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

Product Information

Love Stacey Halls, love the period setting, love the premise of the story but it didn’t stand out from other more powerful stories with a similar troupe. And I was hoping it would and was expecting it to be a favourite. The Foundling is a story of two women living lives as far removed from each other as possible. It’s a rather feminist story, which I appreciated greatly, and very atmospheric. Within each woman’s perspective, the reader was invited to step into their lives, be it gilded or impecunious, and to experience what day to day living might have been like for an 18th century woman living in London. Connected by a man and a child, these two women overcome much to eventually work together towards a mutual solution to their problem. In this, the novel really shines, as it depicts each woman assuming agency over her own life. MY THOUGHTS: Don't expect this to be a deep and gritty read, because it's not. It is a light read, but it is also touching. Other readers found the characters slightly less convincing and one thought they were too stereotyped: “odd lady with manic sister”, “hero”, “mystery man”, “alcoholic brother”. One commented that, although she appreciated the way the author put female perspectives centre stage and presented the women’s point of view, the narrative seemed to be giving modern day sensibilities to eighteenth century women, which seemed wrong. There were also several comments questioning whether a woman in Alexandra’s position would have sat down to meals with the nanny, and why she appeared to have control of her own finances rather than having been appointed a guardian after the deaths of her father and husband. DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Mira via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Lost Orphan by Stacey Halls for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

We follow Bess and Alexandra as Bess serves in her household and is loved by Charlotte more than Charlotte loves Alexandra. There is little meaningful examination of what the future holds for a child raised in the life that Bess can offer and rather short-sightedly her character expresses no qualms about taking a child from a charmed life of privilege and comfort to the hard labour and iniquities of life in the working classes. Doctor Mead is the third main player in the story and is essentially an unofficial arbiter acting as an impartial sounding board, rather reminiscent of King Solomon in the bible! The supporting cast are colourful but very stereotypical from Alexandra’s flamboyant and decadent sister, Ambrosia, to Bess’s ne’er-do-well sot of a brother, Ned, and impish link-boy, Lyle.The filth and danger of Ludgate Hill sits in stark contrast to well-heeled Bloomsbury across town and uptight widow, Alexandra Callard, whose fear of losing loved ones keeps her and her six-year-old child, Charlotte, confined inside a home that is to all intents a prison. Self-contained and still dealing with an upbringing that has left her emotionally stunted, Alexandra is persuaded by her husband’s great friend, a doctor at the Foundling Hospital, to hire a nursemaid. No prizes for guessing who gets the job and the explosive collision that ensues with both women having their own claim on Charlotte, with the man that brought them together, kind-hearted and honourable Doctor Elliot Mead, caught in the crossfire. While there is nothing predictable about this beautifully written story, I found the rapid change in Alexandra's character towards the end of the book a little unbelievable. However, I enjoyed this enough to have earmarked Stacey Hall's previous book, The Familiars, to read. I loved the atmosphere of the novel and got totally lost in the story. Wonderful sense of time and place and a captivating plot. I really enjoy historical fiction and couldn’t wait to read more on the Foundling Hospital when I finished the novel. Although I didn’t quite get the 18th century feeling, more the 19th, I did find the setting very atmospheric. Billingsgate came alive with the shouts of merchants shouting their varied fish and seafood offerings. I could smell and visualise the muddy pathways that seemed prevalent in every turn of the area, with the traps, carriages and horses that travelled on them. We meet our MC, Bess, as she and her father are standing in line at the Foundling Home, Bess praying that they would accept her baby of less than one day old. Once or twice a year, the Foundling Home conducted a ceremony to fill empty places in their children's home. The Home accepted only healthy babies under six months old, and dozens of indigent mothers lined up with their babies in the hope of securing a place in the Foundling Home where their child could expect to be fed and cared for in their absence - or trained to be able to work for their livelihood when they were old enough to leave (be turned out). Some mothers hoped to return at a later date when they were financially able to provide for their child. If the child survived, a mother would be expected to pay for the child's care per annum and prove her ability to care for the child, if, later, she chose to ask for the its return. A number was given to the transaction and a token could be left with the file so that the child could be later identified. Rich patrons and spectators are invited to attend and watch the spectacle.

Much of the book was realistic and believable, as were the actions taken by each of the characters. This story shows how the different classes viewed each other and how the poorer of those were judged so harshly. I especially loved the inner thoughts of our two female leads and how they judged each other. I found that they really only thought of themselves and not what was best for the child until they realized that it was only hurting their daughter. The second novel by Ms Halls tells a story of a very young woman who in 1754 gets pregnant and is forced to part with her daughter the day after she is born. Bess Bright knows she will have to collect money for several years to reunite with Clara, and this hope gives her the strength to work and be patient. Overall, an informative and interesting read that I would recommended to historical fiction fans who want a lighter, entertaining story, rather than a richly detailed intense plot. The second POV is an agoraphobic widowed woman named Alexandra who is rich but never leaves her massive house and lives there cloistered up like a wannabe Miss Havisham with her daughter, Charlotte, who is also never permitted to go outside. One day, she hires a nursemaid who engages her daughter and brings new life to the dispirited girl, but this ends up forcing Alexandra to confront her own demons, including the reason for her fear of the outside, which tries her relationship with her young daughter in ways she didn't expect and forces her to ask the same: How did this happen?

This story is narrated by two women: (1) Bess Bright, a young, lower-class boiled shrimp vendor living in the slums with her father Abe and useless brother Ned, and (2) Alexandra Callard, a youngish rich widow living a pampered but extremely limited life. Despite this, comments on the book as a whole were positive, though the cover description of the author as “the new Hilary Mantel” was widely unaccepted by this group. Although she’s sad to be asking for the chance to leave Clara in their care, Bess sets her mind to patiently saving the money needed to reclaim her. Like the other mothers, Bess also leaves a token by which Clara can be identified. Who has taken Clara? I fell in love with this book instantly and really enjoyed, I’d be happy to recommend Stacey Halls and her books and I hope to read more by her again in the future. I think readers who enjoy novels such as The Silent Companions or The Thirteenth Tale might enjoy The foundling as well.

These feminine vessels we inhabited: why did nobody expect them to contain unfeminine feelings? Why could we, too, not be furious and scornful and entirely altered by grief? Why must we accept the cards we had been dealt?’A token and a number is given in exchange for a baby, many of whom were near death and did not make it through their first year. The healthy ones often made it into the homes of the rich against the mothers wishes who were branded 'insane', when they dared come to collect the child and reverse the swap.