Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and Manilla Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Stacey Halls is the Queen of Historical Fiction. When I heard that she was writing another book, I was desperate to read it and boy was it worth the wait!


We follow Bess through her mission to find her daughter, catapaulting her from the streets of London into high society. Each POV and setting has its own voice; distinguished and marking the glaring contrasts between the classes. Even the way Bess speaks contrasts with other characters and I love this subtle world-building as it makes it all the more real to me!


The second POV, Alexandra, follows a well-to-do widow and her daughter. I loved the difference between Bess and Alexandra's lives, but also how both have had struggles throughout. Alexandra's agoraphobia and PTSD were sensitively handled, showing how illnesses such as these can have a profound effect on those suffering and also those who live with and are friends with them. Halls has a way of making even characters of moral ambiguity sympathetic, blurring the lines of 'good' and 'bad' characters which fascinates me!


The way Halls doesn't flick between the two narratives makes it easier to get sucked in to the story, giving us time to form a connection with each character and understand their motives and reasonings behind their actions. There is an ever-present tension throughout the story which doesn't abate until the satisfying conclusion. I would happily read a sequel of Bess' life after the events in The Foundling just to stay connected to these wonderful characters!


This tale twists and turns, creating a tapestry of fantastically researched details which transport you into the story unlike anything I've read prior to picking up a book by Stacey Halls. Her ability to create such a strong commentary on class, gender and motherhood whilst weaving such a beautiful story astounds me - a true genius!


I throughly enjoyed this book and gave it 5 stars. Stacey Halls has definitely become an author I will always read and re-read!

I didn't think that Stacey Halls could do better than The Familiars - a brilliant debut - but she is more than equal to the task!

An amazing novel, with really moving characters and human relationships. Discover a new era, and enjoy a particularly vivid atmosphere.

I LOVED Stacey Halls' debut, The Familiars, so I was nervous and excited in equal measure when I picked up The Foundling. But, I mean, WOW! This book is absolutely phenomenal. Really. I just didn't want it to end.


The Foundling Hospital is a London children's home that was founded to care for and educate unwanted babies. The heart-wrenching opening of the book finds Bess Bright drawing balls from a bag, watched by a crowd of onlookers, to determine whether her newborn baby will be taken in. After some deliberation, Clara (as Bess names her) is admitted and Bess leaves empty-handed.


6 years later, having obsessively saved all of the money she could and full of trepidation, Bess returns to The Foundling to reclaim child 627, her now 6 year old daughter. But, to her dismay, she is not there. In fact, she discovers that the baby had been claimed when she was 1 day old, by someone posing as her mother.
Desperate to find her little girl, Bess turns to The Foundling's Doctor who agrees to try to help her where he can. And so begins her journey to bring her daughter home.
I

am completely in awe of Stacey Halls' ability to transport the reader so convincingly back to her novel's era. Her writing is beautifully descriptive and feels immaculately researched. I found the background to this story absolutely fascinating, such that I was compelled to read up on The Foundling hospital, and I'd definitely be keen to visit the museum.


The narrative is told from the dual perspectives of Bess and Alexandra, the woman that Bess believes is posing as her daughter's mother. Both women are very interesting, well-drawn characters and almost polar opposites in terms of nature and background.
If the strength of my emotional reaction to a novel is an indication of how good it is, then this one is exceptional. As a mother, having to give up my hours-old baby is completely unimaginable, and my heart ached for Bess. I could see how the acts of hoping and scrimping and saving had kept her going through the years when she was counting down the seconds until she could go and reclaim her. When she realised that her daughter had vanished without trace I actually cried for her. And at one point in the tense latter half of the book I actually shouted "NO!!", then clapped my hands over my mouth, to the confusion of the rest of my family.


If there was one thing I was longing for, it was a short chapter from the little girl's perspective as I struggled to understand how she might be feeling about certain plot developments. I wanted to get inside her head and, I suppose, make sure she would actually end up happy with the way things were going to turn out. But this is just testament to how invested I became in this book.


I'll be astonished if this doesn't make it into my top reads of 2020; I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

I struggled to decide on a star rating for this one. I wish you could give half a star. It was a solid 4 star read up until part three: interesting characters, interweaving story line. Then out of the blue part three happened and before I knew it the book was over and everything was tied up neat and tidy, thank you very much. What was the rush? All that care taken earlier in the novel to build these characters, describe their lives, get us involved in what was happening, was just thrown away on one of the speediest denouements I've encountered in a very long time. I would still say it's worth reading; it's an interesting story and the characters are definitely worth your while meeting. Just be prepared to feel like a whirlwind ripped the heart out of the ending.

