Blog No 173 – Book Review – The Orphanage Girls, Mary Wood.

Anyone who knows me or who kindly reads my blog, will appreciate that I love to read books. I have a passion for historical fiction; therefore, I couldn’t refuse the opportunity to write a book review and be included in the @RandonTTours for Mary Wood’s latest book The Orphanage Girls

The book was released on 12^th May 2022 and is available in most supermarkets, bookstores, and online retailers. Congratulations to Mary for another incredible book.

Book Description

Children deserve a family to call their own. Ruth dares to dream of another life far away from the horrors within the walls of Bethnal Green’s famous orphanage. Luckily, she has her friends, Amy, and Ellen – but she can’t keep them safe, and the suffering is only getting worse, surely there must be a way out of here? But when Ruth breaks free from the shackles of confinement and sets into east London hoping to make a new life for herself, she finds that, for a girl with nowhere to turn, life can be just tough on the outside.

Bett keeps order in the unruly part of East End and takes Ruth under her wing along orphanage escapee Robbie. But it is Rebekah, a kindly woman, who offers Ruth and Robbie a home something neither have ever known. Yet even these two stalwart women cannot protect them when the police learn of an orphan on the run. It is then that Ruth must do everything in the power to hide. Her life and those of the friends she left behind at the orphanage depend on it.

About The Author – Mary Wood

Born in Maidstone, Kent, in 1945, the thirteenth child of fifteen children, Mary’s family settled in Leicestershire after the war ended.

Mary married young and now, after 54 years of happy marriage, four children, 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, Mary and her husband live in Blackpool, United Kingdom during the summer and Spain during the winter – a place that Mary calls, ‘her writing retreat’.

After many jobs from cleaning to catering, all chosen to fit in with bringing up her family, and boost the family money-pot, Mary ended her 9 – 5 working days as a Probation Service Officer, a job that showed her another side to life, and which influences her writing, bringing a realism and grittiness to her novels

When not writing, Mary enjoys family time, reading, eating out, and gardening. One of her favourite pastimes is interacting with her readers on her Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/HistoricalNovels

Mary first put pen to paper, in 1989, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she finally found some success by self-publishing on kindle.

Being spotted by an editor at Pan Macmillan in 2013, finally saw Mary reach her publishing dream.

And on her web page: http://www.authormarywood.com

She is also on Twitter: @Authormary

Book Review

Oh my, I think I felt every emotion reading this book, happiness, sadness, fear, and empathy. The book focuses on Ruth’s life, starting as a 12-year-old orphan. Ruth’s life begins in an orphanage and along the way, she establishes relationships with individuals and the story is told. Initially Ruth’s life is plagued with hardship and cruelty, but she soon discovers people’s kindness and generosity in the outside world. Ruth begins to build a happier life and creates long-term and loving relationships.

Ruth is already a very compassionate person, nevertheless, she soon learns that life outside the orphanage teaches her diversity and culture. Ruth is enriched in love and along the way her life evolves. The book is very heart-warming and very hard to put down as the story captivates you to the bitter end, where you may shed a tear or two, like me.

Mary has the extraordinary gift of developing a story with an incredible imagination and dovetailed with her research. This book was awarded 5 stars from me and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Mary Wood’s Book Series

1. Breckton
2. Generation War
3. Girls Who Went to War
4. Jam Factory Girls
5. Orphanage Girls