In "The Runaway Children," Lindsey Hutchinson delivers a heartwarming historical novel that beautifully captures the resilience of a group of abandoned or orphaned children fighting to survive against the odds. Set against the backdrop of two rundown houses near a barren heath, the story unfolds with determination, courage, and the enduring power of familial bonds.

The novel introduces readers to six children who, despite their lack of a traditional family, form a close-knit group, determined to stay free from the clutches of the workhouse. Hutchinson skillfully portrays the daily struggles they face to find food and keep warm, highlighting their determination to remain together and protect each other from the horrors of separation.

The central characters, particularly Dora Parsons and her mother Mary, add depth to the narrative. Mary's desperate desire to protect her child from the cruelty of her grandmother Edith forms a poignant backdrop to the overarching tale of survival. The portrayal of the harsh realities faced by the characters is both vivid and evocative, immersing readers in the challenges of their daily lives.

Fate intervenes when Mary and Dora cross paths with the group of runaway children, setting in motion events that will change all their lives forever. Hutchinson weaves a tale of hope, friendship, and the transformative power of compassion. The relationships that develop between the characters are heartwarming, creating a sense of warmth amidst the harshness of their circumstances.

The depiction of the winter setting adds to the atmospheric charm of the novel, emphasizing the challenges faced by the characters. Hutchinson's storytelling is engaging, and the pacing keeps the reader invested in the characters' journey. The author skillfully balances moments of despair with those of hope, creating a nuanced and emotionally resonant narrative.

While "The Runaway Children" delivers a heartwarming and well-crafted story, some readers may find certain plot developments predictable within the historical fiction genre. Additionally, the resolution, while satisfying, may follow familiar tropes associated with tales of survival and resilience.

In conclusion, "The Runaway Children" is a four-star novel that offers a compelling portrayal of survival, resilience, and the quest for family. Lindsey Hutchinson's storytelling prowess brings to life a group of endearing characters navigating the challenges of their time, making this historical novel a captivating and emotionally satisfying read. If you enjoy tales of hope and family against the odds, "The Runaway Children" is a worthwhile addition to your reading list.

I was drawn in by the synopsis on this one and did find it fairly interesting. That being said, the pace was fairly slow at times. Themes of surviving poverty and abuse were woven throughout and character development was good. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Sometimes heart breaking, yet this book can be remembered fondly. Though the pace slows down a bit here and there, the book is an engaging read. The reader can enjoy this dramatic tale.

A gritty tale of courage, survival and hope, The Runaway Children is the latest emotional saga from Lindsey Hutchinson.

Six children with no family to speak of live in two rundown houses at the edge of a barren Black Country heath. Life is anything but easy for these children who struggle to feed and clothe themselves. However, there is absolutely nothing they won’t do for one another – especially as the dark shadow of the workhouse looms over all of their lives. Staying free of the workhouse is of paramount importance to all of them – especially as the horrors that occur inside these buildings do not even bear thinking about…

Dora Parsons lives with her mother and grandmother in a warm and comfortable house where food is plentiful, however, she suffers unspeakable abuse at the hands of her grandmother who delights in making her life hell. Dora’s mother Mary would love nothing more than to flee this house once and for all, but with no money there is nowhere for her and her daughter to go. Everything seems hopeless and desperate – until Dora and Mary’s paths cross with that of the six runaway children…

As life-changing events are set in motion for Dora and Mary and the children, will a decent future be on the cards for all of them? Or will a chilly winter put paid to any hope they might have had of a new beginning?

Lindsey Hutchinson’s The Runaway Children is top-notch saga writing full of emotion, intensity, drama and characters readers will warm to and root for. Lindsey Hutchinson writes with honesty and flair and in The Runaway Children has penned a captivating saga that will keep readers hooked until the very end.

Gutsy, engrossing and poignant, The Runaway Children is another triumph for the Queen of the Black Country saga: Lindsey Hutchinson.

Oh my, what a heartbreaking book. Poor little Dora Parsons lives in her vile grandmother's house with her mum.
Her grandmother is spiteful to her verbally and on occasion physically. She plays on her daughter Mary's emotions by pretending to be a sick vulnerable old lady but Mary knows different and is aware she is a strong sly old woman but isn't aware of the extent of her attacks on her daughter Dora. Dora longs for friends of her own age and when a boy turns up leaning on their front gat she thinks she's died and gone to heaven.

