This is an emotional read of a little girl who had been orphaned and how she grew up. The story takes place in the early 1900s in Ireland where young Cissy, formerly named Martha, began her life in a workhouse. At the age of six she left the Union Workhouse with the new mammy. What a life she led until that point. It was all she knew and she thought she was very happy. Everything was now new to her and she was forced to leave her very best friend behind. Cissy goes to live with the mammy, Moira Ryan, and Mrs. Ryan's father. She is told to call Mrs. Ryan Mammy and her new life has begun.

Cissy is able to attend school, and even church, but times then were very hard. Growing up, she developed a strong friendship with a boy a few years older than her, Colm Doyle. They become great friends, and perhaps one day would develop a great love, but many difficult years are ahead before this could ever even be imagined. Eventually she gets a job working for a very rich family.

I was very much drawn into this story. This was a very touching read. The times were hard for the poorer class during those years, and Cissy's story epitomized an incredible amount of sadness. The story takes gentle turns as hope begins to enter into the picture, although there is a long period of poignant moments. This story by Sandy Taylor is an evocative read, bringing readers to a time when lives were just so very difficult. The story was utterly warm as it evolved. What an impressive read! It took a long time for me to deal with the emotional upheaval that I experienced while reading this historical fiction story.

What pleased me is that this is also characterized as a romance, so I read the story with a fervent hope that the tides would shift for Cissy. This book is broken up into several sections during a period of years while we see Cissy grow up and find a life that will suit her. I was not certain for quite a while into the story as to whether or not I would be able to handle the scenarios of the life that Cissy led and her many trials. I am pleased that I stuck with this book. The writing style was a bit unique to me, as it is written in turn of the century Irish twang. It took a bit to get used to, as it was a bit stilted at times, thus slowing down my reading. The author is new to me. It is nice to be drawn into a sad story that evolves into one of hope. I do plan on reading more by Sandy Taylor.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

What a beautiful, emotional and poignant read this is! Set in the early 1900's, at a time where children worked from a very young age. Not only that, the amount of orphaned children was very high. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have been like to be a child who had to grow up in those conditions, even if I am aware that they would have known no different. It's a shame that they had to know it at all, in my opinion.

'The Little Orphan Girl' follows the life of Cissy, a young girl who has to work her fingers to the bone to live. With no 'mammy' fighting her corner, Cissy soon learns that she can only rely on herself, yet she can't help but see the best in people. 

My heart went out to Cissy on more than one occasion. It broke my heart that she had to live in those conditions, and it broke my heart that children actually DID live in those conditions back in the day. Like I said above, I know they know no different, but when innocent, young children are involved, it certainly makes you open your eyes and look at the bigger picture. 

Sandy Taylor, whilst portraying an emotional scenario when Cissy is a young girl, has written a book which not only captivated my heart, it tugged on my heart strings as though someone was ringing a bell. I cannot fault this author for the delivery of such a touching , rollercoaster ride of a read which took me on an inspiring journey of self discovery, right until the very last page.

A heart-warming, poignant and captivating novel, written with the best intentions. Beautiful.

Oh my heart. Outstanding. This is such a beautiful heart-warming and at times heart-breaking story. This touched my heart! I felt all the emotions while reading this story, happy, sad, angry, disappointed, hopeful, excited and worried. This book will be going straight into my top 20 of 2018. It was just such a stunning book with a beautiful ending.

I absolutley loved most of the characters, especially Cissy and Colm! This story takes the reader back to the 1900s and is a story of Cissy’s life. You get a good idea of the town and setting within the story! I devoured and lost myself in this book, a brilliantly written story that I found an easy read! It also highlights the closeness of friends, family and the community especially back in those days everyone knew each other!

Brilliant. Five stars from myself. Highly recommend. A must read! You won’t regret buying this book. Beautiful. I can’t wait to read more by this author, a new fan!

From the get go this book had me hooked! The coarse Irish banter had me laughing and I felt a connection with the characters right away.
Six year old Cissy lives in a workhouse in County Cork Ireland in the 1900's. One day her mum decides to claim her and take her home to live with her grumpy grandaddy in Ballybun. The story takes you through Cissy's school life where she meets and befriends people that become very dear to her heart. Upon finishing school, Cissy begins her first job as a servant in Bretton Hall. Cissy faces many bumps in the road as she transitions from child to young lady. Heartache and tears, laughter and love. This book definitely encompasses a lot of emotion and is beautifully written!
This is the first book I have read from Sandy Taylor and definitely won't be my last!

