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debtat2's review
4.0
Interweaving storylines of two generations of women from the same family that were separated at birth as they find their places in the world and ultimately finding their way back to each other.
Set in a time where having children out of wedlock was a mortal sin that lead to ruination of the entire family, this is where we find a heartbroken Alice. Nineteen, pregnant and single, following the death of her fiancé, Jack. Alice had been working in France as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse where she meets and falls in love with Jack. Unfortunately the war rips their futures away from them when Jack is killed in action, leaving Alice heartbroken as well as pregnant. At the insistence of her stepmother Alice is sent away to have the baby in private and adopted by a loving family.
Left adrift after the birth and subsequent loss of her daughter Alice is unsure what direction to take in life, wanting to jump straight back into nursing but forbidden by her parents she makes the decision to study medicine and become a doctor, A profession that is entirely male she struggles to forge a path for herself. Told from two opposing view points and dates it follows the lives of both mother and daughter, separated at birth but interwoven none the less.
Switching between Alice’s past and present as well as Irene’s story this is a multiple threaded story spanning years as the two women find their places in the world and ultimately finding their way back to each other. Even with the multiple switches the transitions are well polished and easy to follow as is the threads weaving everything together.
In Irene’s search for her birth mother Alice it reminds you how much you take the internet and things like Facebook search for granted. Their journeys are neither easy or plain sailing but entirely heartwarming. An easy read that delights and inspires and is one of her best books to date.
Prepare to be swept away as you follow Alice and Irene on their emotional journey of discovery in a predominantly male world.
The Love Child will be published on 05 Sep 2019
Set in a time where having children out of wedlock was a mortal sin that lead to ruination of the entire family, this is where we find a heartbroken Alice. Nineteen, pregnant and single, following the death of her fiancé, Jack. Alice had been working in France as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse where she meets and falls in love with Jack. Unfortunately the war rips their futures away from them when Jack is killed in action, leaving Alice heartbroken as well as pregnant. At the insistence of her stepmother Alice is sent away to have the baby in private and adopted by a loving family.
Left adrift after the birth and subsequent loss of her daughter Alice is unsure what direction to take in life, wanting to jump straight back into nursing but forbidden by her parents she makes the decision to study medicine and become a doctor, A profession that is entirely male she struggles to forge a path for herself. Told from two opposing view points and dates it follows the lives of both mother and daughter, separated at birth but interwoven none the less.
Switching between Alice’s past and present as well as Irene’s story this is a multiple threaded story spanning years as the two women find their places in the world and ultimately finding their way back to each other. Even with the multiple switches the transitions are well polished and easy to follow as is the threads weaving everything together.
In Irene’s search for her birth mother Alice it reminds you how much you take the internet and things like Facebook search for granted. Their journeys are neither easy or plain sailing but entirely heartwarming. An easy read that delights and inspires and is one of her best books to date.
Prepare to be swept away as you follow Alice and Irene on their emotional journey of discovery in a predominantly male world.
The Love Child will be published on 05 Sep 2019
gloriamitchell821196844's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
chloeab's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
trini_p's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rah_chel1's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
readingwithgee_'s review
4.0
4.5
The love child is a heartbreakingly wonderful book featuring 19 year old Alice who falls pregnant out of wedlock and is forced to give her baby up for adoption. The book follows both Alice and her baby Irene over the years as they grow to wonder... What if?
This book hit me straight in the feels, I mean I'm not usually one to get emotional over books but just reading Alice and Jack's story had me welling up! I'm a sucker for a good forbidden war romance in general but my gosh my poor heart! I just wish there had been more of it!
With this book beginning in 1917 there's a lot of "women can't do this, women shouldn't do that" blah blah but back then that's just how life was and I must say, it was so empowering to see the women in this book fighting back!
Grief is a huge part of this book and I think all the different types of grief were highlighted perfectly, lost children, lost loves etc. The writing was excellent, the characters were spot on, the only complaint I have is that there was the odd time I felt that some parts were dragging on a bit, but other than that absolutely nothing!
The love child is a heartbreakingly wonderful book featuring 19 year old Alice who falls pregnant out of wedlock and is forced to give her baby up for adoption. The book follows both Alice and her baby Irene over the years as they grow to wonder... What if?
This book hit me straight in the feels, I mean I'm not usually one to get emotional over books but just reading Alice and Jack's story had me welling up! I'm a sucker for a good forbidden war romance in general but my gosh my poor heart! I just wish there had been more of it!
With this book beginning in 1917 there's a lot of "women can't do this, women shouldn't do that" blah blah but back then that's just how life was and I must say, it was so empowering to see the women in this book fighting back!
