The Orphan’s Homecoming

by Glynis Peters

Experience the heart-wrenching tale of love and loss in 2023 with this gripping historical novel.

Could the shifting winds of change finally carry Kitty home? After five long years of endless warfare, Red Cross nurse Kitty Pattison has seen her share of heartbreak and loss. And now, with her beloved fiancé Dr Michael McCarthy recuperating from a head injury across the ocean in Canada, and her dear friends Trixie and Jo scattered to the four corners of the war effort, it’s harder than ever to battle through the heavy-hearted moments that mark the passing days. But as she tends to the lost and wounded, Kitty finds a resilience of spirit within herself she never thought imaginable. Because with everything the war has taken from her, it has also given her a conviction that it can never destroy the things that really matter in life – love, friendship, and hope.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Historical

337 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2023

About the author

I write historical novels set in WWII Britain, and live by the sea in Essex.


One More Chapter / HarperCollins

USA TODAY BESTSELLER 2019/2020/2021
GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER 2019/2020/2021
TORONTO STAR BESTSELLER 2019/2020
NEW YORK BEST SELLERS AWARD (Gold) 2019
AMAZON UK AND USA BESTSELLER 2019 / 2020/2021

Newsletter / Giveaway Opportunities
https://www.glynispetersauthor.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/glynispeters...

Reviews

[Donna Alward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, heartwarming story in the Red Cross Orphans series... Kitty Pattison has spent the war moving from place to place, helping others, relying on her circle of wonderful friends. But as 1944 rolls into 1945, Kitty is looking for a more permanent place, and discovering what she wants her life to look like. There are a few surprises along the way, and Kitty's got backbone! Grab a cup of tea, get cozy, and lose yourself in Kitty's world as the war comes to a close and she finds where she belongs at last.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Three WWII the red cross orphans.
Beautifully written with a very good plot.
Fells Hall, Brancepeth, Kitty goes back nursing with the war orphans with unfamiliar characters joining the book, it was so lovely catching up with the story once again.
Heart warming tale that will pull at your heart strings, just beautiful I loved it.

[Tara Hartman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a nice ending to the series. I found this book just lacked compared to the first two!

[Step Into the Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Donna's Review:

A lovely, heartwarming story in the Red Cross Orphans series... Kitty Pattison has spent the war moving from place to place, helping others, relying on her circle of wonderful friends. But as 1944 rolls into 1945, Kitty is looking for a more permanent place, and discovering what she wants her life to look like. There are a few surprises along the way, and Kitty's got backbone! Grab a cup of tea, get cozy, and lose yourself in Kitty's world as the war comes to a close and she finds where she belongs at last.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sorry to say that I just didn't care. I found Kitty really irritating in this third installment. I don't understand the point of Lizzy/Belle. What was the point of the meeting with Lizzy/Belle, Jo and Gina. Just to make Kitty feel bad and storm off? All the hither and yon moving about to assignments was not tons of fun either. I finished the book. But that was because it was a quick read. I don't believe I will be reading installment 4 if there is one.

[Nadine Byrne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Gripping historical novel” It is not!! This is totally not what I thought this book would be. Frankly, it’s simply a book of fiction, but based during WWII and revolves around a Young nurse in Britain. Though there was an attempt to depict her as a hero and charming woman, I found her character to be of a know-it-all, gossip, tattletale, and a bossy person with a need to involve herself in everyone’s affairs. I had hopes this would change as the story went on but it didn’t and the tale was way too predictable. It was quite an annoying read. And apparently part of a series……which I will not be reading

[Hijabi_booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most dramatic World War II stories was The Orphan's Homecoming. Ever since I read The Red Cross Orphans and Kitty became a Red Cross member, I have been following her life. She has had an extremely exciting wartime life. I've been to a lot of places in the previous books because to her story. This tale is hardly an exception. She works at many occupations. She visits numerous locations. She's been loved and let go. I could only hope that she finds the love that she deserves as I read.

