Orphans of War

The noise of bombs in the distance kept her awake… Nothing would ever be the same again.

LONDON, 1940

England is in the grip of the Blitz, and as the bombs fall, nine-year-old Maddy Belfield’s home is destroyed, leaving her orphaned.

A SPARK OF HOPE

Sent to the Yorkshire Dales to live with her remaining relatives, Maddy meets Gloria and her little brother, abandoned by their desperate mother. Maddy and Gloria swear to be friends forever and their bond brings joy into the darkest days of their lives.

A BURIED SECRET

But when tragedy strikes, the girls are torn apart. And years later, when chance reunites them, Maddy knows she must return to Yorkshire to face the past – no matter the consequences.

A gripping story of love, hope, and friendship that lasts a lifetime. Perfect for fans of Glynis Peters and Molly Green.

Reviews

Praise for Leah Fleming:

‘A beautiful, almost poetically-written tale of love and tragedy in the Yorkshire Dales mainly set during the Second World War. The characters are real flesh and blood and the reader shares their ups and downs with genuine empathy.’
Maureen Lee, bestselling author of Mother of Pearl.

‘An epic tale of hardship and tragedy straddling the Second World War.’
The Bookseller

‘A touching tale.’
Closer

‘An absolute joy to read , full of warmth, and colour and hope.’
Warwickshire Telegraph

‘A good read to curl up with.’
Lincolnshire Echo

“Being of an older generation – remembering playmates who were evacuated, some of whom preferred to stay in their new surroundings after the war, rather than return to the industrial Midlands – this book rang so true. There is humour tempered with sadness too. A really good, thought provoking read.”
Amazon reviewer

About the author

Leah Fleming was born in Lancashire of Scottish parents, and is married with four grown-up children and five grandchildren. She usually writes full-time from a haunted farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales but is currently taking a gap year for grown-ups and living on the slopes of an olive grove in Crete.