Author: Fiona McIntosh
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Genre: Historical Fiction, General Fiction, Modern & Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Year of Release: 2022
Release Date: 5th October 2022
Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
TW Death of children, Descriptions of death.
Synopsis
Orphan Fleur Appleby is adopted by a loving undertaker and his wife, and she quickly develops a special gift for helping bereaved families. Her ambition to be the first female mortician in the country is fuelled by her plan to bring more women into the male dominated funeral industry.
Raised in the outback of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, Tom Catchlove is faced with a life-changing tragedy as a young boy. He works hard but dreams big, striving for a future as a wool classer.
A chance encounter between the two children will change the course of their lives.
By adulthood Fleur finds herself fighting for the survival of the family’s business, while her widowed father drinks away generations of prosperity and a new, conniving stepmother wants Fleur gone. When Tom emerges from the isolation of the desert to find new work at the port woolstores, his path crosses with Fleur’s again – only to be caught up in a murder investigation, in which they can only trust each other.
At once tragic and triumphant, The Orphans is an unforgettable story about a unique bond between two children that will echo down the years and teach them both about the real meaning of life, of loss, and of love.
Review
Farina, South Australia, 1914 Henry and Mae Appleby are the loving parents of their adopted daughter 8- year- old Fleur the trio are well respected and cared for in the community of Port Adelaide as Henry is the most sought-after undertaker. Fleur has taken a keen interest in the family business, Henry and Mae can see that their daughter has a gift when it comes to bereaved families, this makes both parents extremely proud.
Vern and Moria Catchlove and their son Tom live in outback South Australia, in the Finders Ranges on a sheep station, Vern a cattle drover is away for months at a time leaving Tom and Moria to get on with things until Vern returns.
10-year-old Tom dreams of being a wool classer and seeing what life is like beyond the Ranges; Tom’s life is about to be turned upside down teaching Tom that life beyond the Flinders Ranges might not be all that grand nor the people all that welcoming.
Now in early adulthood, Fleur Appleby has taken over the majority of the workload for the family business as her father battles his demons, not only does Fleur have to keep a careful watch over her father she must deal with a stepmother who wants nothing more than to see Fleur with a ring on her finger and out of the house permanently.
Fleur Appleby aspires to be South Australia’s first female mortician even if society isn’t quite prepared to let the men in the industry hang up their coats and hats and allow a woman’s gentle touch and understanding to come to the aid of those who grieve for those they’ve recently lost.
Will a meeting between Fleur Appleby and Tom Catchlove as young children hold the answers for both Fleur and Tom’s futures?
Knowing The Orphans is the Authors first book entirely set in Australia, South Australia had me eager to see my hometown bought to life in the 1930s whilst we might not need to have our passports ready for Fiona McIntosh’s latest offering our imagination is still given room to soar, and our emotions are still woken. If you’ve read anything from this author before The Pearl Thief you know that matriculate research has been undertaken to bring this novel to life.
Fiona McIntosh has always managed to pull me in and allowed me to devour her books one of the reason’s being her ability to craft characters you genuinely care about appears effortless as I write this review I’m trying to think of a character or even characters I dislike as much as Irma Appleby and I cannot think of one, but just because she’s evil doesn’t mean the author hasn’t given her the first class treatment she gives to all her characters when putting pen to paper. Fleur and Tom made for the perfect main characters to bring this tale to life. Henry and Irma make for great minor characters.
McIntosh skills reach far beyond just character development she’s a master at bringing any location alive in the mind of any reader, The Orphans in my opinion is one of her best examples.
Whilst I’m certain The Orphans will be devoured by many in the months and years to come, I was happy to let myself have a slower read, it felt appropriate given how big the Flinders Ranges is this reviewer just didn’t feel like it was necessary to rush through and I’m glad I didn’t when it comes to the pace of the book I must admit it was much harder to take my time as the plot takes off several times making it harder to put down and savour the read.
As I’m sure most will agree death and all that comes with it would at times make for a rather difficult topic to read about so, I cannot imagine the effort it took for Fiona to write about it, she did a fantastic job and handled such a difficult topic with such care and consideration, I found the detailed process of what happens when the time comes for us to take our final journey to our place of rest, a rather interesting element in this story you wouldn’t think that romance and death would flow effortlessly side by side on the page but thanks to Fiona’s skilled writing an original story with heart and heartfelt moments has been crafted.
If I had to describe The Orphans, I would say it’s a historical romance with heart and adventure
Sub plots that are included in this novel:
- Evil stepparent
- Young love
- Death of a parent
- Family Secrets
- Woman in the workforce
Tropes included:
- Historical Figures- Hitler
- Marriage of Convenience
- Protagonists ahead of their time
- Showing off research- location
- Dual timeline
- References to the future- growth of the community.
As always, I’m a little sad to come to the end of this author’s book, I eagerly await her next Historical Fiction offering, I was truly moved and overjoyed for Fleur and Tom and the conclusion to each of their journeys and I dare say I’ll be thinking of them often for quite some time.
If you’re a Fiona McIntosh fan then no doubt you’ll be after your copy or like me recommending this book to everyone who is yet to discover the author’s previous works, if you’re looking for a Historical Fiction with romance and heart, I highly recommend The Orphans to a mature audience.