Kitty, a nurse, keeps moving about England while trying to keep herself busy. She will stop at nothing to get her mind off her fiancé, who was returned to Canada after suffering a serious injury. Her prospects are uncertain. She spends some time stationed at a camp for prisoners of war. What a revelation. I had no idea what it was like to defeat the adversary. I had heard rumors that convicts made items to sell. I've moved past wondering where the metal frame that a relative gave me came from. Her stay at the prison camp was filled with drama, which made her books highly addicting to read. The tale was astoundingly amazing.

Ultimately, Kitty finds her way back to the orphans. Those unfortunate kids. Prepare to reach for the tissues. I was brought back to the harsh realities of battle and death. There were a ton of abandoned youngsters. There were so many abandoned, traumatized children. A wonderful reminder of the innocent people impacted by war—those we don't often hear about in textbooks—is provided by The Orphan's Homecoming.

Kitty's circle of friends produced a fantastic tale. There were a huge variety of personalities and professions. Despite their stark differences, her pals served to provide the reader with a general idea of what life would have been like in war-torn England. Not everything was as it seemed. Definitely, everything went as I had anticipated.

Thank you net galley for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide honest review #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL].

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely, heart warming, poignant read. It is beautifully written, flows well and one of those reads where the characters jump out of the pages and become alive in my mind. The plot is good, very realistic and believable for war time and the story picks up from the last book and Kitty is separated from her fiance who is in Canada and when he makes an unexpected return to the UK things don't go as she would have liked. She has several postings with the Red Cross taking her to different parts of the UK, particularly her experiences in the POW camp and I enjoyed reading the authors descriptions of the camp and areas of her postings. Previous characters return and I liked knowing how they are getting on. I liked one of them more at the end of the story than I have in the whole series. The story takes place during the last 9 months of WW2 and you can feel Kitty's hope that the war is coming to an end. She is unsettled at times, questions her calling and decides she is better placed in helping and supporting orphans to relocate and settle into a new environment. I have enjoyed seeing Kitty grow from the first book, become a very confident woman and really step up in the most challenging times. I really liked the ending, it is very fitting and gives closure on Kitty's war time experiences and her hopes for the future ahead.

This book can be read on its own although I'd recommend you read the previous books to get to know the characters from the beginning. If you are a fan of WW2 stories then you'll like this series and I'd recommend it.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story

This book, one of several in the series, but likely the last, picks up with the main character, Kitty, still missing her fiancé Michael who is back in Canada recovering from shell shock. Kitty is a bit adrift, not happy with her current Red Cross posting. After a couple of short stints in different places, Kitty’s old friend Stanley lets her know he is out of the RAF and wants to reopen Fells Hall to war orphans. Kitty jumps at the chance and relocates to Brancepeth.

So happy to be able to see her friends Trixie and Smithy again, Kitty spends Christmas with them. A fateful phone call that day sets the rest of the story into motion. Kitty has some decisions to make that will change her future.

I enjoyed the book as much as the rest. I think it could be read as a standalone but is best appreciated if the reader has the background. Nice to see other characters still in the book too, like Jo and Belle. I think that if you enjoy wartime fiction you should give this series a try.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

[Tracy Eyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! The Orphan's Homecoming by Glynis Peters is the culmination of a young nurse's life at the end of the second world war. Kitty, a young nurse, working for the Red Cross has lived a full life in the few short years since the war began. She has worked in an orphanage, has travalled quite literally from one side of England to the other and has even been stationed in Scotland a couple of times. Glynis Peters three book series takes us on a voyage of Kitty's life. The characters come to life through Kitty's eyes and I found, especially throughout the second novel, that I really started to empathise with all that they were going through. This last novel in the trilogy, however, didn't do it for me. I found it much too predictable and didn't really go anywhere new. I realize that the author was attempting to tie up a lot of loose ends that she had left in her previous novels but I didn't find the story gripped me like the first two had. Overall, I am glad that I read it. It gave me the chance to see where the characters ended up. However, not one I will likely read again.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Orphan’s Homecoming by Glynis Peters is a moving World War II historical novel following the journey of a young woman named Kitty, an orphan who returns to her hometown seeking purpose and a fresh start. After enduring hardship and heartbreak, Kitty finds herself back in Coventry, determined to help with the war effort and rebuild her life among a community healing from loss.

