‘Minnie’s Orphans’ by Lindsey Hutchinson is a historical fiction saga. I do believe there are books connected to this but I have read no other work by Lindsey Hutchinson, so this will be reviewed, by me as a standalone.
Set in Wolverhampton in the 19th Century, we meet the Marshalls, Minnie and Billy. Minnie has had a troubled background, do they decide to start a children’s home. Their first move was to regain Minnie’s children from a previous marriage. They make a point to found Marshalls on love and laughter while treating everyone as equals. This creates a happy home for all. Minnie has a mission, and that is to take in all the unwanted waifs and strays. I was astounded to discover people then got paid to take their children to an orphanage! That almost made me shed a tear alone!
We meet Una Reed, who has her own children’s home Reed House, she is the exact opposite of Minnie, in every way. This particular home is run by a rod of iron as the workhouses were then. These two women have their issues with each other and as the story unfolds we see how kind-hearted Minnie deals with trouble.
I really loved being transported back into ages past and learning about how the world workes back then. Although the fact that children were treated so badly tore me up, I was glad that people such as Minnie and Billy would have existed. The love from Minnie for all the children is so real I could almost touch it. Lindsey Hutchinson has created a set of lovable characters, they exude warmth. On the other side, we have Una Reed, cold, bitter and selfish, now that woman needs a comeuppance and fast in this book.
In conclusion, this is a great read that enveloped me in the past for the few days I was reading it. Yet another author I have discovered through blog tours! Thank you to Rachels Random Resources and NetGalley for the book to write my review today.
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