A big fat 5* from me! Oh I LOVED this story. The author has done an amazing job of taking you back to the time and place - London in 1757. I relished the descriptions of life at this time, I could even smell it!!! The story was so well woven, the characters perfectly drawn with subtlety and sympathy until your heart was torn in two and you didn't know which way the story would turn. A fascinating, absorbing and compelling tale of a mother's love and an enlightening spotlight of what life was like for the have's and have nots at the time. Fantastic!

My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K./Manilla Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Foundling’ by Stacey Halls in exchange for an honest review.

London, 1754. Six years previously Bess Bright had been forced to leave her illegitimate daughter, Clara, at London's Foundling Hospital. After saving up the money to reclaim Clara, Bess is shocked to learn that the child had already been reclaimed .... by her mother, Bess Bright! She vows to find out who has taken her child and why.

In a nearby gloomy townhouse lives Alexandra Callard, a young widow. She has not left her house in a decade aside from attending church with her six-year old daughter, Charlotte. Her friend, Dr. Mead, an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital, persuades her to hire a nursemaid for Charlotte. So into her life comes Eliza.

The novel is divided into four parts with the first and third from Bess’ perspective and the second and fourth from Alexandra’s. This worked well in allowing readers to understand each woman’s backgrounds and their motivations.

This is the second novel by Stacey Halls, whose debut, ‘The Familiars’ was published to both critical and reader acclaim last year. It is still on my TBR pile though I will be reading soon as it has been chosen as our March book for a reading group that I attend.

I found this a highly engaging work of historical fiction that examines the very different worlds of the working poor and those whose lives are more affluent. Hall skilfully describes the sights, sounds, and yes the smells of Georgian London. This served to make me feel quite immersed in the narrative.

Aside from an exquisite cover, there are also a scattering of line drawings decorating the text and a very useful map, drawn in the style of the period, depicting the parts of London where the novel takes place.

Overall, I felt that in terms of storytelling, characterisation, and setting ‘The Foundling’ ticked all the boxes that I look for in historical fiction. It also doesn’t shy away from the social issues of the period.

I feel quite certain that Stacey Hall has a second hit on her hands and that her readers are in for a treat.

With its central theme of motherhood, The Foundling looks at the whole business of nature over nurture, blending together the lives of two very different women, and their idea of what it means to be a mother.

Bess Bright has no other option but to give up her day old baby daughter into the care of The Foundling Hospital, a charitable institution which cares for infants at risk of abandonment. My heart bled for Bess when she gave up her baby, realising that the only connection she has with the baby's father has now gone forever. However, all is not hopeless as The Foundling offers the chance, if circumstances allow, for mothers to buy back their babies, and it has always been this hopeful thought which has kept Bess going throughout the intervening years. Interweaving the story of Bess Bright with that of Alexandra Callard, a wealthy young widow with a deadly secret, is particularly inspired as it allows a glimpse into the sheltered and genteel world of the upper classes describing so beautifully all of the moral constrictions which society placed on woman in the eighteenth century.

Bringing Georgian London to life in a beautiful and thought provoking way the author has once again transported us back to a time and place that is not our own and yet with each successive turn of the page I felt as if I was fully immersed in a city teeming with life and brimming with people. From the pungent aroma of Billingsgate market, to the delicious decadence of Russell's coffee house, the author leads us by the hand through all the sights, sounds and smells of a world that was only wonderful if you were born to privilege rather than poverty.

There's no doubt that this talented author has another historical hit on her hands with The Foundling. I absorbed every word with all the passionate zeal of a time traveller eager to learn more of the connection between two very different women, whilst at the same time absorbing the beauty and intricate detail of this author's wonderful storytelling.

Set in the 1700s in London at the Foundling Hospital this book is full of history and mystery. It was an easy read yet it has lots of detail, it felt like I had stepped back in time reading it. It’s always great to have strong female characters. Thoroughly enjoyed reading Stacey Halls second novel.

Absolutely loved this book ! It intrigued me from the start and I couldn't put it down - it is so atmospheric and transported me to London in the 1750's. The story is about Bess , she has a baby that she can't look after as she is unmarried and lives with her father so she takes the baby only 1 day old to the Foundling hospital where babies are taken whose mothers are unable to take care of them. She leaves her here but vows to return and collect her when she has saved up enough money to pay the collection fee. When Bess goes back to claim her her daughter has gone ! She has been claimed by someone who said she was her mother. Its a gripping story of how Bess tries to find her daughter - I loved Staceys writing she really brings the characters to life . I can't stop thinking about this book and will be recommending it to all my friends

Now this is a book I enjoyed and thought was very clever. Its’ in and around the Fondling Hospital in London which still exists today, albeit as a musuem. Well, that was enough for me to pick it up (but the cover was a massive draw as it’s stunning!)

