βπππ πππ ππππ£ π π’π€π©πππ§, ππ£π π¬ππ¨ π£π€π¬ π£π€ π‘π€π£πππ§. πππ πππ π‘π€π«ππ ππ£π π‘π€π¨π©. ππ πππ π¨π€π’ππ©πππ£π ππ£ ππ€π’π’π€π£, ππ‘ππ―π ππ£π π.β Bess leaves her newborn baby into the care of the Foundling hospital, a home for unwanted babies. She returns to the hospital to reclaim her child 6 years later but it turns out someone has already claimed the child as her own. Alexandra is a wealthy widow who has a fear of leaving her home and struggles to bond with her daughter. The two womenβs lives collide when Alexandra invites a nursemaid into her home to look after her daughter and their lives are dramatically changed.
This is an engrossing story which is based on realities of mothers having to give up their children because they didnβt have the means to take care of them. Bess and her family struggle to make ends meet day by day, and I could imagine the harsh realities of working class/poverty during industrial Britain. In the inner city of London, images of dirt, noise, rats, drunks, prostitutes all came to mind. This is in stark contrast to the upper class/the wealthy like Alexandra that live much more comfortable lives. Reading this book felt like being in a period drama, which I love! The central theme of motherhood, and relationships between mother and daughter (including lack of it) were really interesting and emotional to read about. The complexity of Bess and Alexandraβs characters were really highlighted in the book, and the reader can feel empathy towards both in v different ways.
There is not a lot to the overall plot and is a gradual build up of events but it is like a period drama so depends on an individual readerβs taste. I really enjoyed it though.
An atmospheric and gripping tale of motherhood, love, grief, and societal status. A recommended read.
This is an engrossing story which is based on realities of mothers having to give up their children because they didnβt have the means to take care of them. Bess and her family struggle to make ends meet day by day, and I could imagine the harsh realities of working class/poverty during industrial Britain. In the inner city of London, images of dirt, noise, rats, drunks, prostitutes all came to mind. This is in stark contrast to the upper class/the wealthy like Alexandra that live much more comfortable lives. Reading this book felt like being in a period drama, which I love! The central theme of motherhood, and relationships between mother and daughter (including lack of it) were really interesting and emotional to read about. The complexity of Bess and Alexandraβs characters were really highlighted in the book, and the reader can feel empathy towards both in v different ways.
There is not a lot to the overall plot and is a gradual build up of events but it is like a period drama so depends on an individual readerβs taste. I really enjoyed it though.
An atmospheric and gripping tale of motherhood, love, grief, and societal status. A recommended read.