I felt that the title didn't really match the story but other than that a fantastic read.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book!

Sandy Taylor has done an outstanding job taking you back to 1901 on the Irish countryside. Being a young orphan girl then meant that Cissy had a temporary feeling of belonging. First in the workhouse where she made a friend and then in Mammy and Granddaddy's cottage where she met Colm.
Sandy Taylor painted a vivid picture of a young, lost girl who so badly wanted to feel like she belonged and felt loved. She adored Colm and learned to love Mammy and Grandaddy and eventually attended school, got a job and began feeling her life had purpose. Until she began working at the Bretton house.
From there, Cissy's life changed and she began feeling like she lost hope as she harbored a secret. After moving to the convent and then returning home, Mammy knows that Cissy hid something for all those months. She is determined to help Cissy get back what is hers. But is it too late? What's been lost has been long gone! 
I highly recommend this historical fiction account of what life may have been like for a poor orphan girl living on the Irish countryside in the early 1900's and how her strength and determination might have just been the key to her happiness!

Six year old Cissy always thought she was an orphan. She lived with her friends in the workhouse, dreaming of a new family and new life. One day, her real mother comes back to claim her. Cissy can’t remember her but settles in to her new life with her and her grandfather in Paradise Alley. Life isn’t easy, with not much money to go around, but she forges a close friendship with young Colm Doyle and his horse, Blue. As Cissy grows up, she goes into service at Bretton Hall, where she learns not everyone is as nice as Colm. In a shock turn of events though, Cissy finds herself being sent over to England. Will she ever be able to return to Ireland?

This book is set in Ireland around the turn of the century. The author’s writing is so vivid that you are transported into Cissy’s world and are able to experience it just as Cissy does. You can’t help falling in love with Cissy’s character, who is absolutely adorable. I loved her relationship with the Granddaddy, who she initially thought of as the devil! I also loved how when she was brought home to Paradise Alley the Granddaddy refused to acknowledge her and refused to allow her to stay, but then as the story moves on you see an unlikely friendship happen between the two of them.

The story captivates you as it moves its way through Cissy’s life, and you become hooked with the story as she turns from a young girl to a young woman. There are a lot of characters as she grows up who you just take an instant dislike to and feel for Cissy so much for being taken in by some of them. The book is beautifully written, particularly with the descriptions of the towns and villages that Cissy lives in. I love the way the local Irish dialect is written and I have to admit I loved Cissy just a little bit more each time she called her mother “Mammy”!

This was a wonderfully written book, which captured all the different scenes and people perfectly. It filled my heart with joy at times and filled my eyes with tears at others. An absolute joy to read!

Cissy is six years old, living in an Irish workhouse in the early 1900’s. Her Mammy unexpectedly comes to claim her and takes her to the family home already occupied by the very grumpy Grandaddy. Over the years Cissy forms some solid friendships, and with her unique personality she also wins her Grandaddy round and they form a strong bond. After leaving school Cissy takes on a job at Bretton Hall and this is when her life begins to get more complicated. We then follow Cissy through her early adult life, with all of its highs and lows, and a few tear-jerking moments along the way.
I thoroughly adored Cissy and fell in love with her delightful personality from the first page. I enjoyed reading about the various and very different relationships that she made. This is such a great book, which I devoured in no time at all. It is beautifully and compassionately written with a lovely insight into Irish history.

This is a great read. I posted it on goodreads. I could not put the book down. The word “orphan” had many meanings to me in the book. The characters and plot had predictable and surprising events. A must read!

I read this book was incredible
It was a lovely read
I thought that the book was going on forever as I was reading it , because I’d had loved it .
I had an ARC from Bookouture

Cissy Ryan (formerly known as Martha in the workhouse) was six years old when the mammy came to collect her. She had thought herself to be an orphan – the only home she’d known was the workhouse. So, when the mammy took her to a little run-down house in Paradise Alley which also housed the devil himself (which turned out to be the granddaddy), she was a little frightened. She wanted to return to the workhouse and her best friend Nora.

It was 1901 and there wasn’t much money to be had in the small Irish town. Poverty gripped most families, but Cissy wasn’t aware. The mammy went to work at the laundry, so Cissy did the chores around the cottage, kept the granddaddy in cups of tea and met up with her new friend, Colm Doyle and his horse Blue. Colm was kind to Cissy – she wondered if he’d wait for her to grow up, so she could marry him…

It was when Cissy went into service at the nearby Bretton Hall that her life changed. She made some friends, but there were enemies around as well. What vast changes would Cissy have to make? Her love of Ireland encompassed her – but would she have to give it all up?

