Publication Date: September 19, 2024
England, 1942: ‘Will I ever find my mammy or daddy?’ She looks up, her bright blue eyes full of unshed tears, but the kind nurse gently says, ‘Sweetheart, if you can’t remember your own name, I don’t think you’ll ever find them…’
Waking up in a rickety hospital bed, the sweet ten-year-old girl with soft blonde hair and flushed cheeks is lucky to be alive. But all she can remember is the screech of the air raid siren. The nurses call her ‘Rosie’, and hope someone will save her. But no one does, and without a family, she is taken to Blakely Orphanage in Scotland under the supervision of the strict Miss Black.
The only glimmer of hope is her new friend Alice and the two lost girls decide to become make-believe sisters. They help each other through the long, hard hours with Miss Black standing over them as they work in silence, wondering if they will ever escape.
One day, Rosie watches a beautiful woman in a pretty dress and a tall, handsome man step through the gates. Her heart squeezes as she hopes they might be her mammy and daddy. But Rosie’s heart shatters when they take the hand of a little boy and leave the orphanage.
Slowly, Rosie begins to piece together the mystery of her past despite Alice telling her they don’t need any adults. But if she does find her mammy and daddy, will she remember them? And will she ever have a happy family again – or is there more heartache to come?
From the bestselling author of The Orphan Sisters comes a page-turning and unputdownable World War Two story of a little girl who loses everything and her journey to finding a place she can call home. Perfect for fans of Lisa Wingate, Nadine Dorries and Diney Costeloe.
Amid the bombs dropping in England in World War II, a young girl is stripped of her memory.
Author Shirley Dickson delivers a heart-twisting tale in The Orphan With No Name. Rosie Ward wakes up in a hospital with a concussion and no memories. She is sent to an orphanage that had been evacuated to the Scottish countryside.
The author effectively communicates the fear Rosie experiences not only because she has no idea who she is, but the orphanage atmosphere is terrifying under the iron fist of the mistress.
Young Rosie’s story unfolds alongside the perspective of Miriam Balfour, one of the orphanage teachers. Bound by a secret, Miriam is wooed by an American airman.
Regaining her memory could change everything for young Rosie, restoring her name. However, little does she realize the impact it could have on her new friend, Alice.
The Orphan With No Name shines a spotlight on the plight of orphans during World War II while showcasing how families can be formed out of tragedy.
Shirley Dickson was born and grew up in the seaside town of South Shields. She left school at fifteen and can’t remember a time when she didn’t write. She entered her first short story competition in ‘School Friend’ when she was eleven. After Shirley retired from auxiliary nursing, she was able to devote her time to writing.
After living in various locations, she settled under the big skies of Northumberland and has lived with her husband in the same house for over forty years. Shirley has three daughters and four grandchildren and likes nothing better than family gatherings.
