Joanna Ryan’s father has gone off to war, leaving her in the care of her
step-mother, a woman more concerned with having a good time than being any sort
of parent to her.
But then she finds a puppy, left for dead, and Joanna’s becomes
determined to save him, sharing her meagre rations with him. But, in a time of
war, pets are only seen as an unnecesary burden and she is forced to hide her
new friend, Harry from her step-mother and the authorities. With bombs falling
over Bristol and with the prospect of evacuation on the horizon can they keep
stay together and keep each other safe?
Since I
started book blogging several years ago I've had the chance to discover some
new genres; genres I don't think I would have just as easily come into touch
with if I hadn't started reviewing novels. One of those genres is wartime
romances/sagas. I've never really been incredibly fascinated by war, but I
really enjoy the nostalgic feel of novels by authors such as Margaret Graham,
Katie Flynn and Ellie Dean, and have really come to appreciate the genre and
its ability to make readers step back in time and, in a way, experience what
things could be like during these horrible times. Today I've got a review to
share of a book by a wartime romance author that is new to me, namely Lizzie
Lane, and I was curious to see what I would think of her latest release 'War
Orphans'.
After
the death of her mother and her father having to join the army, Joanna Ryan
knew her life wasn't going to be better. Her step-mother Elspeth has more
important things to do than take care of a young girl, and doesn't shy away
from making Joanna do all the cleaning and locking her in the coal shed
whenever she has misbehaved. When Joanna unexpectedly finds an abandoned puppy
outside, she suddenly has something to be happy about again and her days start
to revolve around taking care of Harry. However, during a time of war humans
take priority over pets, so Joanna knows she has to keep Harry hidden from
everyone, especially her step-mother, if she wants to make sure they can stay
together...
It only
took the first few chapters of 'War Orphans' for me to warm to its main
character, young girl Joanna, and I continued to root for her until the very
end of the book. The story has a kind of Cinderella element to it, as Joanna is
forced to live with her slightly 'evil' step-mother Elspeth, who doesn't seem
to care about anything but herself. Joanna is a lovely girl and her love and devotion
to the small puppy she finds and names Harry is heartwarming, especially
considering everything that's thrown her way. I have to admit I was a bit
worried at first that the storyline, as described in the book blurb, would be a
bit one sided, but there was more than enough going on to hold my attention
throughout the novel.
Next to
Joanna and Harry, who really is quite the adorable puppy, there are some other
interesting characters that play a significant role in the novel. There's
Elspeth, who's one of those characters you can't help but truly dislike; Ms.
Hadley, Joanna's teacher, and her father Seb, who is dealing with the still
painful loss of his wife. The characters deal with their own issues, but what
unites them is the warmth at the core of this novel and that's also one of the
things I enjoyed most about it. 'War Orphans' is a heart-warming and enjoyable
wartime story which I enjoyed from start to finish, a perfect read to pick up
if you're a fan of the wartime genre!
Rating:
8,5/10
8,5/10
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