Listen free for 30 days
-
The Orphanage
- Absolutely Heartbreaking Historical Fiction (Shilling Grange Children’s Home, Book 1)
- Narrated by: Emily Barber
- Series: Shilling Grange Children’s Home, Book 1
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £22.89
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
A Place to Call Home
- Shilling Grange Children’s Home, Book 2
- By: Lizzie Page
- Narrated by: Emily Barber
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Clara Newton’s fiancé died during World War Two, she thought her life was over. But now, she looks after orphans who, like her, lost everything during the war. Children like sweet little Peg, who won’t speak, and Joyce, whose body was scarred by polio. But then, Clara receives some terrible news. The orphanage is going to be sold and the children sent far away. With wealthy buyers lined up to purchase Shilling Grange and a ship already docked waiting to carry the children away, Clara is desperate. She must find loving new homes for them quickly, but time is running out.
-
-
So much BIG into one little book!
- By Michelle Dixon on 26-02-22
-
The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl
- By: AnneMarie Brear
- Narrated by: Anne Dover
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Yorkshire Dales, 1850. As a terrible storm rages, Annabelle Wallis is shocked to find a distressed young woman at her cottage door, heavy with child. Moments later a baby girl is born. But by dawn, the mother has vanished, leaving behind the helpless child wrapped only in a silk peacock shawl. When news spreads that Lady Eliza Hartley, sister to a wealthy estate owner, has been found dead, Annabelle realises the terrible secret she has stumbled on. Terrified she’ll be blamed for Eliza’s death, Annabelle flees to the slums of York, where she plans to raise the orphan as her own.
-
-
Brilliant
- By barbara on 20-03-22
-
When I Was Yours
- By: Lizzie Page
- Narrated by: Jenny Funnell
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1939. War has broken out - hundreds of children are evacuated to the countryside to keep them safe from the bombs raining down on London. Wrenched from her family in the East End and sent more than a hundred miles away, seven-year-old Pearl Posner must adapt to a new life away from everything familiar. Vivienne didn’t ask for an evacuee child. In fact, she’s not sure her heart can take it. So many years, so many disappointments....
-
-
A breath of fresh Air
- By Amazon Customer on 29-05-21
-
The Black Mountains
- By: Janet Tanner
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 20 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Hall family live under the brooding shadow of the Black Mountains, in the mining town of Hillsbridge. Charlotte, James and their seven children are independent spirits, united by strong family values. Living in a mining community is never easy, and when the shadow of impending war threatens, they must pull together to face the hardship to come. Can this close-knit family overcome whatever tragedy life throws at them?
-
-
The black mountains
- By C A Saunders on 04-01-21
-
The Workhouse Sisters
- Workhouse to War
- By: Kay Brellend
- Narrated by: Annie Aldington
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After escaping the grip of the workhouse, Lily has kept her fiancé's business afloat while he is away fighting on the Western Front. Still battling on, she's now doing her bit for her country as an auxiliary nurse - but one thing above all else continues to weigh heavily on her heart: her long-lost sister. Born just before her mother died, the scandal was hushed-up and the baby spirited away. But now, at last, there is hope Lily could find her little sister for she has a clue to go on: the name of the notorious baby farmer who bought the child all those years ago. Mrs Jolley.
-
-
Fact mixed with fiction at its best!
- By Vespatini on 03-06-22
-
The Forgotten Girls
- A Completely Heartbreaking World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Lizzie Page
- Narrated by: Naomi Frederick
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1943. German bombs rain down on London, but Elaine Parker knows her job transcribing letters from far-away prisoners of war is more important than her own safety. As she pores over each tearful letter from a soldier to his family far away, she's not only making sure the notes reach their destinations, but also looking for secret messages hidden between the lines to help the allies win the war.
-
-
It was an very interesting story right from the start and I recommend it as first read
- By Kindle Customer on 22-12-20
-
A Place to Call Home
- Shilling Grange Children’s Home, Book 2
- By: Lizzie Page
- Narrated by: Emily Barber
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Clara Newton’s fiancé died during World War Two, she thought her life was over. But now, she looks after orphans who, like her, lost everything during the war. Children like sweet little Peg, who won’t speak, and Joyce, whose body was scarred by polio. But then, Clara receives some terrible news. The orphanage is going to be sold and the children sent far away. With wealthy buyers lined up to purchase Shilling Grange and a ship already docked waiting to carry the children away, Clara is desperate. She must find loving new homes for them quickly, but time is running out.
