Listen and read

Step into an infinite world of stories

  • Listen and read as much as you want
  • Over 400 000+ titles
  • Bestsellers in 10+ Indian languages
  • Exclusive titles + Storytel Originals
  • Easy to cancel anytime
Subscribe now
Details page - Device banner - 894x1036

The Love Child

92 Ratings

4.1

Duration
12H 15min
Language
English
Format
Category

Fiction

The unmissable new novel from Rachel Hore, Sunday Times bestselling author of Last Letter Home, a 2018 Richard and Judy Book club pick.

‘A gorgeous and deeply absorbing story’ TRACY REES

London, 1917 When nineteen-year-old Alice Copeman becomes pregnant, she is forced by her father and stepmother to give up the baby. She simply cannot be allowed to bring shame upon her family. But all Alice can think about is the small, kitten-like child she gave away, and she mourns the father, a young soldier, so beloved, who will never have the chance to know his daughter. Edith and Philip Burns, a childless couple, yearn for a child of their own. When they secretly adopt a baby girl, Irene, their life together must surely be complete. Irene grows up knowing that she is different from other children, but no one will tell her the full truth. Putting hopes of marriage and children behind her, Alice embarks upon a pioneering medical career, striving to make her way in a male-dominated world. Meanwhile, Irene struggles to define her own life, eventually leaving her Suffolk home to find work in London. As two extraordinary stories intertwine across two decades, will secrets long-buried at last come to light? Brilliantly evoking the changing attitudes of the time, The Love Child is a novel about love, family, separation, despair and hope, full of tenderness and deep feeling.

'Simply stunning . . . I savoured every moment of this moving story of love, loss and, ultimately, forgiveness. The Love Child is an absolutely beautiful book and, in my view, Rachel’s best so far’ DINAH JEFFERIES

'This tender account, spanning two generations, reveals how the loss affects mother and child across the years. A story that stirs the deepest emotions' WOMAN & HOME

'A poignant story, rich in period detail' SUNDAY MIRROR

‘An emotive and thought-provoking read . . . My heart went out to both these two women as they faced such difficult personal decisions that would change their lives forever’ ROSANNA LEY

'Rachel's stories are always absorbing and intricately woven and The Love Child is no exception. This is a wonderfully moving tale of love and loss, hope and eventual reconciliation, and I very much enjoyed it' BARBARA ERSKINE

'I found her writing warm, compassionate in this story about one girl's search for her true identity amidst the secrets and dynamics of her adopted family. It had a realism about the poignancy of illegitimacy in this prewar setting' LEAH FLEMING

'The Love Child is a hugely compelling, poignant and moving read. Rachel has great skill as a storyteller and readers are sure to be engrossed and swept away by her clever double-stranded tale' JANE JOHNSON

© 2020 W. F. Howes Ltd (Audiobook): 9781528891875

Release date

Audiobook: 9 January 2020

Others also enjoyed ...

  1. The Midnight Rose: A spellbinding tale of everlasting love from the bestselling author of The Seven Sisters series Lucinda Riley
  2. The Four Winds: From the multimillion copy bestselling author of The Women and The Nightingale Kristin Hannah
  3. The Secret Wife: A captivating story of romance, passion and mystery Gill Paul
  4. The Seven Sisters: Escape with this epic tale of love and loss from the internationally beloved author Lucinda Riley
  5. Hothouse Flower Lucinda Riley
  6. In Love and War Liz Trenow
  7. The Rose Garden Tracy Rees
  8. The Girl in the Castle: A Novel Santa Montefiore
  9. The Indigo Girl: A Novel Natasha Boyd
  10. Under a Wartime Sky Liz Trenow
  11. The Nightingale: The Multimillion Copy Bestseller from the Author of The Women Kristin Hannah
  12. The Midwife: A Hauntingly Beautiful and Heartbreaking Historical Fiction Tricia Cresswell
  13. Another Life: From the multimillion copy bestselling author of The Women, The Nightingale and The Four Winds Kristin Hannah
  14. The Last Summer: A wild, romantic tale of opposites attract . . . Karen Swan
  15. The Silk Weaver Liz Trenow
  16. Mr Nobody Catherine Steadman
  17. The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II Madeline Martin
  18. The Rose Code: A Novel Kate Quinn
  19. All The Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr
  20. Resistance Women: A Novel Jennifer Chiaverini
  21. The Secret Seaside Escape: Enjoy the summer holidays with this heart-warming, feel-good romance from the Sunday Times bestseller! Heidi Swain
  22. The Secret Messenger Mandy Robotham
  23. Secrets of the Lighthouse Santa Montefiore
  24. Poppy's Recipe for Life: Treat yourself to the gloriously uplifting new book from the Sunday Times bestselling author! Heidi Swain
  25. The Spanish Promise: Escape to sun-soaked Spain with this spellbinding romance Karen Swan
  26. The Memory Garden Rachel Hore
  27. The Hidden Beach Karen Swan
  28. A Year at the Star and Sixpence Holly Hepburn
  29. The Girl They Left Behind: A Novel Roxanne Veletzos
  30. The House on Bellevue Gardens Rachel Hore
  31. Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence: feel-good fiction set in the perfect village pub! Holly Hepburn
  32. Something to Tell You: The perfect feel-good read from the bestselling author of The Beach Cafe Lucy Diamond
  33. The Last Letter from Juliet Melanie Hudson
  34. The Bookshop on the Corner: A Novel Jenny Colgan
  35. The Glass Painter's Daughter Rachel Hore
  36. All the Ways We Said Goodbye: A Novel of the Ritz Paris Karen White