AnneMarie Brear – The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl

The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl is the first book I have ever read by AnneMarie Brear. Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my gifted copy of the book.

Yorkshire Dales 1850
As a terrible storm rages, Annabelle Wallis is shocked to find a distressed young woman at her cottage door, heavy with child. Moments later a baby girl is born. But by dawn, the mother has vanished, leaving behind the helpless child wrapped only in a silk peacock shawl.

When news spreads that Lady Eliza Hartley, sister to wealthy estate owner, John Hartley, has been found dead, Annabelle realises the terrible secret she has stumbled on. Terrified she’ll be blamed for Eliza’s death, Annabelle flees to the filthy slums of York, where she plans to raise the precious orphan as her own.

The cobbled streets of York’s slums are no place for a young woman like Annabelle or a Hartley babe and John Hartley is determined to bring them both home. But Annabelle proves impossible to find.

Annabelle can’t hide forever from the wealthy Hartley family, but can she ever give up the baby she loves?

A historical romance and a saga also this is the type of story I do love to read. The title alone conjured up such colourful images in my mind. I really hoped that the story itself would keep the promise that the title gave me.

We follow Annabelle Wallis, a young girl who finds herself in the slums of York with a baby girl she plans to raise as her own, with a wealthy estate owner determined to find her. Will her act of kindness end up costing her everything, or will she find the happiness she craves?

The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl is an engrossing and emotional saga. The characters are all so richly detailed that they are brought to life so vividly. The author’s writing really has you feeling that you are right there in the story. The details of the period are second to none. I always love a well written historical saga; they have the power to whisk me away from my day-to-day life.

A book full of warmth,grit, and hope that makes for a heart-wrenching read. I am so happy to have discovered Annemarie Bear. I enjoy historical fiction, and this book held me all the way.

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/3bvURLt

Author Bio –

AnneMarie Brear is the bestselling historical fiction writer of over twenty novels. She lives in the Southern Highlands in NSW, and has spent many years visiting and working in the UK. Her books are mainly set in Yorkshire, from where her family hails, and Australia, between the nineteenth century and WWI.