-
-
So much BIG into one little book!
- By Michelle Dixon on 26-02-22
-
The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl
- By: AnneMarie Brear
- Narrated by: Anne Dover
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Yorkshire Dales, 1850. As a terrible storm rages, Annabelle Wallis is shocked to find a distressed young woman at her cottage door, heavy with child. Moments later a baby girl is born. But by dawn, the mother has vanished, leaving behind the helpless child wrapped only in a silk peacock shawl. When news spreads that Lady Eliza Hartley, sister to a wealthy estate owner, has been found dead, Annabelle realises the terrible secret she has stumbled on. Terrified she’ll be blamed for Eliza’s death, Annabelle flees to the slums of York, where she plans to raise the orphan as her own.
-
-
Brilliant
- By barbara on 20-03-22
-
When I Was Yours
- By: Lizzie Page
- Narrated by: Jenny Funnell
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1939. War has broken out - hundreds of children are evacuated to the countryside to keep them safe from the bombs raining down on London. Wrenched from her family in the East End and sent more than a hundred miles away, seven-year-old Pearl Posner must adapt to a new life away from everything familiar. Vivienne didn’t ask for an evacuee child. In fact, she’s not sure her heart can take it. So many years, so many disappointments....
-
-
A breath of fresh Air
- By Amazon Customer on 29-05-21
-
The Black Mountains
- By: Janet Tanner
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 20 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Hall family live under the brooding shadow of the Black Mountains, in the mining town of Hillsbridge. Charlotte, James and their seven children are independent spirits, united by strong family values. Living in a mining community is never easy, and when the shadow of impending war threatens, they must pull together to face the hardship to come. Can this close-knit family overcome whatever tragedy life throws at them?
-
-
The black mountains
- By C A Saunders on 04-01-21
-
The Workhouse Sisters
- Workhouse to War
- By: Kay Brellend
- Narrated by: Annie Aldington
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After escaping the grip of the workhouse, Lily has kept her fiancé's business afloat while he is away fighting on the Western Front. Still battling on, she's now doing her bit for her country as an auxiliary nurse - but one thing above all else continues to weigh heavily on her heart: her long-lost sister. Born just before her mother died, the scandal was hushed-up and the baby spirited away. But now, at last, there is hope Lily could find her little sister for she has a clue to go on: the name of the notorious baby farmer who bought the child all those years ago. Mrs Jolley.
-
-
Fact mixed with fiction at its best!
- By Vespatini on 03-06-22
-
The Forgotten Girls
- A Completely Heartbreaking World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Lizzie Page
- Narrated by: Naomi Frederick
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1943. German bombs rain down on London, but Elaine Parker knows her job transcribing letters from far-away prisoners of war is more important than her own safety. As she pores over each tearful letter from a soldier to his family far away, she's not only making sure the notes reach their destinations, but also looking for secret messages hidden between the lines to help the allies win the war.
-
-
It was an very interesting story right from the start and I recommend it as first read
- By Kindle Customer on 22-12-20
-
The Orphan Girl
- By: Chrissie Walsh
- Narrated by: Penelope Freeman
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
West Yorkshire, 1901. When Eli Simmonite takes in a heavily pregnant woman fleeing from peril, he feels sure no good will come of it. After all, settled folk don't need much reason to take against the travellers, so having one seek safety amongst his people is unheard of. When danger comes knocking, they leave devastation in their wake. Eli is left with the baby girl and his orphaned grandson; a reminder of the offer of aid that cost him his family. With no kin but the adopted family who hold her responsible for their demise, Rosie is filled with questions of her past.
-
The Runaway Children
- By: Lindsey Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Annie Aldington
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In two run-down houses, at the side of a barren Black Country heath, live six children with no family but each other. Abandoned or orphaned, every day is a fight to find food and keep warm. But they are determined to stay free of the clutches of the workhouse and the horrors that would face them if they were ever torn apart. Dora Parsons lives with her mother, Mary, and her evil grandmother, Edith. Edith’s house may be comfortable and warm, and food is plentiful, but every day, Dora suffers at the hands of her spiteful gran.
