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

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This book was released in the U.K. in February of this year with the title THE FOUNDLING. I actually prefer that title to THE LOST ORPHAN, the one given this April 2020 U.S. release. I guess it was thought that we Yanks would not know what a foundling is, so the powers that be who name books were keeping it simple for us? Whatever the case and whatever its name, this sophomore effort by Stacey Halls (after her debut work THE FAMILIARS) is definitely worth the read. 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.

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. The majority of the reading group said they enjoyed this book. Several people commented that they found it very readable, with a nice writing style and a good pace. They liked the historical detail and felt that they learned something about life in London in the later eighteenth century, the Foundling Hospital and the way it worked, and the kindly Thomas Coram. Some readers found the characters interesting, particularly Alexandra, whose problems were unfolded gradually, with hints of agarophobia or Aspergers, and eventually revealed as PTSD from a childhood trauma. 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.

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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. Alexandra was a complex character, not at all like what she appeared to be on the surface. She comes across as emotionally unresponsive, but she is stitched together with trauma, and as more and more details are revealed as the novel progresses, it becomes impossible to take her at face value. Bess was less complex, but driven by a mother’s love and fury at her circumstances costing her the ability to fulfil that role, and in this, she was a formidable character with much about her to be admired. This book features two strong female protagonists - one maternal and the other icy but wealthy. The interplay between these two woman is richly portrayed. Their character development is strong as is that of the child. The mise en scene was equally rich in its portrayal as it draws on all of the readers senses. I personally was moved by the story and thought it to be well told. She rarely leaves the house, unable to touch or interact with her daughter meaningfully on any level. Alexandra and Charlotte are recluses, to all intents and purposes, with only the servants and family doctor allowed into the house.

Bess and Alexandra's lives become entwined when Bess is hired as nursemaid to Charlotte, this through the intervention of Dr. Mead, a director at the Foundling Home where Bess had left her baby years ago and, coincidentally, Alexandra's only friend. It's pretty obvious early on the true connection these two have but there are a few puzzling how's and why's that will be revealed. But, more to the point, this is a great story about social injustice, about motherhood, about love and connection. About what makes for a good mother. What is more important: love and affection in a life of dire poverty, or a life of luxury without that affection? 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. The main reason was it felt a little bit one dimensional. Child taken at birth, mother goes in search of her daughter years later, but there were no other layers or twists to the story. Hence the 4 stars.We follow Bess and Alexandra as Bess serves in her household and is loved by Charlotte more than Charlotte loves Alexandra. There was a lot of coincidence that benefited the plot but this didn’t distract me from the enjoyment of the story and I thought the author covered mental health issues like agoraphobia, PTSD and paranoia along with grief exceedingly well. Just showing that these issues did exist many many years ago, even if they weren’t diagnosed correctly. I think readers who enjoy novels such as The Silent Companions or The Thirteenth Tale might enjoy The foundling as well. 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. Hard times forced unwed mother, Bess Blight to leave her newborn baby, Clara, at London’s Foundling Hospital. Six years of saving and she finally has enough to claim her daughter. However, when she arrives she is stunned to learn she has already been claimed by Bess herself.

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 Foundling” is written by Sunday Times bestselling author Stacey Halls and is her second novel, after the success of “The Familiars” last year. I thoroughly enjoyed The Foundling by Stacey Halls. It had all of the ingredients I love in an historical fiction novel and I highly recommend it. 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?“

Stacey Halls splits her book into four sections, alternating between the lives of Bess and Alexandra. Secondary characters from Bess’s siblings to Doctor Mead added to the tale. We also have elements of romance but these are secondary to the central theme of Bess and her daughter. Living less than a mile away from Bess, a young widow has not left her 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.