The Orphan House

The Orphan House's blurb promises a story about 'incredible acts of courage' and features a Gothic old house (who doesn't love one of those?), dual time frames and a mystery. With that description and its gorgeous cover art, it sounded like a book that was right up my alley! But this book isn't so much eerie and mysterious as it is a sweet story.

I hate to say it, but I was underwhelmed with this book. Readers are given an abundance of foreshadowing that made the story predictable and lack tension. There are some interesting characters, but they remain underdeveloped and readers are told, not shown, many of their connections and feelings. I also questioned why some aspects (ie. the romance, Sarah's marriage problems) were included at all since they didn't add to the story. 

While this book had great potential, it fell flat for me but please know that I am in the minority with my review. Many other readers enjoyed this book but for me, an avid Historical Fiction reader, it needed more tension in its mystery, depth to its story and better developed characters. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Bookouture for my complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 2.5 stars
Author: Ann Bennett

Genre: Historical Fiction

Type: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publisher: Bookouture

First Published: February 28, 2020

Book Description from GoodReads: Baby born September 5th 1934 approximately. Place of birth, unknown; father, unknown; mother unknown.

Present day: Sarah Jennings knows there’s one place she can go to find some peace and quiet during her difficult divorce. But arriving at her beloved father’s home in the countryside, she finds him unwell and hunched over boxes of files, studying the records from Cedar Hall, the crumbling orphanage in town. He says that hidden behind the wrought iron gates and overgrown ivy are secrets about their family, and he asks for her help.

Sarah goes to speak to Connie Burroughs, the only person left alive who lived at Cedar Hall. Her questions take Connie from the comfort of her nursing home right back to a chilly night in 1934, when as a little girl she saw her own father carrying a newborn baby, bundled in rags, that he said he’d found near the broken front gate. The day Connie began to protect his secrets.

But just as Sarah begins to convince Connie that the truth can set her free, she realises that unlocking the past might have heartbreaking consequences…

An emotional and uplifting reminder that incredible acts of courage can change the course of history, Ann Bennett’s powerful tale is inspired by the lives of the children who lived at her great-grandfather’s orphanage. Fans of Before We Were Yours, The Orphan’s Tale and The Orphan Train will be hooked.