The Little Orphan Girl is my third by author Sandy Taylor and I loved it as much as the previous two. A wonderful, although heartbreaking story, which was filled with hope, friendship and family – and the sadness which was caused by certain people who just can’t help being nasty, mean and vindictive. Cissy is a well-crafted character, kind and caring even in the face of adversity. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for my honest review.

Set in the early 1900’s in Ireland and told through the eyes of Cissy Ryan, the little orphan girl in the title. We follow her life from when she is reunited with her mother and leaves the workhouse, to her life in service and her eventual marriage to her childhood friend Colm.
Despite her terrible start in life Cissy is determined to see everyone and everything in a positive light. She is naturally inquisitive and manages to make the best of what life can give her even when she finds herself with a bit of a dilemma on how to handle a situation she finds herself in.
I loved the relationship that developed between Cissy and her Grandfather. Initially he wanted nothing to do with her as he was ashamed of the circumstances of her birth, but over time he grew to genuinely care for her as her constant chatter and refusal to let his bad temper intimidate her wore him down. She refused to see her time in the workhouse as a bad thing and remained very loyal to her friend Nora from her time in there and made every effort to remain in contact with her, often going on the milk run with Colm just so she could visit.
Cissy had always believed herself to be an orphan so finding that she had a mother that loved her did come as a bit of a surprise but as is the way with most 5yr olds she accepted what she was told and adapted to her change in circumstances. Her love for her mother and her determination not to disappoint her often formed part of the decisions she made in her life.
I am a huge fan of history and love reading historical fiction where I can immerse myself in a different time and place, discovering how people lived in the past and the challenges they faced. The Little Orphan Girl didn’t disappoint me as I devoured the whole book in a day. Sandy Taylor managed to weave a heart-warming story of a family who managed to overcome the mistakes of the past to find both peace and happiness and I couldn’t help but love both the characters and the setting. This is the first book I have read by this author and I have to say that I am kicking myself, wondering how I have not discovered her before and realising my TBR list has just got that little bit longer.

When I saw a new book available from author Sandy Taylor I jumped at the chance to read it. I had read her wonderful book "The Runaway Children" last year and was deeply moved and impressed by it. I can thankfully say that her latest offering did not disappoint, for this is another exquisitely written and very special story.

In 1901, six-year old Cissy Ryan is leaving the workhouse in Ballybun, Ireland with a mammy she never knew she had. She had thought she was an orphan named Martha. She loved growing up in the workhouse with Mrs. Foley who looked after her, and she was very best friends with fellow orphan Nora. Now "Cissy" was leaving with her rather cross (but pretty) mammy, being driven by horse and carriage to one of the little white cottages in Paradise Alley. When she first saw the granddaddy he too was cross, and he looked like the devil as he sat in his chair by the fireplace. Cissy thought he smelled like a dead ferret.

Cissy is a very precocious and God-fearing little Catholic girl. Although she loved her former life in the workhouse, she settles in and grows to love her life in the close-knit community of Paradise Alley. She loves riding the horse and buggy with kind and handsome Colm, who is six years older than Cissy and works delivering milk to the surrounding area. He lives just down the street in the nice big gray house with his widowed daddy.

This is a story about hard working people who don't have a lot of money, but have a lot of love. It's a story where problems and heartbreak are handled over a nice hot cup of tea, a walk by the water's edge...and perhaps a visit with the Parish priest. There are many beautiful heartwarming moments throughout the book that will make your heart swell and tears cloud your eyes. Highly recommended.

Cissy spent the first part of her life as an orphan. To her surprise one day her mammy came and took her home when Cissy was 6. Her life takes a different path from there and it still will not be easy.

This book had an interesting setting. I really liked the idea of the premise but there were some things I struggled with.
1. I found Cissy to be overly naive for being born out of wedlock in the early 1900's to an unwed mother. This girl seemed to be loved by everybody there is only one person in the story who does not love Cissy. She was a child born out of wedlock there would be more comments than was given through out the story.
2.Her side track love story was obvious of where it was going and proved Cissy was an idiot. The writing was on the wall when they met.
3. The title is very misleading. Cissy is never a real orphan which you find out very fast.

The only surprising part of this story was Cissy's mom who was actually a good mom and thats because the title is misleading. Same with the description.

