An Orphan’s War

2020 Longlist

When her childhood sweetheart Johnny is killed in action, Maxine Grey loses more than her husband,  she loses her best friend. Desperate to make a difference in this awful war, Maxine takes a nursing job at London’s St Thomas’s hospital.

She takes comfort in the attentions of a handsome surgeon, but Edwin Blake isn’t all he seems. And as the Blitz descends on the capital, Maxine faces more heartache. When she returns to Liverpool, she harbours a secret.

When Maxine is offered a job at a Dr Barnardo’s orphanage, she hopes this is the second chance she has been looking for. Do the orphans know that she needs them as much as they need her?

A gripping story of love, friendship and hope in the darkest of places.

About the Author

Molly Green is a seasoned author of fiction including An Orphan in the Snow, An Orphan’s Wish and A Sisters’s Courage. She now lives and writes in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Librarian’s Comments

In An Orphan’s War, Maxine Grey’s childhood sweetheart Johnny is killed in action. She loses more than her husband, she loses her best friend.  Desperate to make a difference during the awful war, Maxine takes a nursing job at London’s St Thomas Hospital. There Maxine takes comfort in the attentions of a handsome surgeon, but Edwin Blake is not all he seems.  And as the Blitz descends the capital, Maxine returns to Liverpool heartbroken and surrounded by the threat of scandal.  However, Maxine is offered a job at Dr. Barnardo’s orphanage and she hopes this is the second chance she has been looking for.  One little boy in particular helps her to realise that she needs the orphans just as much as they need her. In a well written, plausible plot An Orphan’s War depicts how challenging it was to find love and a place to call home in the dark days of the war.  The characters in this story are illustrated using a particular sensitivity to the perils the children faced and those who go out of their way to give them a semblance of normalcy.  A gripping story, this book will have readers experiencing a wide variety of emotions.  National Library Service, Barbados