My first instinct came from the cover - historical fiction always looks mesmerising. I’ve also heard great things about Stacey Halls first book, although I’ve not read that yet.
On reading the first few pages, I was immediately pulled into the world of the foundling hospital - there was something particularly dark about the line of benefactors silently watching the new unwed mothers offer up their babies to the historic. With the fate of their children depending on the colour of a ball, lottery style, you feel the desperation of the time. I was also interested by the fact that Bess, an 18 year old shrimp seller, was offering her baby to the hospital at such a young age (only 1 day old), when it seems the other young mothers had slightly older babies that they could no longer cope with. Bess was the only woman there with a companion, her father - a silent, stoic man called Abe. Again, this pulled me in - why was he there when no other men were?
Overall I’d give this first look a solid four stars - I’m desperate to read more and think the whole book will probably be a 5* for me.
On reading the first few pages, I was immediately pulled into the world of the foundling hospital - there was something particularly dark about the line of benefactors silently watching the new unwed mothers offer up their babies to the historic. With the fate of their children depending on the colour of a ball, lottery style, you feel the desperation of the time. I was also interested by the fact that Bess, an 18 year old shrimp seller, was offering her baby to the hospital at such a young age (only 1 day old), when it seems the other young mothers had slightly older babies that they could no longer cope with. Bess was the only woman there with a companion, her father - a silent, stoic man called Abe. Again, this pulled me in - why was he there when no other men were?
Overall I’d give this first look a solid four stars - I’m desperate to read more and think the whole book will probably be a 5* for me.