I picked An Orphan’s Wish by Molly Green to be the book I read during an agonizingly long journey from India to the Philippines and I must say that I wasn’t disappointed. In my opinion the book can fall in a number of genres from historical fiction to romance, but it is important that I add that Molly Green has merged through them seamlessly. Set in Liverpool, this book takes you through the lives of people who have been affected by World War II with a strong focus on all the children who were orphaned by it. It talks about prejudice and of acceptance but above all it talks about humanity.
About The Author
I managed to catch a snippet from the end of the book about the author so I can relay it to you. Molly Green is an avid traveller and after returning to England, she decided to pursue her lifelong passion for writing. She writes and lives in Kent. While I have just read An Orphan’s Wish, she also has another two novels in the series which is set in Liverpool during World War II.
An Orphan’s Wish By Molly Green
I have to admit that I was rather confused in the beginning. I wasn’t sure where the title of the book tied in with the story. I did realize in the end but telling you about it would spoil the whole climax of the story and I am not about to do that. It is better if you find out yourself.
An Orphan’s Wish by Molly Green starts out slowly delving into the past of the main character Lana Ashwin who went through. The loss of her fiancée drove Lana mad with grief and she desperately wanted to avenge his death. Her options were limited as a teacher or a driver, but she was determined to make it work. So when she was accepted as an interim headmistress in a school, she packed her bags and moved out to make a difference in the lives of the children that needed it most.
As the story unfolds, Lana slowly begins to realize that she isn’t the only one who has been affected by war. While she initially believes that she would not be able to work with the orphans in the orphanage nearby, she is invariably drawn to them due to a series of unfortunate events. One girl in particular stands out. Tragic circumstances turned her into an orphan overnight. In order to her best by the girl, Lana needs to overcome her own sorrows and it isn’t easy.
War is hard to understand and comprehend when you aren’t in the midst of it. An Orphan’s Wish by Moly Green however picks up on human emotion extremely well. I love the way it shows the difficulties that the civilians face, the fear and the sorrow that they feel and in general how life goes on despite whatever the circumstances are. People find love, the find that differences can be overcome and that we all need to stick together. It is a brilliant novel of hope and love in the midst of sorrow. One that I highly recommend.