I don't want to reveal the whole story and spoil it but I will say this book is most enjoyable, it has its heartbreaks, triumphs, and sadness. It will keep you gripped with every page you turn with some wonderful characters and is beautifully written.
A truly lovely book.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this lovely book. xxx

Lindsey’s books are just amazing. I’ve only recently discovered them and was lucky enough to get this advance copy from Net galley. Very easy to read and just a warning, after reading you will be looking for more!

A brilliant book which deals with heartbreak but also there is happiness in the book.

Dora lives with her Grandmother Edith and Mother Mary, unfortunately Edith is not a very nice woman and the way she treats Dora is abusive. Mary is also not treated well just like a servant. Dora meets a boy called Skinny and after that things change for her and Mary will it be for the better.

It is a well written book and the characters are very interesting and stand out.

Would recommend this book.

I have been listening to this audio book for awhile now. Bit by bit. I was taken back by the horror this family and others endured.

My Mother lived in England during the war. She had stories of air raid shelters, bombings and rationing. We are so very fortunate to live today here in the United States.

It was difficult to listen to at times. I didn't have much hope for this family to survive.

I received this audio book from Net Galley to review.

Lindsey Hutchinson never ceases to amaze me with her historical novels! The Runaway Children tells us about Dora and get mother who live with Dora's grandmother, Edith. Edith is a harsh old woman who bullies Dora and orders her mother around putting on sob stories to make Mary feel as though she had to look after her.. Little does she know! Edith goes one step too far, and the younger women both leave. A heartbreaking novel with a live sorry thrown in for good measure.

What can I say.? This book completely pulled me in and u couldn't put it down.
I was drawn into the lives of Mary and her daughter Dora . And then the characters of the people who helped her when she needed them.. Such a compassionate group of people. It left me wanting to read more of how there lives ended up. Sad to finish but loved it.
Thanks to#NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review

The Runaway Children: The heartbreaking, page-turning new historical saga from Lindsey Hutchinson for 2022
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The Runaway Children: The heartbreaking, page-turning new historical saga from Lindsey Hutchinson for 2022
by Lindsey Hutchinson
4.73 · Rating details · 49 ratings · 19 reviews
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Review of The Runaway Children: The heartbreaking, page-turning new historical saga from Lindsey Hutchinson for 2022 (Kindle Edition)
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Review I am a huge fan of Lindsey’s work and I have been since I had the good fortune to be invited on the blog tour for one of her earlier releases. I read the synopsis for ‘The Runaway Children’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Lindsey – a gritty, tense, dramatic and ultimately emotional read. Well ‘The Runaway Children’ was certainly all that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Runaway Children’ but more about that in a bit.
It seems kind of unfair to single out a favourite character but I can certainly name a character, who I could not stand and that’s Edith, who is the grandmother of Dora. Dora is one of the main characters in the story. Edith treats Dora appallingly. To say that she is guilty of child neglect is a massive understatement. I felt as though I wanted to jump inside the pages of the book to give the ‘delightful’ Edith a piece of my mind and subject her to the same sort of thing that she had subjected Dora to. How that woman can treat people like she does is just beyond me.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘The Runaway Children’. In fact seeing Lindsey’s name on a book that I hadn’t read was enough to grab my attention, the synopsis drew me in and the rest as they say is history. I found that once I picked the book up, I just couldn’t put it down again. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I just couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. I became so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the children that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the story. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘The Runaway Children’. I found ‘The Runaway Children’ to be an emotional and gripping read, which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘The Runaway Children’ is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Lindsey Hutchinson. Lindsey has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Lindsey’s books feels more like a chat between friends rather than read an actual book. I hope that makes sense. Lindsey clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the way that she describes them. She describes the characters so well and so vividly that they seem just as real as you and I. I always find that a sign of a good book is when I find myself becoming far too involved with the story and trying to interact with the characters as if they could hear me. That’s what I tried to do with this one. Reading ‘The Runaway Children’ felt like being on an emotional rollercoaster with all the ups and downs and twists and turns. I love the way in which Lindsey makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Runaway Children’ and I would recommend the book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Lindsey’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
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The Runaway Children is a detailed well written storty with a interesting plot. It is easy to become addicted to the story as it draws the reader in from the first page.

