4.5 Mesmerizing Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

This was such a heart wrenching captivating story very reminiscent of “before We Were Yours”; One of my top reads of 2017... i’m not a big fan of comparing books, but in this case it is almost impossible not to... from the duel timelines to the horrific treatment of children steeped in history... if you enjoyed BWWY you will absolutely be entranced by this book as well....

There are so many layers to the story... so many well-developed multi dimensional characters, but one character really stood out to me... Ivy in my opinion was the true hero of this book... her letters really tour at my heartstrings... whisked away from her family to a home for unmarried women.... where she was treated horribly and made to give up her baby.... through all of this she maintained her humanity and her compassion.... and in her darkest of moments her thoughts were not of her self but of another... truly isn’t this The definition of a mother? Well apparently in the 50s and 60s being unmarried trumped unconditional love.... so many parts of this portion of the story were frustrating and sad.... and truly the saddest part of all is it is part of our history.... yes this Book took place in the UK, but we would be remiss to think it did not happen in the US as well....

Where the past timeline of the story was steeped in history the present day timeline was steeped in mystery... Samantha a struggling reporter, finds one of Ivy‘s letters clutched in her grandma‘s hand when she comes across her napping in the rocking chair... curious by nature Samantha doesn’t buy her grandma’s story... so why does Samantha’s grandmother have this letter? and what happens to the girl in the letter? You will need to read this book to find out the mystery and the real story behind these letters.... I guarantee you will be as enthralled as I was... as more and more secrets of the past are revealed I was more and more invested in this story...

Absolutely recommend to fans of a book with a well researched dose of history and a well developed mystery...

*** many thanks to Headline for my copy of this book ***

The main point of view in the story is Sam’s, and I couldn’t really warm to her. She seemed a little bit flat as a character, and I was always eager to get back to Ivy’s perspective.

Ivy was a fascinating character, and I really felt for her. I really could feel her pain at having her baby taken away from her, and it made me sad for all those women this really happened to in the not too distant past. She definitely felt the most three-dimensional to me, as a lot of the book was driven by the plot rather than the character development.

I think this book was very well researched. I’ve been to museums before where they talk about the mother and baby homes from the Victorian times, but I hadn’t realised these homes had been open until after my parents’ generation were born. I’d have probably liked to read more about what the homes were like for girls in Ivy’s position.

This book was quite different from what I’d expected. The Netgalley summary gave the idea this was a purely historical novel with some mystery to it. Actually, at times it read like a horror or thriller novel, especially during some of the scenes where the murders took place. The writer really built up suspense and I could feel myself getting lost in the scenes

I think my favourite parts of the book were reading Ivy’s letters. The writing was so emotional as she becomes more and more desperate to be rescued from the home. The whole story was a fascinating read, although at times it was hard to read.

I would have to say I didn’t enjoy the way the book ended. There was a point in the climax where a character climbs up a building, and it took me right out of the story as it was quite unbelievable. During some of the murder scenes I had to stretch my imagination but it was OK because it was part of the fun. Unfortunately the climax made it seem a bit farcical, followed by a fairly generic ending.

At the end of the book there are some extra resources you can check out, and I definitely think I will. Although this book wasn’t perfect, it sparked an interest in me to find out more on the subject.

I would give this book 3.5 / 5. I’d definitely recommend it, but not without its flaws.

I was given this book by Netgalley and Headline in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I listened to the Audible version which isn’t a choice on Goodreads. Liked it a lot.

Captivating and heart wrenching story involving multiple generations and a horrendous mother-and-baby home located in Sussex. The story is based on the Magdelene homes in Ireland and the horrible conditions the unwed mothers endured to eventually be forced to give up their babies. I was able to guess part of it, but missed some bits here and there.

Rating this one is hard. It is too close to home to be objective with and I couldn't finish the book

Seems to hop around a lot despite breaking chapters down by dates. There were many characters, but many were not developed or so rarely mentioned that is got confusing. The story was intriguing, so I stayed until the end.

Mysterious letters appear and a home for unwed mothers becomes a point of an investigation for a reporter and a mystery of twists and turns begun to unravel. This book will keep your in the edge of your seat. It does have some tear jerking moments but push through them.