The Orphan With No Name

England, 1942: ‘Will I ever find my mammy or daddy?’ She looks up, her bright blue eyes full of unshed tears, and the kind nurse gently says, ‘Sweetheart, if you can’t remember your own name, I don’t think you’ll ever find them…’

Waking up in a rickety hospital bed, the sweet ten-year-old girl with soft blonde hair and flushed cheeks is lucky to be alive. But all she can remember is the screech of the air raid siren. The nurses call her ‘Rosie’, and hope someone will save her. But no one does, and without a family, she is taken to Blakely Orphanage in Scotland under the supervision of the strict Miss Black.

The only glimmer of hope is her new friend Alice, the two lost girls decide to become make-believe sisters. They help each other through the long, hard hours with Miss Black standing over them as they work in silence, wondering if they will ever escape.

One day, Rosie watches a beautiful woman in a pretty dress and a tall, handsome man step through the gates. Her heart squeezes as she hopes they might be her mammy and daddy. But Rosie’s heart shatters when they take the hand of a little boy and leave the orphanage.

Slowly, Rosie begins to piece together the mystery of her past despite Alice telling her they don’t need any adults. But if she does find her mammy and daddy, will she remember them? And will she ever have a happy family again – or is there more heartache to come?

From the bestselling author of The Orphan Sisters comes a page-turning and unputdownable World War Two story of a little girl who loses everything and her journey to finding a place she can call home. Perfect for fans of Lisa Wingate, Nadine Dorries and Diney Costeloe.

What readers are saying about Shirley Dickson:

‘THIS. BOOK. WAS. AMAZING. It made me sob so bad… Beautiful… Everything was perfect.’ The Confessions of a Music and Book Addict, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Right from the very first page this book had me sucked right in. I didn’t want to stop reading it. I was hooked… Utterly fantastic story… Heartbreaking… I will admit to shedding tears. So tissues are a necessitywhen reading this absolutely awesome book.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Completely captivated me… Completely heartwarming and uplifting… Managed to leave me with a smile on my face and a happy feeling in my heart… I was caught at the very first page and didn’t put it down until I’d finished it!… You will absolutely love this!!… Such a wonderful read!!!’ Stardust Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow… Not sure how I can write this with my tears streaming, what a book. I loved everything about it, fabulous. Top tip, have tissues ready.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh, what a gorgeous book this is! Shirley Dickson is a master of historical fiction…Superb… An emotional rollercoaster that manages to be both heartbreaking and heartwarming, this epic novel will have you completely spellbound. I loved it.’ SIBZZREADS,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An incredibly heartbreaking story that I could not put down… Fantastic… Warning: Tissue alert!!!… Kept me reading through the night.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Outstanding… What a fantastic page-turner!… Heart-breaking… Keep the tissues handy because you will need them!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A gripping storyline from beginning to the end!… So compelling that I was brought to tears… I would give it more than 5 stars if I could!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What an overwhelming, heart-touching book. This book is so perfect… So emotional… This author deserves 5 perfect stars.’ The Book Chic Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