The Orphans – Fiona McIntosh
This month I read a number of books, but this one by Fiona McIntosh touched me deeply.
“The Orphans” written 2022, tells a tale of two children age ten and eleven meeting under very sad circumstances. Young Tom who had to say goodbye to his mum Moira and baby sister Amy. And Fleur, the undertakers daughter who has the gift to help bereaved family. This one time meeting between the two children stayed with them into adult hood.
Toms dad, Vern, was a drover on a large sheep station. While away droving, his wife and baby died. Moira was Verns true love, and he was totally devastated at her passing. So devastated that poor Tom was neglected by him and had to console himself. The property owners did their best to make sure he was fed, clothed and educated. Tom spent a number of years in the shearing shed learning the fine points of a wool classer. It was an accident in the shed that caused Tom to want to make a change and do something different, so he travelled by rail to Adelaide, looking for a new job.
Both being adults and neither being married Tom and Fleur had a chance meeting at a dance. Fleur being escorted by a drunk coffin maker call Jimmy, while Tom was out with a male friend, he had made at his new job. Tom interrupted a squabble between Fleur and Jimmy, by asking her to dance, this led Tom walking Fleur home and arranging another meeting.
Fleurs life gets turned upside down when her loving father dies suspiciously. Fleur suspects her conniving step mother Urma of poisoning him.
These two young people have so much to give each other and evil people are trying to tear them apart for their own personal gain. But as the old saying goes “true love finds away”
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