Blurb
All of Clara Watson's life was spent hoping to be adopted and live a life outside of St. Peter's Orphanage so when she adopted by a peculiar Mr. Stevenson for the holiday season, she surely got the adventure, she was after.
This novel is limited to 100 free copies due to its part in Inkitt’s Novel Contest.
By Brittany T. Noring All Rights Reserved ©
My name is Clara Watson.
I was an unwanted child from depressed parents during the early days of the second World War and I was dropped off at the doorstep of St. Peters’ Orphanage for children. As one of countless others before me, I was brought in and raised by the sisters who ran the institution. I didn’t know life beyond the walls of the orphanage.
As time went on, my longing for my parents to come and fetch me grew weaker. Day after day, birthday after birthday, I wished for my parents to burst through the grand doors and bring me home. But of course, my wish, just like every other orphan, never came true. But the Christmas season of ’53 changed all that.
From December 20th to January 10th, foster parents have the opportunity to take in a child for the Christmas holidays. Being one of the older children of the orphanage when the program began in 1952, I was never chosen. There were normally young couples, one-child families or elder couples who took part in the program but there was somebody who didn’t look quite right in this picture. An olive-skinned man, with dark hair, walked about the play room looking, more like scanning, for a child. Being an orphan, I am forced to be open-minded and allowing to let anyone into my life but there was something off-putting about this man who was pacing the tiled floor. He, then, stopped behind Bessie, a 7-year-old orange-haired, freckled-faced, cheerful girl who was painting a picture.
The man tried to be friendly with her by sitting beside her, admiring her portrait, making jokes, introducing himself to her. Once she had finished the painted portrayal of a pig, she turned to him and it would seem that the father-adopted-daughter relationship hit off, almost instantly. No longer than five minutes later, Bessie took the hand of the man and the two headed for the exit. As I was listening to ‘Maybelline’ by this new young singer named Chuck Berry, I watched Bessie and the man cross the room. Just before they left, Sister Florence asked the man to fill out paperwork for taking custody over the child for the holidays.
As Bessie knew she was about to sub-adopted, she rushed around to all her ‘friends’ around the orphanage to say goodbye. The sad truth about being an orphan is that we mustn’t make friends or become too close with fellow children because one day or other, they’ll be gone and we’ll be on our own, again. Of course, I choked up when Bessie said goodbye to me because I remembered the day, when she arrived at the orphanage when she was only two years old. I knew that she’ll only be gone for 30 days but it was still a vast improvement from everybody else in this institution.
briggy1998: I really enjoyed the book, even though I had to skip a few lines, because at times it could get a bit disturbing🙆🏻😅What I would have liked is if you could have given a bit more insight into jack's and fiona's relationship, especially the epilogue was a bit short 😬Other than that an amazing story!
Dina Husseini: I loved this story. It was so great that I did not expect it to be this awesome. I swear to you this deserves more than just 5 stars. Beyond amazing. Kept me wanting more and I felt exactly like Emma felt while reading. Although in the beginning I did not expect anything to happen. Then, when som...
harry142018: This story was gripping and very professionally written. With lots of twists and slight of hand tricks, the author deceives the reader until finally showing their cards at the end. With several subplots all intertwining to create the main plot, this really is an interesting and engaging read.
Deleted User: (A review in progress). I like this. It's sparse, gritty and atmospheric - reminiscent of the classic Golden Age of American detective fiction of the Thirties. I've only read the beginning, but I'll definitely be back. This writer knows their stuff and has done their homework on detective work. T...
Marimar Amieva: I just can't believe the story! I absolutely loved it, all of it. The characters and their chemistry between them, and the fact that they are relatable. The story also has some sick plot twists, which I never saw coming. I loved the fact that it is an adorable love story but has its mystery touc...
jodie456: I started reading this book because of the great cover. I found out you CAN judge a book by it's cover!This wonderful story is fresh, exciting, and intense. The story was even better than the great cover! Matthew Thrush's characters are so real, you will find yourself missing them when you are fi...
Kaitlyn Bier: This is a great story! I love how well you go into detail and emotions of Capri, and Mel. You have amazing dialogue and overall it's just a thrill to read!The only critique I could find is that some of the paragraphs should be separated. For example:-"If Nia would have just let me take the car an...
CookieMonster911: The story overall was an adventure that is appealing to any age. The way the characters develop adds a more human characteristic to the novel. The writing style itself is amazing because you can learn every character's thoughts and emotions. The awkward love triangle and jerk moments adds to the ...
Althea Kerr: This is a tale that is all too familiar to South African readers having lived through a war era on our borders and beyond. It is obviously autobiographical as the mind under duress is so detailed and real. It has fantastic suspense if a bit disjointed - perhaps that is the fear and loneliness com...
rachelrainford6: This probably has to be one of the best books I've read on here. I read it quite quickly and I'll have to say the story took a turn towards the end that I did not see coming. The topic discussed in this book such as life really gave me a new insight and I realize that it is taken for granted.
Barbara Zavela: Do you know the song, 'Imagine' by John Lennon?If you had a chance for a world like the one described in that song, would you grab it with both hands or turn away and reject it.This story pulls you in from the beginning with well-written scenarios. The author offers you the opportunity to bring y...