The book explores themes of resilience, family, and the quiet heroism of those left behind during wartime. Peters crafts an immersive setting, and the emotional weight of the story is felt in every chapter. One quote that really stood out to me was:
“She had lost so much, yet there was still a spark inside her that refused to go out.”
It encapsulates Kitty's enduring strength and hope.

While some plot turns were a little predictable, the heartfelt storytelling, emotional depth, and strong sense of place made this a very enjoyable and worthwhile read. Peters captures both the devastation and the quiet courage of the home front beautifully.

A tender, well-written story perfect for fans of emotional historical fiction and strong female leads.

[Amberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started and finished date - 08.12.25 to 14.12.25.
My rating – Three Stars.
This book was okay, but I was bit bored while reading this book and I think people who like the red cross orphans by Glynis Peters or songs of love and war by Santa Montefiore may like is book. The cover of book was okay, and I think the colour palette at was used on the cover of book was fine. The plot was okay, and I enjoyed parts of book, but I think the plot of book was too predictable and the plot needed to be flash out. The writing was okay, and the writing was easy to follow also the ending of book was fine.

I think the setting of the book was okay but I it could be better, and the atmosphere was fine also the time period was fine, but I think it needed to be flash out bit more. I really enjoyed the parts of the book at about Kitty work as a nurse, and I think it was favourite thing about this book. I think both the friendships and relationships between all of the characters was pretty good. I found the paced in the book was well structured and steady paced. The characters were fine, but they needed to flash out bit more.

[Brenda Rollins · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Orphan’s Homecoming”, is a historical fiction novel that centres around the Red Cross and one of its valiant nurses Kitty Pattison, an orphan herself whose compassion is geared towards caring for those children who have become displaced during World War II, it gives her the strength required to continue moving forward. There is so much heartache and loss, both professionally and on a personal level, the war comes with a hefty price tag. There were many traumatized children and wounded soldiers and the Red Cross should be remembered for its efforts during a dismal war.

This book didn’t have the magnetic force that most historical novels tend to have, the words flowed and it was an easy read, but it was just lacking that gripping effect, it was a book without an agenda. It was slow moving and the only piece of intriguing material involving Belle (Lizzie)wasn’t developed at all, which was disappointing.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

The war is drawing to a close and Kitty Pattison is still working as a nurse with the Red Cross. Her latest assignment is at an orphanage but she struggles to find any satisfaction with her duties. When she finally realizes she is little more than a babysitter, she asks for a new assignment.

Her friends whom she trained with are scattered. Trixie is married and expecting, Jo is working as a Donut Dolly. Kitty is still waiting to hear if her fiancee, a doctor is ever going to recover. She hasn't heard from him since he was sent home to Canada to recover almost a year ago.

The story follows her as she travels to several more assignment posts finding little satisfaction no matter where she goes. The whole country is war-weary just waiting for it all to end.

This seemed to be the conclusion of this series.

[joyce brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect end to Kitty's story

I have loved following the ups and downs of Kitty's life. Her friendships through her work mean the world to her, especially, Jo, and Trixie. There are so many others, but too many to mention here. The best friendship of all is with Michael and I am pleased that Kitty's story has a happy ending. Times were hard during the war years but those friendships helped Kitty get through them. She brought joy to so many, so it is fitting that she ended this book with joy in her own life with Michael. The final twist in her relationship with Jo and Belle/ Lizzie, was a complete surprise, but I suppose had to be mentioned, but glad it was not dwelt upon. I look forward to reading more books by Glynis Peters in the future.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable enough book following a group of people, mostly friends, as the end of WWII approaches. What I liked about the book was that is was fast-paced and didn't get bogged down with too many details at any time. What I didn't like was that I never grew to like the main female character, Kitty. What I didn't realize is that this was the 3rd book in a series. When I brought it up on GoodReads' page, it didn't indicated it was part of a series. As I was reading it, though, it was obvious that there was so much more to the back stories of the characters. Then, as I was reading the author's notes, she mentioned it being part of a series. Perhaps if I had read the prior two books in the series before this one, I would have enjoyed it more. No sex or profanity.