Grief is a huge part of this book and I think all the different types of grief were highlighted perfectly, lost children, lost loves etc. The writing was excellent, the characters were spot on, the only complaint I have is that there was the odd time I felt that some parts were dragging on a bit, but other than that absolutely nothing!
marloesleest's review against another edition
4.0
Frankrijk, 1916. Tijdens haar vrijwilligerswerk als verpleegster leert de jonge Alice soldaat Jack kennen, die aan het front gewond is geraakt. Enkele maanden later komen ze elkaar weer tegen, wanneer ze allebei verlof hebben. In Engeland spreken ze regelmatig af, worden ze verliefd, verloven ze zich en Alice wordt zwanger. Maar enkele weken na hun afscheid komt het bericht dat Jack is omgekomen en Alice wordt, om een schandaal te voorkomen, door haar stiefmoeder onder grote druk gezet om haar dochter af te staan.
De baby wordt geadopteerd door Edith en Philip Burns, die ongewenst kinderloos zijn, en krijgt de naam Irene. Ze groeit op met het constante gevoel dat er iets ontbreekt in haar leven, zeker omdat haar adoptiemoeder anders omgaat met haar broertje, het kind dat ze na de komst van Irene toch nog hebben gekregen, maar niemand is bereid om haar de volledige waarheid te vertellen. Wanneer ze oud genoeg is, besluit ze in Londen op zoek te gaan naar haar biologische moeder.
Je volgt beide vrouwen gedurende ruim 20 jaar van hun leven en het verhaal wordt grotendeels chronologisch verteld, met een aantal tijdsprongen, en door de perspectiefwisselingen blijft het fris, interessant en dynamisch. Het is geen verhaal dat het moet hebben van grote plotwendingen of verrassende onthullingen, het draait vooral om de personages en hun levens, en die zijn dan ook ontzettend goed uitgewerkt. Als lezer weet je vanaf het begin dat hun levens met elkaar zijn verbonden, maar zij hebben geen idee wie of waar de ander is. Zullen hun levenspaden elkaar kruisen?
Het boek is vlot, gedetailleerd, mooi en gevoelig geschreven, waardoor je mee gaat leven met de personages en hun verhalen je raken. Beide vrouwen groeien uit tot sterke, krachtige en vooruitstrevende karakters en ze hebben elk hun eigen worstelingen, ambities en carrière, (soms moeizame) relaties, geluk en gemis. Dit is een indrukwekkend, emotioneel, ontroerend en meeslepend verhaal over familie, rouw, spijt, liefde, vriendschap, pijn, afkomst en een zoektocht naar de waarheid. Absoluut een aanrader!
De baby wordt geadopteerd door Edith en Philip Burns, die ongewenst kinderloos zijn, en krijgt de naam Irene. Ze groeit op met het constante gevoel dat er iets ontbreekt in haar leven, zeker omdat haar adoptiemoeder anders omgaat met haar broertje, het kind dat ze na de komst van Irene toch nog hebben gekregen, maar niemand is bereid om haar de volledige waarheid te vertellen. Wanneer ze oud genoeg is, besluit ze in Londen op zoek te gaan naar haar biologische moeder.
Je volgt beide vrouwen gedurende ruim 20 jaar van hun leven en het verhaal wordt grotendeels chronologisch verteld, met een aantal tijdsprongen, en door de perspectiefwisselingen blijft het fris, interessant en dynamisch. Het is geen verhaal dat het moet hebben van grote plotwendingen of verrassende onthullingen, het draait vooral om de personages en hun levens, en die zijn dan ook ontzettend goed uitgewerkt. Als lezer weet je vanaf het begin dat hun levens met elkaar zijn verbonden, maar zij hebben geen idee wie of waar de ander is. Zullen hun levenspaden elkaar kruisen?
Het boek is vlot, gedetailleerd, mooi en gevoelig geschreven, waardoor je mee gaat leven met de personages en hun verhalen je raken. Beide vrouwen groeien uit tot sterke, krachtige en vooruitstrevende karakters en ze hebben elk hun eigen worstelingen, ambities en carrière, (soms moeizame) relaties, geluk en gemis. Dit is een indrukwekkend, emotioneel, ontroerend en meeslepend verhaal over familie, rouw, spijt, liefde, vriendschap, pijn, afkomst en een zoektocht naar de waarheid. Absoluut een aanrader!
daisysgreenlight's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Readable but a bit bland and flat compared to other similar stories. Not entirely sure what the point was. No mysteries or reveals but no strong character development or emotion either. Wouldn’t recommend.