-
-
This is a 'must read/listenin'
- By osteo1 on 19-06-22
-
Children of Fortune
- By: Val Wood
- Narrated by: Anne Dover
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the untimely death of her husband, Beatrix and her three children are finally free. While Ambrose has already determined his path in life, eldest son Laurie's future is less certain. Meanwhile, headstrong and independent Alicia is defying expectation and excelling at school. There, she befriends the enigmatic Olivia Snowdon and they quickly become inseparable. But Olivia's family past is shrouded in mystery and as she begins to dig deeper secrets come tumbling out.
-
-
fabulous
- By A. Richards on 28-12-21
-
The Stolen Baby
- By: Diney Costeloe
- Narrated by: Georgia Maguire
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Plymouth, 1941. As sirens blare all around, the Shawbrook family take refuge in a packed shelter. Bombs have already begun to fall through the night sky when they realise their infant son, Freddie, has been forgotten in the rush, left to sleep in his crib. Terrified, Vera, his young mother, races to find him and bring him to safety. The next morning, air raid warden David Shawbrook returns from his watch to find the shelter pulverised, and his family seemingly all dead. Dirty footprints inside their home betray the looters who have rifled through the house.
-
-
Great book!
- By Linda jauncey on 05-10-21
-
A Daughter's Destiny
- By: Rosie Goodwin
- Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Warwickshire, 1875 Emerald Pritchard has lived a privileged life with her parents and her younger sister, Abigail, in the stately Astley House on the outskirts of Nuneaton. But all that suddenly changes when her father disappears leaving the family in debt. They are forced to throw themselves on the mercy of Emerald's uncle who begrudgingly allows them to live in a small cottage within the grounds of his farm.
-
-
Brilliant 👏
- By Mrs. B. Hughes on 27-04-22
-
The Runaway Orphans
- By: Pam Weaver
- Narrated by: Rachel Atkins
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Desperate to escape their stepfather’s house, sisters Amy and Lillian stow away aboard a train full of children being evacuated from London and the threat of Hitler’s bombs. Arriving in the seaside town of Worthing, they are taken in by kindly Norah and her husband, Jim. With their future now entrusted to strangers, can the girls finally find a safe harbour in these dark days of war? And will they find the strength to confront what they have been running from, when their past finally catches up with them?
-
-
Another perfect book
- By Steve Kennard on 12-06-22
-
The Winter Rose
- By: Rita Bradshaw
- Narrated by: Colleen Prendergast
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s December 1902, and Rose O’Leary is looking forward to her baby girl’s first Christmas. But then tragedy strikes: her husband dies at the shipyard where he works, and within days his friend Nathaniel makes it plain he’s determined to have her. Rose flees with her child but soon finds the world is a cruel place for a beautiful woman with no protection. More tragedy ensues, and yet, although she’s bruised and broken, Rose is a fighter.
-
The Orphan's Secret
- A Totally Gripping and Emotional World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Shirley Dickson
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1941: Life has always been cruel to Ethel. Raised in an orphanage by a merciless mistress, she never knew the meaning of love. And now she has fallen for the one man who is forbidden to her - Karl, a German held captive in the local prisoner-of-war camp. He might be the enemy, but he has her heart. When Ethel discovers she’s pregnant, she is labelled a traitor and shunned by all. The love of her life is torn away from her, but she vows to protect their precious daughter. But the unthinkable happens....
-
-
Trigger Warning - Miscarriage/Infant Loss
- By Shell Woodhouse on 07-02-22
-
The Rose Queen
- By: Katie Flynn
- Narrated by: Anne Dover
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1938, and Cadi is chosen to be Rose Queen in the annual Rose Fete. She is thrilled to be treated like royalty for the day. But deep down she is desperate to leave the Welsh mining community where she grew up. When war is declared, Cadi and her best friend, Poppy, see a chance to escape. Cadi leaves behind her parents and local boy Aled, whom she is meant to marry, for Liverpool.
-
-
Th3 Rose Queen
- By anny on 24-02-22
-
Lie a Little
- A Heart-Warming Victorian Family Saga (The Faredene Trilogy, Book 1)
- By: Debra Delaney
- Narrated by: Alex Lee
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Endless years of a lonely, childless spinster’s life stretching ahead, Victoria Kavanagh finds an abandoned baby. She knows it’s the answer to her prayers. Or is it? Has she stolen him in a moment of madness? She’s come close to it before. Desperate to keep him, she creates a past of her own design and moves to Faredene, but is her new life far enough away from the past she’s trying to escape? What a framework on which to build - one of lies and deceit.