[Barbara Dougherty Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Collins, for this book.

I have enjoyed this series about orphans from the UK from WW II.

It has been a roller coaster ride following Kitty since she joined the Red Crosd.

This book continues the story and can be read as a stand alone book, but.I highly recommend reading the prior books. They are all fantastic reads.

WWIi books tend to focus on the brutality of the adults in the concentration camps and we are given very little about the children and orphans from the war.

The book is emotional, but so worth the read.

Highly recommend.

[Candi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished Book 3 in The Redcross Orphan Series.
Throughout the Series we follow Kitty from a young innocent young lady in WW II to strong determined women.
Book 3 is where we see the most growth, challenge after challenge Kitty has to make hard choices.
This was a fast read for me, with a lot of twist and turns. Athough I loved book 1 and 2, book 3 is the best of all. At the end the author talks of book 4. I don't know where it will take us but I look forward to it.

[Mansi Bhatt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found the book fairly boring and therefore difficult to read. Really had to push myself to get through this book. There were many insignificant characters and plot lines that left me asking “what was the point of this?”. I suppose the book was written to tell the story of a Red Cross nurse during WWII but the writing lacked flow. Dialogue also felt pretty inauthentic and unnatural. It’s a light and easy read without shocking plot twists.

[Donna McEachran · Rating 5 out of 5]

What another beautiful instalment in Kitty's story. This one had me worried, especially with her relationship with Michael. I love the letters going to various loved ones, giving some idea of how Kitty is feeling. Highly recommend to read the series.

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

End of a 3 book series

I not enjoy this book as much as the previous two. Kitty moved to a lot of different jobs, which showed me some of the tasks people did in UK during WWII. We meet up with Jo and Trixie a bit.
The ending is satisfying, but the story felt long.

[Lisa Carlile · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is the 3rd book in the series from Glynis Peters and is just catching up with the characters and their lives and heartbreaks.
This book continues the story of Kitty who works for the red Cross but can be read as a stand alone book.
it's a lovely end to this great series of books.

[Sue Jones-Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading books by this author, despite some of the reviews I enjoyed the style of writing. Loved the detail of each character and how they fitted into the story. Each fulfilling their role or roles with helping and nurturing orphans, or working within the hospitals with injured soldiers.

[Victoria Gosse · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple light read. follows characters from a previous book. it is a sweet little love story, but not a whole lot of action unlike the last book I read from the author, the Orphans library. Closes some lose ends of main and secondary characters once the war is ended.

[Ann Reichert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book Enjoyed the historical context . Kept me engaged from the first chapter

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming historical fiction that made me feel sad and hopeful at the same time. It is a story of resilience and courage.

[Kathy Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this the last book in the Red Cross series or is there more story to tell about the lives of Kitty and Michael post war and the rebuilding of life in England.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

These 3 books are a must read
Following the life of Kitty and her friends during the war
With its sadness and happiness during the losses and the highs
Great read

[Judy Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay but spent too much time reiterating the story in novels that came before this one

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am giving this a 2.0 stars because it's one of those books that I feel a bit neutral about as I read those last pages. I don't think it's because it was the third book as the author manages to balance the main protagonist's(Kitty) current story and back story quite well.

I DO feel that it was hard to feel interested in a lot of the different storylines involving the protagonist's friends. Also, the romance between Michael and Kitty was built up so much in the beginning as this great love story that I was surprised how fast problems erupted. Kitty was less likeable in the way she handled a lot of this.

A real hit and miss for me.


Goodreads review published 04/07/24