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A review by booksbythewindow
The Foundling by Stacey Halls
For full review: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2022/03/30/the-foundling/
Summary: The Foundling follows the story of Bess Bright, a young fish seller in Georgian London who, unable to look after her daughter, takes her to a place called the Foundling Hospital. However, when she returns to collect Clara six years later, she discovers that someone else has already taken her using Bess’ name. Devastated, she risks everything to find her daughter, uncovering previously unknown information about Clara’s father as she does so.
Overall Thoughts: This was a novel that I really enjoyed and was a nice step back into a world of more historical fiction, a genre that I haven’t read much of recently. One of the aspects of The Foundling that makes it such an absorbing read is also one of the things that makes it incredibly difficult to summarise in detail: the twists of the plot. Despite the fact that The Foundling is actually fairly slow-paced and character-driven, Halls somehow manages to make it feel much faster than it is and reading it in one sitting definitely enhanced that feeling for me as a reader. The other aspect that stood out to me from The Foundling was the characterisation. There are two main characters whose perspectives the reader follows the narrative from, and both feel so real and distinct from each other. I would definitely recommend The Foundling to those with an interest in historical fiction with a focus on ordinary, flawed characters; it would also be a great novel for anyone looking for some escapism.
Summary: The Foundling follows the story of Bess Bright, a young fish seller in Georgian London who, unable to look after her daughter, takes her to a place called the Foundling Hospital. However, when she returns to collect Clara six years later, she discovers that someone else has already taken her using Bess’ name. Devastated, she risks everything to find her daughter, uncovering previously unknown information about Clara’s father as she does so.
Overall Thoughts: This was a novel that I really enjoyed and was a nice step back into a world of more historical fiction, a genre that I haven’t read much of recently. One of the aspects of The Foundling that makes it such an absorbing read is also one of the things that makes it incredibly difficult to summarise in detail: the twists of the plot. Despite the fact that The Foundling is actually fairly slow-paced and character-driven, Halls somehow manages to make it feel much faster than it is and reading it in one sitting definitely enhanced that feeling for me as a reader. The other aspect that stood out to me from The Foundling was the characterisation. There are two main characters whose perspectives the reader follows the narrative from, and both feel so real and distinct from each other. I would definitely recommend The Foundling to those with an interest in historical fiction with a focus on ordinary, flawed characters; it would also be a great novel for anyone looking for some escapism.