When Bess Bright returns to The Foundling Hospital to retrieve the illegitimate daughter she left there six years ago, she discovers that Clara has already been taken by someone claiming to be her. Who would take a child that wasn't theirs, and how did they know who she was?
Alexandra Callard never leaves her London townhouse, aside from Sunday mornings when she takes her daughter Charlotte to the Foundling chapel. Her decision to hire a nurse maid as a favour to a friend may charge everything.
The Foundling is a truly captivating and beautiful historical novel. From chapter one I was desperate to know how this story was going to turn out. The
characters are uniquely three dimensional, and the personal stakes are so high for everyone in this book, I had to read fast before I got too stressed.
The two main women are so intensely different from each other, it was a pleasure to read two such well crafted POV's that created a fantastically rounded story. Again, as when I read The Familiars, I am amazed by Stacey Hall's ability to weave a historical era in the space of a few pages. The details are incredible, and I can't even imagine what goes into her research process. These books are genuinely transportative.
I was fascinated by the way that by the last quarter of this book, I really couldn't figure out what I thought should happen. I was naturally on Bess's side from the start, but if I'm honest I also relate to Alexandra, and could feel her side of things more as the story wore on.
Charlotte is such a sweet and innocent little one, I loved her transition from docile, never leaving home, to realising that she wanted more than Alexandra was willing to give her. Their personalities reflect each other in the way I see so many mother's and daughters, complementing each other and butting up against each other.
For me, my only issue with the story is that I felt like the very end was a little rushed. I think I was happy with the actual conclusion, but it felt like the getting there was a little curtailed.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. I flew through it, and couldn't wait to finish. Halls has a beautiful gift for storytelling, and it feels like a privilege to get to enjoy her writing. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, Laura Purcell, or Mary Shelley.
Alexandra Callard never leaves her London townhouse, aside from Sunday mornings when she takes her daughter Charlotte to the Foundling chapel. Her decision to hire a nurse maid as a favour to a friend may charge everything.
The Foundling is a truly captivating and beautiful historical novel. From chapter one I was desperate to know how this story was going to turn out. The
characters are uniquely three dimensional, and the personal stakes are so high for everyone in this book, I had to read fast before I got too stressed.
The two main women are so intensely different from each other, it was a pleasure to read two such well crafted POV's that created a fantastically rounded story. Again, as when I read The Familiars, I am amazed by Stacey Hall's ability to weave a historical era in the space of a few pages. The details are incredible, and I can't even imagine what goes into her research process. These books are genuinely transportative.
I was fascinated by the way that by the last quarter of this book, I really couldn't figure out what I thought should happen. I was naturally on Bess's side from the start, but if I'm honest I also relate to Alexandra, and could feel her side of things more as the story wore on.
Charlotte is such a sweet and innocent little one, I loved her transition from docile, never leaving home, to realising that she wanted more than Alexandra was willing to give her. Their personalities reflect each other in the way I see so many mother's and daughters, complementing each other and butting up against each other.
For me, my only issue with the story is that I felt like the very end was a little rushed. I think I was happy with the actual conclusion, but it felt like the getting there was a little curtailed.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. I flew through it, and couldn't wait to finish. Halls has a beautiful gift for storytelling, and it feels like a privilege to get to enjoy her writing. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, Laura Purcell, or Mary Shelley.