Rachel Hore
The Love Child
The captivating, Sunday Times bestselling novel from the author of Last Letter Home, a 2018 Richard and Judy Book Club pick.
London, 1917
When seventeen-year-old Alice falls pregnant, she is forced by her father and stepmother to give up the baby. She simply cannot be allowed to bring shame upon her family. But all Alice can think of is the small, kitten-like child she gave away, and how the father, a young soldier, so beloved, will never have the chance to know his daughter.
Meanwhile, Edith and Philip, a couple unable to have children of their own, secretly adopt a baby girl, Irene, given up by a young unmarried mother. Irene grows up knowing that she is different from other children but no one will tell her the full truth.
As two extraordinary stories intertwine across two decades, will secrets long-buried at last come to light?
Claire Nozieres manages the translation rights for The Love Child
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A story that stirs the deepest emotions
Woman & Home
A gorgeous and deeply absorbing story
An emotive and thought-provoking read . . . My heart went out to both these two women as they faced such difficult personal decisions that would change their lives forever
I found her writing warm, compassionate in this story about one girl's search for her true identity amidst the secrets and dynamics of her adopted family. It had a realism about the poignancy of illegitimacy in this prewar setting
Simply stunning . . . I savoured every moment of this moving story of love, loss and, ultimately, forgiveness. The Love Child is an absolutely beautiful book and, in my view, Rachel’s best so far
Rachel's stories are always absorbing and intricately woven and The Love Child is no exception. This is a wonderfully moving tale of love and loss, hope and eventual reconciliation, and I very much enjoyed it
The Love Child is a hugely compelling, poignant and moving read. Rachel has great skill as a storyteller and readers are sure to be engrossed and swept away by her clever double-stranded tale
A poignant story, rich in period detail
