She has had an extremely exciting wartime life. I've been to a lot of places in the previous books because to her story. This tale is hardly an exception. She works at many occupations. She visits numerous locations. She's been loved and let go. I could only hope that she finds the love that she deserves as I read.

Kitty, a nurse, keeps moving about England while trying to keep herself busy. She will stop at nothing to get her mind off her fiancé, who was returned to Canada after suffering a serious injury. Her prospects are uncertain. She spends some time stationed at a camp for prisoners of war. What a revelation. I had no idea what it was like to defeat the adversary. I had heard rumors that convicts made items to sell. I've moved past wondering where the metal frame that a relative gave me came from. Her stay at the prison camp was filled with drama, which made her books highly addicting to read. The tale was astoundingly amazing.

Ultimately, Kitty finds her way back to the orphans. Those unfortunate kids. Prepare to reach for the tissues. I was brought back to the harsh realities of battle and death. There were a ton of abandoned youngsters. There were so many abandoned, traumatized children. A wonderful reminder of the innocent people impacted by war—those we don't often hear about in textbooks—is provided by The Orphan's Homecoming.

Kitty's circle of friends produced a fantastic tale. There were a huge variety of personalities and professions. Despite their stark differences, her pals served to provide the reader with a general idea of what life would have been like in war-torn England. Not everything was as it seemed. Definitely, everything went as I had anticipated.

Thank you net galley for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide honest review #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL].

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this heartfelt story.

Kitty is that busy looking after others that she forgets that she also needs to take care of herself.

She works for the Red Cross, but could she be more helpful in another place?

She’s not happy, when the person she loves, is recovering from an injury in the war, is in Canada, makes decisions without thinking clearly when he writes to her. She makes a decision that may change her future.

I highly recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and Glynis Peters for the opportunity to read The Orphan's Homecoming by Glynis Peters. It was a wonderful story set in the United Kingdom during WWII. My favorite genre is historical fiction and I especially love to read WWII stories. The characters were all perfectly created. Kitty was such a strong female character and I loved how dedicated she was to her job with the Red Cross. It was wonderful to read about characters where their good and bad qualities were both addressed. Peters did a great job with her descriptions and each character was not only believable, but also interesting to the reader. I also enjoyed the complex love stories woven throughout and their exciting twists and turns. I realized part way through the book that it was the third book in a series about Kitty. However, I had no problem following her story and I can't wait to read the two books before The Orphan's Homecoming. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. It was a fantastic read.

Was this review helpful?

Book Three WWII the red cross orphans.
Beautifully written with a very good plot.
Fells Hall, Brancepeth, Kitty goes back nursing with the war orphans with unfamiliar characters joining the book, it was so lovely catching up with the story once again.
Heart warming tale that will pull at your heart strings, just beautiful I loved it

Was this review helpful?

The Orphan's Homecoming by Glynis Peters is a heartwarming novel set during World War II. In England as the Second World War ends, nurse Kitty Pattison’s life is full of more surprises. Her fiancé Dr Michael McCarthy recovering from a head injury in Canada, and her friends Trixie and Jo scattered to support the war effort, As Kitty tends to the lost and wounded, she finds resilience within herself she never thought imaginable. However, everything the war has taken from her, it has also given her love, friendship, and hope.

Peters does a wonderful job creating an inspirational story of a nurse's courage during World War II. The Orphan's Homecoming had me turning the pages to the very end. This book is an easy 5 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction and supports medical workers.

I received a free advanced copy and all opinions are my own. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely emotional book with a superb story that readers will love. Glynis Peters writes such lovely stories that captivate the reader excellent.

Was this review helpful?