-
-
Great Listen
- By Dab Reader on 19-03-22
-
The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon
- By: Suzanne Goldring
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Florence, 1943. As the bells toll in the solemn dark streets and enemy soldiers loiter by the city’s beautiful bridges, schoolgirl Gabriella is racked with guilt. She is ashamed of the crush she had on the soldier with raven-black hair, a crush that allowed a secret notebook to fall into the hands of the enemy. Faced with her brother’s haunted eyes and the prospect of never seeing her father again, Gabriella is determined to make things right. She seeks out her old schoolfriend Stefanina, an unlikely member of the Italian resistance with her beautiful curls and scarlet ribbon.
-
-
A must read!
- By Amazon Customer on 21-03-22
-
A Mother’s Betrayal
- By: Emma Hornby
- Narrated by: Julia Franklin
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Manchester, 1867. Mara longs for a peaceful life free of violence and poverty. But she has married into the O'Hara family, who have a reputation for their drunkenness and quick tempers. Her eldest stepson, Conrad, is the worst of them all - a brute and a criminal who makes Mara's life a misery. But then Conrad is accused of a crime he didn't commit, and Mara is the only one who can prove his innocence. Perhaps this is her chance to finally free her family from his toxic influence....
-
-
enjoyed every minute
- By Maria Meagher on 08-04-22
Summary
Shilling Grange Orphanage, England, 1948. She was their only hope. Now they are hers. A gritty, heartbreaking, and unforgettable story of love and hope in the darkest of times.
Clara Newton is the new Housemother of Shilling Grange Orphanage. Many of the children have been bombed out of their homes and left without families, their lives torn apart by the war, just like Clara’s. Devastated by the loss of her fiancé, a brave American pilot, she is just looking for a place to start again.
But the orphans are in desperate need of her help. Funds are short, children cry out in the night, and tearful Rita tells Clara terrible stories about the nuns who previously ran Shilling Grange. Clara cannot bear to see them suffer, but what does she know about how to look after eight little ones?
Clara can’t get anything right, and then she accidentally ruins Rita’s only memento of her mother. Overwhelmed, she wonders if they’d be better off without her. But she’s not completely alone. Living next door is Ivor: ex-Shilling Grange resident, war hero, and handyman with deep brown eyes. He doesn’t trust Clara and she is fiercely independent, but he has a way with the children. And with his support and the help of other locals, Clara begins to find her way.
As she heals from her grief and adjusts to her new life, Clara wonders if she has finally found her home and family among the orphans. Can she find the strength to fight for them when nobody else will? And dare she open her heart to love again?
More from the same
What listeners say about The Orphanage
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- nannienorff
- 15-11-21
The Orphanage
loved this book. most entertaining. Couldn't stop listening to it. Thank you very much.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michelle Dixon
- 16-10-21
loved it, really loved it!
I loved the narrator's voice. very apt for every character.
It made me cry and made me laugh. Lots of twists and absolutely not predictable!
just when you think you wish
there was a book two, she tells you that too.
I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone
Thankyou very much Lizzie Page, and Emily Barber for one of the best
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- D. Gross
- 30-08-21
I loved it.
I purchased the audible book and I enjoyed the storyline and the narrator. I will be looking forward to the next book.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- MaggieMagoo
- 02-12-21
What a wonderful book !!
If you love a very good story that you can't predict the ending of, this is It! Set in post WWII, a beautiful young woman gets let go of her job in London and faces a very limited job market as in the 50's weren't supposed to work outside the home. She ended up taking a job being a House Mother in a small orphanage far off in a small town in the English country side. From there, the story becomes a story of personal discovery. Can she manage an orphanage herself? What makes her think she can manage several children with a variety of problems when she has absolutely no experience? And what about her personal life? Will she ever find a man so wonderful as Michael: her American GI fiancée who died in the war?
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- cmhadleyrn
- 19-11-21
Great book. Reading needed gaps
Great story. Great narration except there were not any needed gaps between paragraphs or moving into another subject. I found it to be a little offsetting and odd.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jan
- 29-04-22
found it hard to follow and boring.
struggled to finish it. i found it difficult to follow and the story boring.