The Girl on the Doorstep by Lindsey Hutchinson
Published: 7th August 2018
Publisher: Aria
Pages: 494
Available on Kindle
Rating: 4/5
Blurb
Left an orphan, five-year-old Rosie Harris is
found and raised by Maria, a Romany gypsy. Life on the road is hard, but the
little girl soon feels one of the tribe with the travellers.
As she grows older, Rosie realises she has
‘second sight’ and is able to read people’s palms and see into their futures.
Needing to make a living of her own, she befriends the canal folk, known as the
‘cut-rats’ traversing the Black Country waterways with their cargo, and so
offers readings to anyone who can pay.
Pursued by Jake Harding, a Romany bandolier who
wants her for his wife, Rosie instead finds herself falling in love with a
married man. And despite growing ominous signs that her future may be cursed,
Rosie can’t quite break away from the dream of a happily ever after…
Lindsey Hutchinson is a master storyteller, and
her Black Country sagas are heart-breaking, uplifting and truly addictive.
Review
Lindsey Hutchinson latest novel set in the Black Country
centres around the life of Rosie Harris. Orphaned at just five Rosie spent much
of her childhood growing up with gypsy Marie and living the Romany way of life.
It’s here that Rosie has the gift of “second sight” and can read palms, a skill
which comes in handy when Marie dies, and Rosie is left alone once more.
Seeking solace with the “cut-rats”, the name given to the cannel folk at the
time, Rosie settles into life afloat and its here where she finds herself
falling in love with an older, married man. Rosie’s longs for her happy ever
after but is met with disaster so often she begins to lose hope. The only man who’s
ever shown her love is gypsy bandolier Jake Harding, a man Rosie has no
intention of marrying.
Like previous novels by Ms. Hutchinson that I have read I
was soon addicted to Rosie and her plight for happiness. Life on the “cut” has
really been brought to life through the vivid array of characters which Rosie
meets. Most of the characters were likeable, my favourite being Margy Mitchell.
The cannel folk and the gypsies all had a grit and determination to make an
honest living despite being viewed by most of society as outcasts and a lower
social class than people of the land and the town. I loved the loyalty and spirit
which flowed through these two communities, especially down by the cannel where
even strangers were given a bed aboard a boat if needed.
I loved all the twists and turns which Rosie and the wider
Mitchell family faced as they all looked for work and their own piece of
happiness. With so many threads developed during the story I was a little disappointed
with the ending as I felt the story ended abruptly in the final chapter. I was
rather hoping there was going to be a sequel as I felt there was more story
which could have been told, but this is a feeling I always get when I’m really
enjoying a family saga.
The Girl on the Doorstep is a wonderful tale of love,
loyalty and family deceptions and it’s a novel which will keep you hooked until
the very end. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys family sagas with
plenty of twists, turns, laughter and tears.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for
sending me a copy to review and to Aria for inviting me to be part of the blog
tour.
About the Author
Lindsey lives in Shropshire with her husband and
dog. She loves to read and has recently discovered photography. Lindsey is the
daughter of million-copy bestselling author Meg Hutchinson.
Follow
Twitter: @LHutchAuthor
Facebook: @Lindsey Hutchinson
Buy links:
Amazon: mybook.to/TheGirlOnTheDoorstep
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2z5VMlf
iBooks: https://apple.co/2uJjGya
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2KIHKL4
Follow Aria
Website: www.ariafiction.com
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction
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