Rating: 4.5 Stars

Glenda Young is back with a heart-breaking saga that continues to cement her standing as one of the genre’s most talented writers: The Sixpenny Orphan.

When their parents died, sisters Poppy and Rose were all alone in the world. With their future bleak and uncertain, they had nobody else to turn to and their bond strengthened as they vowed to always be there for one another. When they were taken in by widow Nellie Harper, the girls thought that they were going to a caring home, however, reality proved to be a very different proposition. Poppy and Rose were unloved, unwanted and left to starve by Nellie who saw them as merely an opportunity to make money. The scheming widow had hatched a wicked plan to sell them to the mysterious Mr Scurrfield, however, when the day came for them to leave, he announced that he would only take one of the sisters – and his decision was going to be made on the turn of a sixpence.

A decade later and Poppy is now married with three children. However, not a single day goes by where she doesn’t miss her beloved sister Rose or wonder what cruel fate had befallen her. Poppy has never stopped searching for her sister, but thus far, all her efforts had been in vain. After many years of searching, Poppy has come to accept that she will never see her sibling again – until she receives a letter that heartbreakingly reveals what really happened to Rose. Poppy has lost so much already and now that she has been given this little chink of hope, she vows to move heaven and earth to see Rose once again – whatever the cost.

Will the two sisters ever be reunited? Or will they be disappointed yet again when their search leads only to sorrow, heartbreak and despair?

Master storyteller Glenda Young never disappoints and with The Sixpenny Orphan she has written another first-rate saga that will tug at the heartstrings, move her readers to tears and keep them reading way past their bedtime. The Sixpenny Orphan is a gritty, emotional and dramatic tale about hope, the ties that bind, triumph over adversity and the power of love that will take readers on an unforgettable journey back in time with characters that leap off the pages and live on in their minds and hearts long after the last page is turned.

An excellent historical saga perfect for curling up with, Glenda Young’s The Sixpenny Orphan is the latest triumph for this outstanding writer.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this fabulous book.
This was the first book I have read from Glenda Young but certainly will not be my last! This was such an emotional story throughout and I really felt for Rose and Poppy when they were growing up and throughout their lives. This was a fast read with real emotion to it. I can't wait to read another one from this author. Highly recommended to all saga lovers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Historical drama featuring two young sisters. We follow their lives through heartbreak and sorrow as they grow up.

Another fantastic historical novel from Brenda Young. Set in the northeast mining town of Ryhope it is a stark reminder of what life was like and how big the divide was between the classes.
Poppy and Rose Thomas are orphans living with the cold-hearted Nellie Harper. The two sisters share a strong bond, Poppy being the protective sister over little sister Rose. The greed of Nellie and a sixpence coin changes the paths and lives of the two sisters for ever. From this comes strength and battles for survival.
I enjoyed following the young sisters lives from childhood through to adulthood. I felt pangs of emotion at what the girls suffered and how the world seemed to be against them. It was interesting how the village were there for them at a vital and dark time. I would have liked the story to have told us about how the village and towns surrounding were affected and survived the First World War. This could then have gone on to explain the flu pandemic that hit afterwards giving a further understanding of the story for the reader.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Glenda young for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

What a delightful warm story. Well written and visually described. Luckily I was on holiday and could read this with pleasure.
This book has heartbreak, love, sadness, and determination.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I have read quite a few titles written by Glenda Young and thoroughly enjoyed them. This book was such a good story and kept my interest all the way through. The way some people had to live and the daily struggle just to survive was told really well.
I loved this book and would recommend readers to buy it, very good read!

It is always a pleasure to read a Glenda Young novel and The Sixpenny Orphan is no exception. I absolutely love these sagas set just after World War I in the coal mining village of Ryhope in Sunderland. The past is brought vividly to life through the warm and evocative writing of natural storyteller, Glenda Young.

This book starts in 1909 when orphans Poppy and Rose are children living in the farming community of Ryhope with Nellie the knocker upper. I didn't even know such a role existed but in the days before alarm clocks, the coalminers needed somebody to wake them up before their shift at the pit. Nellie has plans to turn the girls from a burden into a commodity but when a man from Sunderland turns up to buy them, he will only take Rose.

Oh my heart broke for these two girls. They have had so much heartache in their short life since the death of their parents and then living in such awful conditions with a woman who doesn't care about them. Splitting them up is devastating for both Poppy and Rose but we really see what Poppy is made of when she hatches a plan to bring Rose home as the book jumps forward ten years to 1919.

This is a novel that entertains from start to finish. The characters are so realistic and the scenery so vivid that I could picture it clearly in my mind. Of course it helps a little that I know Ryhope well but I can't walk through the village now without replaying scenes in my head from Glenda's fantastic novels.

There is so much to love about this book: the wonderful characters and the challenges they face, the entertaining and compelling storyline and the jam tarts that I could almost taste. Even the dedication page gave me a lump in my throat! The dirty and cramped living conditions in a coalmining village must have been awful, but the resilience and fierce determination of Glenda's female characters completely warms your heart.

The Sixpenny Orphan is such a heartwarming, heartbreaking and entertaining read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. I used to say I wasn't a saga reader but then I discovered Glenda Young's novels: this is not just a saga, this is a Glenda Young saga and it's simply wonderful.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

The Sixpenny Orphan - Glenda Young

This is a new author for me, I have only recently found an interest in Saga's and found that this story flowed really flawlessly. This was a very emotional read, with great characters and I found it so easy to picture as I went along. I would really like to read more from this author in the future. Many thanks Netgalley, Headline and Glenda Young for the E-arc in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.

