In twentieth-century England, many working-class people were victims of values and circumstances not of their own making. They were people to whom things were done to, not for. Billy and Tommy Jones and their mother, Mary, were such people. The boys were born out of wedlock at a time when such a thing was regarded as a disgrace -the sins of the father being visited on the sons. Neither boy knows they have a brother - it is to be a dark family secret between the Catholic church and Mary, the boy's mother.
The trajectory of the boy's lives takes them to different parts of the world where they suffer the consequences of circumstances beyond their control which they must confront and resolve.
Billy is injured in WW2, falls in love with his nurse, and is left struggling with shellshock after being discharged from the army. Eventually, through the kindness and compassion of strangers, he regains his health and, in a surprising turn of events, learns the truth about his birth.
Tommy is a victim of the British Home Child program and is sent to Canada when he is thirteen to work on a five-year indenture labor contract on a dairy farm in Quebec. When his contract ends, he travels to Jersey, a Channel Island, just before the Germans invade and occupy the island. To avoid capture and deportation to Germany, Tommy becomes resourceful in surprising ways.
The Soldier and the Orphan is a fast-paced, emotionally packed novel with strong characters and surprising twists. It will elicit unexpected tears of joy and sadness as the story touches on colonialist attitudes, discrimination, love, and tragedy. And for readers wanting an extra taste of mystery and suspense. The Soldier and the Orphan brews up a good share of deceits and secrets, and even murder as the novel threads to a powerful, heart-warming conclusion.
The Soldier and the Orphan will appeal to readers of all ages and backgrounds but will be of special interest to those who have traced their Canadian ancestry back to a British Home Child. Readers who enjoyed the Orphan Train and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will enjoy the unique plots and settings of this novel.