Get the hankies ready, mind! We follow the story of Bess who gives birth to a baby called Clara. She is forced to give her up and takes her to the Foundling hospital. So upsetting to read this and th einner thoughts of a woman with no where else to go. It makes you realise how far we have come in terms of equality etc since then. She plans to return in a few years when she has her life back on track. Of course things don’t go to plan and when she does manage to go back to claim her child….someone else has beaten her to it. Can you imagine how this must have felt? This might be a story but I’m sure this or something similar must have happened in real life.

At the same time we learn about another woman from the other side of the tracks. A woman living in Bloomsbury employs a nursemaid but she is worried about letting a stranger into her home. Despite appearances, this is not a place of quiet and peace.
How fascinating it was to be transported to Georgian London. Right at the heart of the grey streets, the poverty and lack of women’s rights. The author captured all this in more in few words - I got the sense I was watching it all unfold rather than reading it at times. The atmosphere and setting just shone from the page. There is some very clever research hidden within as it all reads so effortlessly.

With themes of motherhood, poverty, belonging and family, this is a tale to read and treasure. Heartbreaking at times, yet compelling throughout.

Very interesting to take such an important institution and bring it to life in this way. I really want to go there now!

I was captivated immediately by the story of Bess, a young girl who finds herself pregnant and has to give up her baby to the Foundling hospital, as she can't afford to care for her. Only to return 6 years later to find that her daughter has been claimed by someone pretending to be her
.
There's something about Stacey Halls' writing that really captures a reader and keeps them coming back for more. I love the way she creates stories from real places and events and she writes characters that you really sympathise with. I enjoyed this book as much as The Familiars, the writing is descriptive and engaging and the story is full of secrets and betrayals that make you want to keep reading

The Foundling is an easy to read story about one woman’s experience of the Foundling Hospital. In the 18th Century, an actual children’s home was philanthropically established by Thomas Coram (changed to a Dr. Meade in this story) to give a home to the many babies and young children abandoned on London streets due to poverty or illegitimacy when poor relief was non-existent or extremely hard to come by.

Bess takes her illegitimate baby Clara there for a better future and in the hope that she can eventually save enough to reclaim her. After 5 years Bess returns to the hospital to find that Clara has already been reclaimed, by a woman purporting to be her, and only a day after Bess had left her there. The book tells her story of trying to find her child in a crowded, chaotic capital where the distinction between the rich and poor is deeply drawn.

I enjoyed the book as what had become of Clara became apparent and Bess plotted to get her back. I wanted to know what had happened, and although I knew quite a bit about the Foundling Hospital and that area of London, it was historically accurate, although the coincidences were all a bit too convenient and contrived as it headed towards a predictable conclusion.

I am sure this book will be very successful after Stacey Hall’s first bestseller, the Familiars.

I loved The Familiars so was really looking forward to The Foundling & it didn’t disappoint. Another well written & atmospheric book from Stacey Halls putting me right in the middle of London in the 1700s. A wonderful story with engaging characters

I didn’t love The Familiars when I read it but I liked the premise of this one so I decided to try another book by the author. The setting – a foundling hospital in 1754 – was poignant and brilliant. I found the story engaging and it kept me turning pages. I think maybe I have a disconnect with the author’s style since I found the prose irritating at times. And unfortunately I just didn’t really connect with the characters. No doubt that’s me – I want an oil painting not a water colour. It takes all sorts. I would still recommend this book however, especially if you like historical fiction with a more lyrical style.

“The Foundling” is written by Sunday Times bestselling author Stacey Halls and is her second novel, after the success of “The Familiars” last year.
Once again this book is attractively presented with a gorgeous cover and is guaranteed to be a beautiful addition to any bookshelf.
Set in London 1754, this historical drama novel focuses on The Foundling Hospital where mothers took their young babies to hopefully be looked after, until they could return and buy them back. The opening pages really broke my heart and as a mother myself I could truly feel the torment of the young women, waiting to see if their baby would be lucky enough to be accepted. The resulting event after one such unlucky woman was so sad.
Although I didn’t quite get the 18th century feeling, more the 19th, I did find the setting very atmospheric. Billingsgate came alive with the shouts of merchants shouting their varied fish and seafood offerings. I could smell and visualise the muddy pathways that seemed prevalent in every turn of the area, with the traps, carriages and horses that travelled on them.
There was a lot of coincidence that benefited the plot but this didn’t distract me from the enjoyment of the story and I thought the author covered mental health issues like agoraphobia, PTSD and paranoia along with grief exceedingly well. Just showing that these issues did exist many many years ago, even if they weren’t diagnosed correctly.
I fell in love with this book instantly and really enjoyed, I’d be happy to recommend Stacey Halls and her books and I hope to read more by her again in the future.

