Different Tides

Different Tides by Janet Woods
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clementine is an 20 year old orphan who has a heart for little ones so when she is ask to be a governess to two lonely, orphaned children, she jumps at the chance. One of the children is a 5 year old Earl and the other, his 4 year old sister, both fresh from Australia. Both have experienced too much tragedy for being so young and carry the scars of fear. Can Clementine ensure they have a happy childhood...one that she, herself, did not enjoy?

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What Once Was Lost: A Novel

What Once Was Lost: A Novel by Kim Vogel Sawyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Christina was raised in a loving home, with parents that stressed being responsible for those in need. In fact, her parents ran the poor farm, as people called it, with Christina's help. Before they passed, Christina didn't have the day to day stress of running it alone as she does now and with the recent fire in the kitchen - all the residents are displaced and awaiting the repair of the home. When the board fails to approve money for the much needed repairs and even closes the poor farm down, Christina feels that not only her faith is failing, but she's failing her residents, especially eleven year old Tommy, blinded from an accident.

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Orphan Train

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Christina Baker Kline’s heartbreaking novel Orphan Train parallels the story of two women - Vivian and Molly. Vivian was once a young Irish immigrant who came to America with her family but lost them to an apartment fire. Molly is a teenage Native American lost in the foster care system and on the edge of being booted out. When Molly acts out for the last time, her only chance is to work community service hours cleaning the aging 91 year old, widow Vivian's large attic. As Molly learns more of how Viv was shipped on an orphan train to "better" her life out West, she comes to admire the resiliency and bravery of the older woman and feels as if she's finally found family.

History intertwined with fiction is so appealing to me and in this case it really opened my eyes to the abuse and indenturing of over 100,000 young, helpless orphans. The novel includes a small section covering the history of the orphan trains and some information on why the author chose to write this novel.

See: http://orphantraindepot.org/

http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/ab...



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Sea Glass Summer

Sea Glass Summer by Dorothy Cannell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Leaving behind a crummy divorce, thanks to her ex and best friend's dalliance, Sarah Draycott is delighted to move to the pretty little town of Sea Glass, Maine. With the coast at her back door and her front door facing the town, Sarah is ready for a do over in a big way. Right away energetic, 90 year old Nellie Armitage, knocks at the front door and makes friends. Then, Sarah makes the acquaintance with 70 something Gwen and her son, Sonny plus little Oliver, an orphan with a huge vocabulary. Sarah finds herself fitting in rather comfortably with the residents of Sea Glass.

I've never read Dorothy Cannell until this book and and found to my surprise that I really enjoyed her writing. I must say she really get detailed and sometimes that can derail your reading but Cannell also has a sense of humor that makes it fun.

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Please read!!

Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In the beginning of his jaunt, 20-something Conor Grennan never would have thought that he would be saving Nepalese children from human traffickers. Conor was going off on a lark, something to tell the girls back home in the U.S., "Ah yes, I worked with orphans for three months." But along the way he fell in love with the children of The Little Princes Children's Home in a small village near Kathmandu, Nepal. Promising the children to come back, after his three month stint and a trip around the world, Conor settles back in the United States and works on a way to save more Napalese children. An amazing, heartrending, honest account, written with Conor's hilarious take on things, this book is a gem. Please read - it could be heart changing. One person can really make a difference in the world!



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A Suitor for Jenny

A humorous, light-hearted romance about a young woman trying to find good husbands for her two younger sisters in Texas. Jenny, unfortunately, sets about it by following the stringent rules set forth in the reference books for attracting and procuring a husband. Her two sisters, Brenda and Mary Lou chafe under Jenny's rules and end up finding young men on their own that they know their older sister will not favor. US Marshall Rhett Armstrong and most of the townsfolk rue the day when Jenny and her sisters come to town!

Vigilante's Bride

Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Without a job, the only option for Emily, an orphan, is to marry a wealthy rancher out in the Montana territory by Christmas. In a quest to avenge his father and recover money rightfully his, Luke Sullivan holds up the stagecoach on Christmas Eve and ends up kidnapping Emily, when he finds out that she is to marry Luke's enemy - the wealthy rancher. When Luke drops Emily off at a orphanage, near Crow land, she finds out her true calling and that Luke isn't so bad after all.



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In Every Heartbeat

In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The continuing story of Libby, Pete, and Bennett - three orphans and best friends now attending college at the University of Southern Missouri. Pete desires to be a minister, Libby - journalist, and Bennett want to join a fraternity and have fun. Will the events that take place while at college test their faith or strengthen it? Place holds on this book at my link text



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