The Foundling: The gripping Sunday Times bestselling historical novel, from the winner of the Women's Prize Futures award

by Stacey Halls

Patrick Knowles (Illustrator), Lucy Rose Cartwright (Illustrator), Hattie Morahan (Narrator), and Laura Aikman (Narrator)

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars

Two women, bound by a child, and a secret that will change everything . . .

London, 1754. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London's Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst, that Clara has died in care, Bess is astonished to be told she has already claimed her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl - and why.

Less than a mile from Bess's lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house in a decade. When her close friend - an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital - persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart.

From the bestselling author of The Familiars comes this captivating story of mothers and daughters, class and power, and love against the greatest of odds . . .

'The new Hilary Mantel' Cosmopolitan

Another gripping, immersive, intelligent work of historical fiction from the bestselling author of The Familiars' Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies

'A gripping and moving read' Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido

'Fantastic storytelling that grabbed me from the off' Good Housekeeping

• ISBN10: 1786580462
• ISBN13: 9781786580467
• Publish Date: 6 February 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd
• Imprint: Manilla Press
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook
• Duration: 9 hours and 20 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[stressedrach]

As soon as I picked this up and started reading it I was pulled right into it. The author built a fascinating world of 1700's London and I could really visualise everything from the rags to the riches, everything was remarkable.
The story was told in two POV, Bess and Alexandra, Bess gave her newborn to The Foundling as she was a single mother and knew she couldn't give her what she needed at that time, but she was saving her money so she could collect the child in a few years time.
When she turned up six years later, she learns that the child was taken by her (an imposter obviously) when the child was just a day old. Bess is beside herself and wants to find her child. This leads to interactions with Alexandra and then the whole thing kind of blows up.
I really enjoyed this book, Stacey Halls wrote it so well, everything flowed at an even pace.
I would definitely recommend it.