This is the first book I have read by Glenda Young and I honestly thought it was a fantastic read. From the first couple of pages I just knew this was going to be a perfect read for me and it definitely was. This author writes an excellent saga with strong characters and a great storyline. Even though it’s set in the early 1900’s I could actually visualise the people and the settings they were so well described. You can picture the poverty and the houses these people had to live in at this time. Whilst this is an easy read, it’s at times an emotional one and I found myself wiping away the odd tear or two. I was so invested in this book that life paled into the background until the very last page. I will be going straight to Amazon to download more books by this author. 5⭐️

I always expect a good strong saga from this north-east writer, and I'm never disappointed. This book has all the ingredients - a poverty striken childhood for its heroines, a lack of adult love, a battle for survival that needs courage, wit, strength and the hope that things will get better. The beginning of the book is almost too sad as orphans Poppy and Rose live out their miserable existence in a draughty old barn with the woman who takes them in, and it gets worse when the sisters are forcibly separated! I couldn't help thinking the mining community of Ryhope would not have let two little girls suffer so much - everyone knew they were neglected and starving - and so I wasn't wholly convinced by their situation. But the strength of their characters kept me reading and I was rewarded as the story moved on 10 years to follow grown up Poppy, now married to a miner, and her continuing tribulations. She stays strong, feisty and loyal as she continues to face challenges of poverty and hardship, and never gives up on her dream of being reunited with Rose.
The background of an early twentieth century mining community is very authentic - though as I said I think the adults might have been more sympathetic to the orphan girls - and gives a real sense of time and place to the story. A very enjoyable saga.

An emotional period saga that pulls on the reader’s heartstrings, orphaned sisters Poppy and Rose are taken in by Nellie who sees them as a moneymaker, getting them to steal for her. The story follows the journey of them loosing each other after one of them is sold by Nellie, and their lives leading up to them being reunited, a real tearjerker that I would recommend reading with a box of tissues to hand. I really enjoyed it, and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

This was not my first book by Glenda Young however I have not yet read all of her novels. I shall look for the next as well
However, how ever much I enjoyed reading this, I felt that it should have been a two book series - rather than crammed all in one novel.
I felt quite cheated when the narrative moved on 10 years - completely bypassing the First World War - and again I found the epilogue disappointing. I felt I wanted to know more about what happened during these phases.
I felt both sisters deserved that their stories, when they were separated, deserved more detail.
To provide any more detail would be to spoil the story for others

I live quite near Ryhope so although I am new to the area, I can imagine what the area might have looked like at the time. It is still a quaint and picturesque part of the coastline. Glenda Young obviously knows the area very well and describes this and the times expertly - she obviously does a great deal of research.

Having said that I kept reading and wanted to know what happened right till the end - I would also have loved the jam tart recipe.

Another great historical read from Glenda - thank you.

Really enjoyed this tale about Poppy and Rose are taken in by widow Nellie Harper but are separated for years. Loved the thread running through how they lined fur each other and lived separate lives - I don’t want to give the storyline away but if you like a novel that’s full of emotion and a page turner this book would be just the ticket. A great read

I just love these kind of books, although quite sad, I do find them incredibly uplifting. The two sisters, Poppy and Rose were orphaned at a young age, went to live with a cruel relative. Then split up when one of them was sold.

Told in a way you could almost be there. I liked how the story was split into the younger years and as the girls become adults and are reunited. I just loved this emotional storyline that will tug on your heartstrings. I really didnt want it to end and was left wanting to know more. Loved it from cover to cover and I'm already looking forward to reading more from Glenda

Another beautifully written book full of atmosphere and emotion, with characters that you come to love and you will them on to a better life.5*

Yet again Glenda gives us a heartbreaking saga!
As orphans Poppy and Rose are taken in by Nellie Harper who doesn’t feed them properly which forces them to thieve from the local shop owned by Ambrose & Ella Trewhitt who actually feel sorry for the girls. Unlike Nellie who sees a way to make money from them, could this force the girls to be parted.
My favourite character was Lil Mahone.
This is a must read.

Just loved the story of Poppy and Rose and the connection the two sisters had until Rose is torn away from Poppy. A story of love for family and never giving up, Poppy believed her sister dead and with a family to care for she mourned her sister in a quiet spot in the local church yard until the day it all changed.
Loved the story and will look forward to the next book for Glenda Young
My thanks as always to NetGalley and publisher Headline for the early read.

Ryhope village Sunderland 1909.
Orphan sister's Poppy and Rose Thomas live in the barn with knocker upper Nellie Harper, she gave no love to them both, sharing a pair of boots, taking turns going to school, cleaned cooked and chased the mice, Nellie's brother Norman runs and owns the farm so why does she live in the barn.
Creepy Malcolm Scurrfield does a deal with her and after tossing a sixpence he buys Rose from her he doesn't want to upset his wife and takes Rose away on Christmas Eve and Poppy promises to find her one day and bring her back to Ryhope.
Two sisters separated it's many years later before they are reunited.
I loved this read, a stand alone book that will pull at your heartstrings as you read.
The love that has been written will set your emotions going up and down in every chapter.
With a few well known characters added in as a bonus from her previous books.
The secret recipe of shop keepers Ambrose and Ella Trewhitts jam tarts will live on in Poppy and her family for many years to come.
This book will leave flutters in your tummy and tears in your eyes as the author writes the history of Ryhope Village to hold in your hearts. 5 stars.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

Family saga at its best page turner that just kept you wanting more. Heartbreaking emotional

Brilliant author