Book Review: The Red Cross Orphans by Glynis Peters

“Listen, we both feel useless, but that’s what Hitler wants. He wants us all to feel crushed and defeated. You and I have to be somewhere in the morning. Right now, it doesn’t seem like an important journey, but we both know once we get to our final destinations, we will not have time on our hands to feel useless.”

Glynis Peters, The Red Cross Orphans

Review:

A touching WWII story focused on friendship, love, and aiding those in need.

Kitty, an orphan who grew up in the care of her aunt and uncle, enlists with the Red Cross. There, she meets Trixie and Jo, and the three form a strong friendship as they navigate some of the most gruesome parts of the war. Though it’s trying, Kitty is applauded for her strong stomach and for keeping cool in a crisis. During this time, she also meets Michael, a Canadian doctor who brings a bit of romance to her life.

Kitty grows quite a bit in the story, getting stronger with every trial be it tending to those hurt in the bombings, taking care of displaced and orphaned children, and the bumps in the road that go along with wartime relationships. She is dedicated to her call to nursing and rolls with every punch. It was also interesting reading about the Red Cross work.

I enjoyed the book and I see the potential for the series, however, most of the book felt like a build-up to something that never came. As this is Book One in the series, I’m hopeful that the slow pace and lengthy character introductions will be worth it when picking up Book Two. Kitty, Michael, and the others are sweet and I look forward to continuing their story.

A huge thanks to HarperCollins/Harper360 for sending me a free copy of the book to read and review!

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The characters. While we sadly don’t get too deep a look at them (more on this in a moment), they are sweet and pleasant to read.
• The bombing-aftermath scenes. I found these to be the most immersive and they tugged on my heart the most.

What I didn’t like:

• The characters mostly remained on the surface. Even with Kitty’s inner dialogue, there was a distance.
• The lack of a solid plot point. There was a lot going on but aside from Trixie, Jo, and Michael, not much time was spent on any one topic or scenario.

Afterthoughts:

Ultimately, I did enjoy the book although I have some big quips. I’m invested enough that I’m looking forward to continuing the series. I’ve also purchased a Kindle copy due to traveling.

Where to buy the book: