Orphans of the Storm

by Katie Flynn

Jess and Nancy are nurses in France during the Great War. They have much in common for both have lost their lovers in the trenches, so when the war is over and they return to Liverpool, their future seems bleak.Very soon, however, their paths diverge. Nancy marries an Australian stockman and goes to live in the Outback, while Jess marries a Liverpudlian. Their lives couldn't be more different.When the Second World War is declared, Nancy's son Pete joins the Royal Air Force and comes to England, promising his mother that he will visit her old friend. In the thick of the May blitz, with half of Liverpool demolished and thousands dead, Pete arrives in the city to find Jess's home destroyed and her daughter, Debbie, missing. Pete decides that whatever the cost, he must find her...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction

500 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 23, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Katie Flynn was born in Norwich and attended Norwich High School, where she was extremely happy and extremely undistinguished. Published at the tender age of eight, in Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories, she joined a Writers’ Circle as an adult, publishing short stories, articles, etc; only turning to novels in 1971 because the postal strike cut off her main source of income!
At first she wrote under several different names – Judith Saxton, Judy Turner, Lydia Balmain, Judith Arden – but her Katie Flynn books were a delight to write and proved far more popular than she had dreamed. She has now published nearly ninety novels, twenty-seven of which are Flynns. Her most recent titles are: Lost Days of Summer and Christmas Wishes.

Reviews

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Easy to read but hard to put down.
Recommended.

[Sally Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy book to read. Somewhat unpredictable, many interesting facts about The Great War that I was unaware of. I enjoyed learning about the tough life of a rancher and his family in Australia and how the 2 worlds came together in the end.

[Jennifer Leather · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read and a very good insight in to the lives of people during the 2nd world war.

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS COVER IS A NEW COVER ON AN OLD BOOK*

It has been brought out 3 times under new covers.

2005 ect. and this is the 2021 cover.

I HAVE NOT READ THIS COPY WITH THIS COVER but adding to my GR read list.
FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. I BROUGHT BOTH OLD COPY'S

****************************************************************************

good ww2 BOOK.

DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE NEW COVER. It will be the same story

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book! Compared to some other books I've read, I found this book's pace a little slow in places, and there were a lot of time skips, but it works really well for the story and i honestly loved how the stories of the characters unfolded. The characters were very well developed and seeing them tackle everything that life throws at them was really inspiring. This was the first book I've read in a while, and I would definitely recommend!!

[A J Grainger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful story from Katie Flynn, which you do not want to put down. Heartwarming as ever, but this book examines new topics not always seen in other KF books. From the lives of people living in Australia in the mid 20th century, to the torment of the Liverpool Blitz the book really gives more historical context and insight which is one of the best thing about all of Katie Flynns books.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books, I've reread it about eight times.
The story is a bit slow to begin with, you focus a lot on Jess and Nancy, but I think it soon picks up and I think the story is richer for the backgro info

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book set in Australia and Liverpool during the second world war. I would
recommend this book.

[Bernadette Firth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Great read full of friendship and hope, this author just continues to produce great stories. Can't wait to read the next book.

[dave jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I absolutely love Katie Flynn's books as soon as I'm finished I look for my next read this one was sad in parts but great build up to a brilliant end

[Julia Paiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and how it shows Nancy and Jess friendship. I also like how it describes the war season and so on. I got this book from a sale at the library and it was totally worth.

[Audrey Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful read

[Jackie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic

Cause this book is worth 20 stars rating katie you are a fantastic author and I cant wait till u write more books

[Queen Bzyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very hard to put down and totally drew me into the story. However, the last couple of chapters were a bit cheesy and was disappointing after the complexity of storyline up until then.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but I found it a bit slow going

[Katie Heptinstall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Another Katie Flynn gem.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another boo of Katie Flynn I couldn't put down

[Eden | Laudato Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Orphans of the Storm is a historical fiction that follows the lives of two friends and their families from the end of World War 1 in Liverpool to the Australian outback, and back to Liverpool during the Second World War. It explores the themes of friendship, marriage, family, first love, separation, and the impact of war.

Despite its heavy themes and dark backdrop, this novel is easy to read and emotionally uplifting. The writing is simple and the storytelling is straightforward, making the reading experience a bliss. The narrative alternates between Nancy's life as a homesteader in the Australian countryside and Jess's life as a young widow in Liverpool.

The reader follows these two separated but connected best friends as they find true love, navigate the challenges of motherhood, and go through life's storms with strength and resilience. The reader also follows Debbie and Pete from childhood to their growth as strong and mature individuals.

I found the early parts of the story a big slow and dragging, even flat because nothing seems to be happening. But as I went on, I found myself immersed in the story. I particularly like the parts about Nancy's life in Australia. I think this is my first time to read something about Australia during the first half of the 20th century, and it's interesting. I was also hooked on Pete and Debbie's budding attachment. I loved the suspense brought about by the uncertainty of them ever meeting again.

Fans of women-centered historical fiction with a touch of romance will enjoy this book.

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[Rachel Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely story! It took me a while to get into the book, and even longer for the story to actually start but definitely worth a read. It's written in very simple language and the story is pretty typical, but it's a nice book to settle down with if you've been doing a lot of work or are going through a hard time. I may consider getting hold of a couple more Katie Flynns as exam time comes around! 8/10

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kind of book is just pleasantly easy to read. In spite of the difficulties faced by war in England and Europe, the characters get on with their lives through strong social connections and somehow manage to keep track of others across the miles and between falling bombs. This one takes place in two continents and they still stay connected.

[Kingfan30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read the back of the book you would believe that it is mostly about two people trying to find each other after being torn apart during the war, this actually does not happen until over half way through the book, however I found this book a nice easy read.

[Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely read about two best friends and how their friendship/lives are affected during and after the the 2nd world war.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy read. Two friends are nurses during WW1,when the war finishes one decides to go to Australia and the other stays in Liverpool.We then learn how their lives turnout.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book is Brilliant
Paints a real life image of liverpool and the world during second world war

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good read, just what I expected from Katie Flynn.

[Jan]

Ok

[John Milliner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good depiction of the May 1941 Blitz. Enjoyed it, and the walks in Sevie Park.

[Michelle Grayce · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a lovely story to read.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great family saga book that tugged at my heartstrings, easy to read and would recommend.

[Nourhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

great novel and wonderful details about the world war 2