A compelling and poignant tale of motherhood, deception and loss in eighteenth-century London, this bravura novel from the author of The Familiars is suffused with the squalor and inequality of the Georgian metropolis.
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 . . .
Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781838771409
Number of pages: 400
Weight: 292 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 22 mm
If you loved The Familiars, then you won't be disappointed by The Foundling. A gripping and moving read - Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido
Pacy, highly atmospheric and tantalisingly gripping from the very first page. The strands of tense and devastating maternal conflict are acutely observed and beautifully sustained throughout the book. Stacey really has created warm and memorable characters, drawn with great sympathy and understanding, who deliver a taut and riveting read. With rich storytelling and a compelling narrative, The Foundling is subtle, satisfying and intensely moving; a fabulous example of great historical fiction - Laura Carlin, author of The Wicked Cometh
The Foundling dragged me along in its narrative wake. Another gripping, immersive, intelligent work of historical fiction from the bestselling author of The Familiars - Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies
It was a privilege to read The Foundling. I really couldn't stop turning the pages as Stacey's beautiful writing drew a compelling tale of love and hope from the vivid streets of Georgian London - Sonia Velton, author of Blackberry & Wild Rose
A masterpiece of storytelling - a perfect, captivating mystery that expands to ask big questions about love and motherhood, all while maintaining the breathless pace of a thriller, and the stunningly vivid and well-researched detail of the very best historical fiction. I can't recommend it highly enough - Katie Lowe, author of The Furies
I was completely swept up in this novel. It's crammed with vivid and engaging characters, there's a beautiful sense of place, revealing hidden aspects of Georgian life. And the central mystery of a missing child gradually plays out as a tenderly observed study of grief and loss, while offering the possibility that love will indeed find a way - Amanda Mason, author of The Wayward Girls
Beautiful and captivating - Candis
If you enjoy Mindhunter levels of suspense, you'll love it - Cosmopolitan.co.uk
The Foundling is a ripping yarn with real heart and depth - Sun Business Post
Stacey Halls is back with another mesmerising story - Yahoo Lifestyle
It was hard for Stacey Halls to follow the incredible success of her first novel “ Familiars” . I myself can definitely assure you the readers that “ Foundling “ is as good as the first one or even better.
Set in...
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I loved, “”The Familiars, so when I discovered a new book by Stacey Halls I was overjoyed. What can I say...it did not disappoint.
You will be swept away by this story. It is written with an engaging intensity. I knew...
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Stacey Halls is back with yet another incredible story of a mother's love for her child and one which sees the beginning of our tale start as Bess Bright must give up her child, Clara to The Foundling Hospital... More
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