This is a lovely, heart warming, poignant read. It is beautifully written, flows well and one of those reads where the characters jump out of the pages and become alive in my mind. The plot is good, very realistic and believable for war time and the story picks up from the last book and Kitty is separated from her fiance who is in Canada and when he makes an unexpected return to the UK things don't go as she would have liked. She has several postings with the Red Cross taking her to different parts of the UK, particularly her experiences in the POW camp and I enjoyed reading the authors descriptions of the camp and areas of her postings. Previous characters return and I liked knowing how they are getting on. I actually liked one of them more at the end of the story than I have in the whole series. The story takes place during the last 9 months of WW2 and you can feel Kitty's hope that the war is coming to an end. She is unsettled at times, questions her calling and decides she is better placed in helping and supporting orphans to relocate and settle into a new environment. I have enjoyed seeing Kitty grow from the first book, becoming a very confident woman and really step up in the most challenging times. I really liked the ending, it is very fitting and gives closure on Kitty's war time experiences and her hopes for the future ahead.

This book can be read on its own although I'd recommend you read the previous books to get to know the characters from the beginning. If you are a fan of WW2 stories then you'll like this series and I'd recommend it.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Was this review helpful?

The Orphan’s Homecoming by Glynis Peters is an historical fiction novel set during the later years of WWII. This book is a third in a series of ‘The Red Cross Orphans”. According to the author’s acknowledgment at the end of the book she is working on a fourth.

The settings of this novel are many. All taking place somewhere in England. The main character, Kitty, is a Red Cross Nurse and she is always moving, either at the request of the Red Cross or at her own. You can easily picture the barracks, houses, apartments, streets and lanes that Kitty travels.

The characters are well done. Since this is the third book I feel like I already knew the main characters. They are memorable and well developed. You feel yourself hoping for the proper outcome. Hoping that they follow their own advice. Hoping that they make it to the end of the war. There were a few times during the book that I felt Kitty, who is normally selfless, was very wrapped up in herself. She has not been this way in the other books. I also found out in the author’s acknowledgments that Kitty is based on the author’s mother. Unfortunately we also learn that the author’s mother passed away before the book is published.

I would like to thank Glynis Peters, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Lovely story

This book, one of several in the series, but likely the last, picks up with the main character, Kitty, still missing her fiancé Michael who is back in Canada recovering from shell shock. Kitty is a bit adrift, not happy with her current Red Cross posting. After a couple of short stints in different places, Kitty’s old friend Stanley lets her know he is out of the RAF and wants to reopen Fells Hall to war orphans. Kitty jumps at the chance and relocates to Brancepeth.

So happy to be able to see her friends Trixie and Smithy again, Kitty spends Christmas with them. A fateful phone call that day sets the rest of the story into motion. Kitty has some decisions to make that will change her future.

I enjoyed the book as much as the rest. I think it could be read as a standalone but is best appreciated if the reader has the background. Nice to see other characters still in the book too, like Jo and Belle. I think that if you enjoy wartime fiction you should give this series a try.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

The Orphan's Homecoming was a very dramatic World War Two story. I have been following Kitty's life since I read The Red Cross Orphans and she joined the Red Cross. She has lived a very interesting life during the war. Her story has taken me to many locations in the past books. This story is no different. She goes through different jobs. She travels to many different places. She has loved and lost. As I read I could only hope that she finds the love she deserves.

As a nurse, Kitty continues to move all over England and she tries to occupy her days. She is willing to do anything to avoid thinking about her fiancé that was sent back to Canada with a severe injury. Her future is up in the air. She is stationed for a time at a prisoner of war camp. What an eye-opener. I can't imagine what it must have been like to take of the enemy. I had heard stories about the prisoners doing crafts to trade. I no longer question the origin of the metal frame given to me by a relative. Her time at the prison camp was packed full of drama that became very addictive to read. The story was completely jaw dropping.

Kitty always ends up returning to the orphans. Those poor children. Get ready to grab the tissues. I was reminded of the realities of war and loss. There were so many children left with no one. There were so many traumatized children left with nothing. The Orphan's Homecoming is a great reminder of the innocents affected by war, the ones we don't really hear about in a textbook.

Kitty's friendships made for a wonderful story. There were so many different personalities and career choices. Her friends may have been very different but they helped give the reader and overview of what it might have been like living in war torn England. Things weren't always as the seemed. Things definitely were as I expected them to be. They weren't the way Kitty expected them to be.

Was this review helpful?