The Orphan’s Letters

This was a fabulous book. Kitty, who was an orphan, understands the lives that these orphans are leading, and what they need. She jumps at the chance to take care of the orphans and is devastated when the program is shut down, due to space needed for wounded troops. She continues in her Red Cross duties and finds little snippets of time to spend with her fiance, as the war continues raging across Europe.

The story here is profound in so many ways. From the “back at home” care that troops were receiving, to the shores of Normandy, this book takes you on a journey. It was hard to put down once you started, as you are drawn deeper into the war-torn lives of the characters. The struggles, the triumphs, the heartbreaks - each lends itself to the inner feelings of what many were going through, yet are told in such a way as to be relatable.

It made me think back to when my husband was deployed, to my own time in the military, and the different ways that we found to stay in touch. While technology has advanced since World War II, we still wrote letters (snail-mail was a treat), and I still have them to this day.

This World War II novel is one that historical fiction lovers will enjoy, and find themselves wanting more when the book closes. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Picking up after the events of ‘The Red Cross Orphans', ‘The Orphan's Letters' follows Kitty Pattison and her work with the Red Cross during World War II once again. Much like the first book, the plot largely centers around friendship and love during a turbulent time in the world.

Jumping from assignment to assignment, Kitty relies on letters to keep in touch with her friends and fiancé Michael. There are many familiar faces from the first book, but for the most part, the war has taken everyone away from one another. The most difficult person to be away from is Michael, not able to know exactly where he might be or if he's been hurt. The war shakes things up for them all in one way or another, but even if it's from a distance, they get through it together.

Though I felt there was a bit more conflict in this book, I didn't feel as invested in this one like I was with the first. It wasn't until the last several chapters that the story began picking up pace. It was intriguing and the ending left me hoping for a third installment, but it was a long time getting there. Still, this is a likable series with equally likable characters. While I would consider this to be a mood read for myself, I can see diehard historical fiction series fans loving every minute.

A huge thanks to HarperCollins/Harper360, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for providing a free ARC to read and review.