I Like how Hutchinson has transported the reader with the use of vivid imagery and a lot of research into Victorian poverty how effected the lives of innocent children, who are willing to do anything to avoid dangerous jobs such as chimney sweep and workhouse. The mention of authentic events such as Jack the Ripper gives a sense of realism to the entire story.

The writing style is easy to follow with a great sense of flow and a good mixture of dialogue and description, although I did notice a few typos, but this didn't take away anything from the tension!

The character development of The Runaway Children is good. The characters are realistic and relateable. Each character has their own personality that is well rounded...Dora is a lonely child, having no friends her own age to interact with and often felt like part of herself was missing...when she meets orphan John Skinner (Skinny), who lived in an abandoned home near the railway line with his friends, the two form a friendship, enabling the reader to witness how Dora brightens and blooms into a lovely person. I took a instant strong dislike for Edith, who comes across as nasty and spiteful old woman often taking her anger out on Dora often when Dora's mother, Mary is out.

I would recommend reading The Runaway Children to lovers of historical fiction and family sagas based around the Victorian era, as it is a emotive character driven story that focuses on new friendships, the hardships of poverty, trust, loss and community spirit!

An amazing book the author strikes again loved the characters and the fact that the story not only holds attention but flows very well to.
Be it the kids or the adults you will love all and Wednesbury.

The Runaway Children by Lindsey Hutchinson goes from heartbreaking to heartwarming. Children are not the only ones who need to run away from a bad situation. Dora and her mother Mary have lived with her grandmother for several years. The grandmother is a mean spirited dreadful person who takes a great amount of pleasure in using her daughter and abusing her granddaughter. But the story only begins there it does not end there. It did remind me of this author’s The Five Shilling Children in the children were in dire straits but makes the most of life. They stole my heart early on in the story with their ingenuity as well as their loyalty to one another.

Times are difficult for the group of runaways but good things happen. Someone is watching after all. What a hopeful and inspiring story. It makes you believe in friendship, found family and the good in the world. Hard story to put down until the charmed conclusion.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another brilliantly written book by Lindsey absolutely love the works from this author
We follow Dora and her mother who live with their evil grandmother/mother who likes nothing more than being a horrible old bat, was so glad when Edith
gets her comeuppance, we read how Dora befriends some orphans and they make her feel part of the family even though they have never had one of their own, a heart warming story of the struggles and hardships they all face and how by joining together they all get the happy out come they deserve
BRILLIANT!!!!

Thank you to all involved in letting me read this advance copy of Lindsey Hutchinson's book.

I like to read this authors works and look out for the new titles when they appear.

And this one was certainly one worth seeking out. I did find the title a little odd - but I suppose it did fit the storyline. The children I suppose were alone

It was heartwarming, sad, with a vicious and spiteful grandmother, love, redemption and highlights of Black Country life in the Victorian age.

I did feel the ending was contrived a little, but nevertheless was happy and suited the purpose of the author.

I couldnt wait to get further into the book and had some late nights as a result - I read before bed every night.
Looking forward to the next book.

Set in late Victorian times, THE RUNAWAY CHILDREN is another delightfully easy read by author Lindsey Hutchinson of whom I never grow tired of reading. So absorbing was the tale that was woven I read it almost in one sitting had it not been for the incredibly late hour (and me paying for it the next day...lol). And as soon as I turned that final page I was left with a feeling of completeness. The story that plays out is unique, heartbreaking and yet it is hauntingly beautiful at the same time whilst reminding us that we don't have to have anything to have everything that we need.

