Wednesday, February 2, 2022

The Orphans of Mersea House- A Book Review

I have a confession to make!  I love reading and have spent a lot of time looking for books that will thrill me, make me think, take me to places I have never seen before and more!  This confession comes with no regrets!  

For the past two years I have been totally taken up with reading novels about the Second World War.  Some were based on true stories and others are works of fiction based on historical accounts of what happened during that dark and distressing time in our history!  

War can make victims of everyone who lived during the distress of the times, but it can also make victims of those who did not make it to the front or fight in the battles personally.  It can take years to heal the scars.

The Orphans of Mersea House book cover



So, now I have to tell you about The Orphans of Mersea House! Written by Marty Wingate.  When all the battles are over and peace has found it's place again, there are still the ravages of war to deal with.   Yes even years later, people are still healing from the trauma of the past!

People who fought and those who stayed behind to do other "war" work,  have scars that need healing.

It's 1957 in England  Southwold to be precise.  The two main characters Margery and Olive had been childhood friends forever.  During the war, Margery left Southwold for London to help with the war effort there, while Olive stayed behind and did her part as well.  

After her uncle's death, Margery comes back to Southwold to claim her inheritance and reclaim her life.  Olive who has looked after relatives is destitute when the last of her relations dies.  But as luck would have it, Margery comes to her aid by asking her to act as manager of the home she has inherited after alterations are made to turn it into a boarding house.

Everything is working out well until the first two boarders arrive.  Then a few more arrive and life takes a few twists and turns.  

I don't want to spoil this book for anyone, so I'm going to leave the story here and tell you that you really should get the book to find out what happens.  Trust me, there is LOTS that will happen and the characters in the book are so well described that I know everyone will be able to pick out friends and relatives of their own that will fit into this story.  

What you will learn is that family and secrets go hand in hand everywhere, but that a loving heart can bring all the good things and the bad things together to make a beautiful patchwork that is family!  

I finished this book and wished that there were more pages to read so I know you will enjoy it as well.


I was given this book by #NetGalley to read for an honest review when I was done.  This book will only be published on August 9th, 2022, so I do suggest that you mark your calendars for the release date.  This is one book that I'm sure you will enjoy.

If you are looking for books in this genre, I can personally recommend several that had me turning pages as quickly as I could:

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel  (5 stars)
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (4.5 stars)
Love at War by Viola Russell (5 stars)
The Three Sisters by Heather Morris (4.5 stars)

There are many more on my Goodreads pages if you are interested let me know and I'll send you a link to my page.







  





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


14 comments:

  1. Olivia, I, too, have always been fascinated by stories from the era of World War II. I have read a lot, both true stories and fiction, just like you. Hubby and I both shared this interest, especially stories placed in England. We even went on a 50th Anniversary tour of the U.S. 8th & 9th Air Force arrival in England in 1942. So I completely believe I will find this book a fascinating read. Thanks so much for your review.

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    1. I'm sure you will find it interesting and relatable. I was a post war baby, but I still find that there is so much to learn from those who went through so many trials and tribulations. It makes peace so much more important to me when I read about the atrocities. I truly hope never to see any of them first hand.

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  2. A novel that blends the devastating impact of World War II with the bonds and strains of friendship and family sounds like a great read. Thanks for your review!

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    1. It really is a beautiful story. You will enjoy it I'm sure!

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  3. Like you, I do love a great book that I don't want to see end! War definitely leaves pain and suffering that survivors struggle to overcome, if they ever overcome it. Rebuilding a life, especially without family, would be difficult indeed. Reading the review, I was thinking how these two women were fortunate to have each other. Sounds like a great book!

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    1. Oh it is a great read. I'm sure you would love it! In the end love does conquer a lot of the pain that was experienced by the characters each in his/her own ways!

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  4. This book sounds very interesting blending the impact and trauma of war with friendship and rebuilding a life. I love what you said about a loving heart bringing good and bad things together to make a beautiful patchwork that is family. When you do not want a book to end you know you have found a really good book :) Thank you for your review and recommendation.

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    1. You are so welcome Raintree Annie, I know how much I enjoyed it and I'm sure you would too!

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  5. Excellent review Olivia. This certainly sounds like an interesting book.

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    1. You would enjoy it for sure Mary Beth, it's a page turner and a great story too!

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  6. This sounds like a winner. You have me eager to know more about where this story goes. Your review kept me captive. Hmmmm, this one sounds ideal for a nice relaxing evening.

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    1. Barbara, I'm sure you would enjoy this book. It is easy to read, but there is so much going on at the same time. I realized too the Play on the words Mersea House.....really good reading.

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  7. Olivia, this sounds like a very interesting story. During my recent irritation in finding a book that would hook me (my reading rut) I had tried to read a story with an interesting premise set in the WWII era. But it did not hook me at all. The story of Olive and Margery sounds like one I would enjoy. Thank you for the review.

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  8. Dawn Rae, I'm sure you would love this book. While it has some to do with WWII most of what's happening is afterwards. As we all know, the ravages of war are not all over just because someone has lost the battles. There are many other battles still raging ! I'm sure you would enjoy this book!

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