The Little Orphan Girl : The heartbreaking and gripping journey of an Irish orphan

Ireland, 1901: The workhouse gates clanged shut behind us, as me and the mammy walked down the hill towards the town. I was six years old and leaving the only home I had ever known... When Cissy Ryan’s real mother comes to claim her from the workhouse, it’s not how she imagined. Her family’s tumbledown cottage has ice on the inside of its windows and is in an isolated, poverty-stricken village in the muddy Irish countryside. But when Cissy is allowed to help neighbour Colm Doyle and his horse named Blue on their milk round one morning, Cissy starts to feel as though friendship could get her through anything. It’s Colm who looks in on Cissy’s grandfather when she starts at the village school, and Colm who tells her to hold her chin high when she interviews for a position at the grand Bretton House. But in the vast mansion with its shining floors and sweeping staircase, it’s MasterPeter Bretton who captures Cissy’s heart with his dark curls and easy laugh. As Cissy blossoms from a skinny orphan into a confident young girl, Colm tells her she’s as good as anyone and she begins to believe anything is possible. But not everyone with a kind smile has a kind heart, and Cissy doesn’t know that further sorrow lies in store for her. When Cissy finds herself desperate, alone, and faced with a devastating choice, can she find the strength to survive? What readers are saying about The Little Orphan Girl: ‘Oh my word what a fabulous book... I just loved every page of it. This book drew me right in and I was glued to it right up to the final page... A massive 5 stars from me.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Wow... right from the start I was hooked to the pages... brilliant... full of joy and also heartbreak... my heart was being wrenched out... an absolutely gorgeous story full of highs and lows... I couldn’t put this book down.’ Katie’s Book Cave, 5 stars ‘Wow!! What a heartbreaking story I ever read! I absolutely loved that book sooooo much.... I definitely will read more books from this author...amazing!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 star ‘Oh WOW... What a beautiful heart-warming story this is... drew me in and I loved it from the very first page. I couldn’t get enough... I was reading this until 1am.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘I fell in love... fabulous... an enthralling read that I didn't want to put down. I was so wrapped up... heart-warming and beautifully written... will have you hooked until the very last page... For readers of Orphan Train and The Throwaway Children , this unforgettable story of one little Irish girls journey to find love, friendship and family will stay in your heart long after the final page Ireland, 1901: For as long as six-year-old Cissy Ryan can remember, she has been a workhouse girl. Living amongst the other orphan boys and girls, dreaming of a family that might come and choose her for their own. But the day her real mammy finally comes to claim her is not how Cissy imagined. An unfamiliar woman takes her to a tumbledown cottage in the rural Irish countryside to meet her gruff granddaddy. Settling into the isolated and poverty-stricken village is tough. But Cissys blossoming friendship with Colm Doyle and his horse Blue show Cissy the kindness and laughter is possible, even in the hardest of times. As Cissy grows up, she finds that the world around her is ever changing. When she goes to work at prestigious Bretton Hall, she begins to realise that not everyone has an honest heart In one moment, Cissys life is turned upside down and she finds herself on a boat to England, sailing away from all she holds dear. Will Cissy ever find her way back to Ireland and everything she knows? Or is there more heartbreak to come? A sweeping, unputdownable page-turner of romance, tragedy and the true meaning of family. The Little Orphan Girl is guaranteed to melt your heart.