Ten year old Dora Parsons lives with her mother Mary in circumstances from which they see no escape. Through financial necessity, the pair live with Dora's wicked grandmother Edith, who is the epitome of the old witch who lives in the forest upon whom Hansel and Gretel stumble and eats little children for dinner. Edith is a hateful and deplorable woman. She loathes the very existence of Dora and uses every opportunity to abuse the young girl. Her greatest wish is to get rid of Dora so that she can have Mary all to herself to be at her beck and call. Unfortunately, Edith holds the purse strings of which she reminds them both at every opportunity so Mary therefore feels indebted to her...as she is her mother after all.

Mary and Dora came to Edith when Dora was just a baby and they have been trapped in the mausoleum of a house ever since. Dora has never been to school as Edith refuses to pay good money for the child's education so Mary has schooled her in her letters and numbers and taught her to read. The fact that she has never been to school does not reflect in her obvious intelligence, but Edith only scoffs at the mere thought that "the child" even has a brain. Taking every opportunity she can to abuse her, Edith rules the pair with a the threat of her cane should Dora step out of line. Dora continues to try to earn favour with the old witch but it just falls on deaf ears.

Until one day, Edith goes too far...

One day whilst playing outside the walls of her grandmother's house, Dora meets a young boy called Skinny and all at once is introduced to a different world when he takes her and Mary back to the derelict houses in which he and five other children live, fending for themselves. This chance meeting changes the lives of both families and brings them all together. Almost at once Mary can see a light shining from Dora that never has before as she plays with her new friends. Living at Edith's house and never having gone to school, poor Dora never had any friends. And in these new-found friends, Mary has found a peaceful happiness also. Almost like a lifeline. For these children have nothing and yet they have everything they need in each other.

And then one day, their lives take an unexpected turn and they only have those six young children to help them...

But what none of them know is that there is someone watching them. Knows who they are and where they live...and that their needs are greater than they ever were before. So when crates of food begins to arrive at their door weekly, none of them know what to make of it. Nor do they understand the builder who came to assess the houses for repairs or the census person who took each one of their particulars. Soon things begin to take place that make no sense at all and Mary and the children wonder who is watching them...and more importantly...why?

Throughout this wonderful story I could see parallels with one of the author's previous works "The Five Shilling Children" in which a group of orphaned children band together and live in a derelict house, scavenging by day and protecting each other by night. But this story is about more than just the children. It is about Mary, Dora and even evil Edith whose favourite pastime was to disrupt and argue with as many people as she possibly could and walk away leaving carnage in her wake. Edith truly is a deplorable character who readers will love to hate. She is abusive, argumentative, spiteful and bitter to the end. Whilst on the other hand, you will fall in love with Mary, Dora and their band of orphans. I also loved Elijah and Charity as well as the addition of Mason.

THE RUNAWAY CHILDREN is a truly delightful read that is emotive and magical with wonderful ending. You won't want to miss the opportunity to read this beautiful and inspiring story. I was completely absorbed by it and enjoyed every minute I was transported there.

As with every Lindsey Hutchinson book, I truly love THE RUNAWAY CHILDREN and simply could not put it down. And I cannot wait to see what this wonderful author has in store for us next.

Highly recommended.

I would like to thank #LindseyHutchinson, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheRunawayChildren in exchange for an honest review.

A truly heartwarming tale that reminds us not only of the importance of family but that despite the hardships that life can throw at us, we can persevere and always choose to act with love. I love the personalities of all the various characters and how vivid and realistic every bit of the story was. The writing was easy to understand and so beautiful making for a very cozy and refreshing read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Dora, and her mother live with Edith her grandmother. Edith, doesn’t like Dora, somethings she’s hurting her with a stick and really can’t be bothered about her. Dora’s mother Mary, would love to move away from her current place but, without money, she can’t.

A boy who is an orphan, living in two well in need of refurbishment houses wit five other children befriends Dora makes The children have to do odd jobs and beg just so that they don’t have to go in the workhouse.

A fabulously written, well engaging book. I loved how the characters were likeable, and you could believe in their behaviour and the reasons why, except for Edith. The story made you understand what it’s like to lose the things you love about your home and having to make do with what you can get. Hooked from the beginning, the book did have some happy moments, it wasn’t all sad.

Recommend this Book.

A lovely heartwarming story set in the Black Country. Great characterisation of life in these times with families surviving in poverty and the abuse that was endured. Not all doom and gloom though so well worth reading.