I think Ms. Taylor put a lot of effort in the history but this was cookie cutter story with no real strife. I knwe everything was going to work out.

2.5 Stars

I think the author put research into this story and developed an interesting plot. I appreciated that it was about poor Irish Catholics rather than an upper class. It did a decent job with living conditions, attitudes towards unwed mothers, speech and showing different aspects of daily life (not stellar but decent — effort was certainly there). However, I cannot say I enjoyed this much. It was told from the first person POV, which is not one I enjoy much, but it was also very weak. Nearly all of the plot movement and important information was told through dialogue. It was pages and pages of dialogue. I skimmed through and scanned more than half of this book and I was still able to follow and understand what was happening.

Overall, this wasn’t a very compelling read for me. What parts that I found of interest were marred by the narration style. I didn’t really enjoy the heroine much, mostly too good to be true, but when she gets in a spot of trouble, she makes a strange choice to hide her problems rather than placing her trust in the people who love her.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story is set in Cork county, Ireland during the early 1900s. Six-year-old, Cissy Ryan, is walking out of the only home, she’s ever known; the Workhouse. A rather gruff woman who calls herself mammy, has Cissy by the hand all but dragging her away. Young Cissy is scared and confused as she has never met this woman before.

She is taken to a little cottage where she meets an even gruffer and hostile, smelly old man. He orders the child out of the house.

Time moves on and the household learns to get along and be satisfied and almost happy. Cissy befriends Colm Doyle, the milk delivery boy. Colm became one of her closest friends even though he is six years older.

Moving ahead, Cissy is now a teenager and expected to work. She takes a job as a servant for a wealthy family. She is warned about the family’s son, Master Peter. He is handsome, charismatic, and privileged. Cissy had no business pining for him but how do you halt your emotions? The work is hard and everyone definitely is aware of everyone status and place in life here. Living in that home changes her life forever. By the time she left, she’d wish that she never met the charming devil, Master Peter or any of that family.

I loved the colourful writing and the way the author incorporated the town’s dialect. Some characters you adore and some you abhor, just like real life. But, all and all, I loved the story. It’s well-written and thoroughly enjoyable. My only criticism is how everyone and most every situations came together happily in the end. I found that a bit implausible, but it felt good.

Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for my advanced readers copy. I’m happy to have been introduced to the work that of Sandy Taylor.

Oh WOW Sandy Taylor has done it again. What a beautiful heart-warming story this is set in Ireland. Five-year-old Cissy Ryan has lived all her life in The work house. She thought she was an orphan until her mother, who was also in the work house. Takes her a leaves and go to live in a cottage with her granddaddy. She meets Colm who drives the milk cart with his horse Blue. There is an instant connection between the two and they become great friends. Cissy develops a crush on Colm. But, as Colm gets older he starts going out with a girl and Cissy is devastated.
When Cissy becomes a teenager she is goes to work in a big house where a wealthy family reside. She meets the owner’s son Peter who seems handsome and friendly and is privileged. A completely different world to what Cissy lives. Cissy likes Peter and vice versa and others can see it too. They start secretly courting but If his parents found out Cissy would lose her job, and her family be shamed as they are both from different classes. People warn Cissy about Peter but she takes no heed and after a bout of sickness she realises she is in the family way. So instead of going home to her mother and telling the news, she lies to her and says she has a job in London. She then goes and has the baby, ready for it to be adopted.
This is another five star read from Sandy Taylor. I have read all her books and she never disappoints. This drew me in and I loved it from the very first page. I couldn’t get enough of this story that I was reading this until 1am because it didn’t want to put it down. I loved each character especially Cissy at five years’ old she was so innocent and the story just flowed beautifully. Well done Sandy Taylor I will wait in anticipation for your next book.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book.

Oh what a read.
This has everything I love in a book.
I laughed, cried and even shouted at one point. This is a book i will recommend to all my book living friends.

I found this an excellent book to read with such a lovely story of how a young girl learns to cope after leaving the walls of the workhouse.To find that she has a mother and grandfather is hard for cissy but she learns to cope and wins the heart of her grandaddy.Cissy has a friend in colm but misses nora her dear friend in the workhouse.As life moves on things change and not all for the good.This is an excellent book and i feel worth more than 5*

Absolutely brilliant, love everything Sandy Taylor has written and no disappointment here, devoured it in a few hours can't recommend enough.

Another book I could just not get into.... The writing was ok, the story not great and overall, even when I skimmed to the end, not something I would recommend.