4 stars

This book had me hooked from the get go.

Stacey Halls writing is captivating and she has a real talent for creating characters with a narrative that you really connect with despite living in such a different period in time.

In The Foundling, the narrative is split between Bess, an impoverished young women who is forced to give up her child when she becomes pregnant at a young age; and Alexandra, a mysterious wealthy widow who is agoraphobic and rarely leaves her house.

The novel mostly focuses on Bess' search for her child and how these two womens lives become intertwined.

An enthralling exploration of class, womanhood and what makes a mother.

5 stars!

This book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Stacey Halls has done it again! A wonderful story with great era descriptions. The characters where complex and showed wonderfully through their different classes.
A great story, I read it in a day!

See www.booketybook.com for blog tour review Feb 29
An easy read with bags of historical detail, different from her first novel but similar string female leads and a dash of mystery too.

I flew through this book as the writing was really compelling, but ultimately, I felt that a lot of the action was just a little too convenient and coincidental, which just left me feeling a little bit disappointed. It tells the story of Bess, a young woman who takes her newborn daughter to the Foundling hospital. When she returns to reclaim her 7 years later, she discovers that someone else already has.

The positives: I thought that the dual perspectives worked really well and ensured that the motivations of both protagonists was well fleshed out. I thought the exploration of mental health issues was very interesting and sensitively tackled, which was great to see. I also thought that the prose was really fluid and compelling and that the pacing was great.

The negatives: I felt like all of the action was based around coincidence and convenience, which was really frustrating. This is particularly true of the ending, which felt very rushed to me and pretty ridiculous in terms of tying things together.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is Stacey Halls’ second book – I actually have her first, The Familiars, lined up as an audiobook, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Needless to say, after thoroughly enjoying The Foundling, I started The Familiars very shortly after.

The Foundling starts in London in 1748, when Bess Bright, impoverished shrimp girl, gives up her illegitimate daughter to The Foundling Hospital, as she cannot afford to raise her. Raffled off in a lottery, women are given a chance to draw a ball from a bag, with the colour of the ball determining the fate of their child. The opening scenes of the book are stark, brutal, and draw a clear contrast between the rich and the poor of Georgian London, setting up some of the themes which come through later in the book.

Fast forward six years, and Bess returns to collect her child, with every penny she has saved over the last six years. But when she gives the details of the child she left – a number and a trinket from the child’s father – she’s informed that the child was collected the day after she was given the Foundling – by her.

The process of finding her child is relatively straightforward, which I wasn’t expecting at all, and Bess is then appointed as a nursemaid to her own daughter. What follows is a contrast between two women, both of whom love this child, and the lengths they will go to to claim the child they perceive to be their own. Bess’s narrative shifts then, and we see Alexandra Callard’s perspective, as she appoints her new lady’s maid, Eliza.

The writing in this book is absolutely gorgeous. From the rich drawing room that Mrs Callard lives in to the deprived alleys that Bess hides in, the atmosphere was so richly created that I could almost smell the shrimp on Bess’s hands. The two main characters are richly drawn, and I empathise with both of them so hard, it was incredibly difficult to try and take sides in their battle for the child. And I think that was a huge strength of the book. Neither mother is perfect, but both love the child, and are trying to give her the best life they can. The book as a whole isn’t so much a mystery – who took the child, how, why? – but rather an exploration of what motherhood is, how children are raised, what children need, and the stark divide between the impoverished and the wealthy in London in the 1750s.

For the most part, I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I had a couple of quibbles, though – the characters outside of Mrs Callard and Bess were quite thin, and didn’t have a huge amount of substance to them. This was particularly evident in Ned, Bess’s brother, Ambrosia, Alexandra’s sister, and Lyle, the lampboy. This was a little disappointing, because so much of the rest of the book was really rich, and to have these cardboard-like supporting characters was slightly disappointing.

I also felt like the book wrapped up incredibly quickly. There were mere pages between the dénouement and the eventual resolution, and for a book which went into so much detail previously, that felt like quite the letdown. I would have loved to see more of the thought process and negotiation of the two women as the resolution played out, but it was skipped over in favour of a thin romance. Disappointing.

Also, Charlotte, the child, had a pet tortoise, but it was winter, so the tortoise would have been hibernating…

Overall though, this was a sumptuously written book, with achingly evocative scenery and plot, and a moral dilemma worthy of sitting down and thinking about for a long time after I finished it.