The Orphan's Daughter: A heartbreaking and absolutely unforgettable page turner set in Ireland

· Bookouture
4.7
6 reviews
Ebook
350
Pages

About this ebook

‘Wow… I absolutely loved this book. Warning: keep the tissues handy!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gut-wrenching… Brought me to tears numerous times’ Stacy is Reading, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Ireland, 1924. For thirteen-year-old Nora Doyle every day is a fight for survival in Ballybun, the rural Irish village she calls home. Each night, as she feels the cold wind blowing through the cracks of her family’s cramped cottage, Nora longs to escape the poverty surrounding her and find her place in the world.


When she meets Edward, from the grand house that looms over her tiny village, she feels an unlikely kinship that is impossible to explain, and as she grows from an impulsive child into a beautiful woman, Nora spends every moment she can with him. But Edward holds the key to a secret about Nora’s own family that changes her life forever, and the devastating impact tears Nora away from her beloved village. Now she must start afresh in busy, hectic Dublin. When Nora meets charming baker Joe Lynch, can she dare to risk her heart again?


But sorrow is never far away for an Irish village girl, and when tragedy strikes, Nora must return to Ballybun to see Edward once more and face up to the truth that drove her away. But back amongst the familiar sights and smells of her childhood, Nora feels herself drawn once more to her old life, and love, as she faces an impossible choice. Torn in different directions, can Nora find the strength to be true to herself?


A heart-wrenching story of love, loss and the power of friendship during unimaginable hardship. This book is perfect for fans of Orphan Train and Diney Costeloe’s The Girl with No Name.


Readers love The Orphan’s Daughter

‘Rarely do I find a book that can double me over with laughter and break my heart with tears, but this book delivers! It has all the elements I enjoy, wonderfully vivid characters, a great story to tell, love, friendship, heartbreak and throw in a dash of comedy and realism and you have a winner. This book delivers and then some!’ Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars


‘The gut-wrenching feelings this narrative unearthed brought me to tears numerous times with its emotive words and insightful views on life and love. The writing was simply breathtaking, it was witty and beautiful in the same measure and it has quite frankly stolen my heart.’ Stacy is Reading, 5 stars


‘Writing this through tears, the funniest, most tearful book I've ever read. Fantastic.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘Wow, this is another great book that really deserves more than 5 stars. It is a heart-warming as well as a heartbreaking story all at the same time. I absolutely loved this book. Warning: keep the tissues handy!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘Once I started I was unable to put it down and devoured this truly enthralling tale in a single evening… a heart-warming yet heartbreaking tale of friendships, family, hardships and joy… I completely lost myself for a few hours within this emotional rollercoaster.’ Momo’s Book Diary


‘Oh my word what a story, I loved this book; witty, enchanting, that will definitely pull at your heartstrings as you read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘A laugh out loud story that I fell in love with. This was a story drenched in family and friendship and I could not put it down.’ Crossroad Reviews, 5 stars


‘This story is exquisite perfection. Well crafted, beautifully written, emotional, poignant and immersive. I loved every word. I was enthralled with the story all the way to the end and stayed up too late reading, but it was worth it.’ Goodreads Reviewer

Ratings and reviews

4.7
6 reviews
Gaele Hi
February 13, 2020
The book starts when Nora and Kitty are thirteen, best friends and have slipped through a hole in the fence to the grounds of Bretton Hall, the big house in their little rural corner of County Cork. The two are gossiping and mimicking the attendees to a funeral procession, and in breaking in to be closer to the place they both hope to work in the future, they meet Edward, the groom’s son. Full of adventure and a bit of the forbidden, the three see the walled garden, learn about the plants from Edward, and the first bonds of a lasting friendship will be sown. But the girls have been told, frequently, to stay away from the big house: Nora’s mother was once employed there and refuses to talk about that time. Yet the friendship between Nora and Eddie strengthens, much to everyone’s dismay. With growth and upheaval, it’s soon up to Nora to make choices between her friends and family, while still not completely understanding all of the possible ramifications. Oh this was lovely and fully of “it’s time” as there is an undercurrent of innocence and purity that seems to thread through even the most trying of situations. From Nora and Kitty and their friendship, to the true bond that she and Eddie form, all the way through to her own relationship with her family and some secrets that they reveal, the story is touching, clever and feels utterly plausible. There is plenty of atmosphere, as Taylor’s prose takes on the feel of the Irish Storyteller at the pub - allowing the moments to stand alone and be unique before other elements are coming into play. A lovely story that brings the place and people forward while allowing the reader to escape into the pages and stories. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
1 person found this review helpful
MoMo BookDiary
February 5, 2020
This was a new author for me. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction but I find they can be nice break from modern day romance and/or crime fiction. The cover was the first thing to catch my eye and I am pleased to say that I found myself surprisingly hooked from the first page. Once I started I was unable to put it down and devoured this truly enthralling tale in a single evening. Beautifully written, well researched story set in the 1920’s. It is a heartwarming yet heartbreaking tale of friendships, family, hardships and joy. A very moving story indeed. The story flows along perfectly and I completely lost myself for a few hours within this emotional rollercoaster. There are many threads, yet not at all complicated, which the author neatly pulled together. This is the first book I have read by Sandy Taylor, and I will be reading many more. Digging a little further I realised this was a sequel to Sandy Taylor’s book The Little Orphan Girl (released in 2018) which I am looking to read very soon! My sincere thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of ‘THE ORPHAN'S DAUGHTER’ by SANDY TAYLOR All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway. All my reviews can be found on my blog momobookdiary
1 person found this review helpful

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.