Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans (Cathy Sharp).

"Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans" - художественный роман популярного автора "The Orphans of Halfpenny Street". Книга рассказывает историю маленьких близняшек Сары и Саманты, оставшихся совершенно одни в мире. Когда их мать умерла при родах Сары, отец обвинил девочку в этом и стал еще более злым и жестоким с ней из-за ее умственной отсталости. Наконец, он бросил их обеих, и они нашли убежище в детском доме St Saviour's в Восточном Лондоне. Казалось бы, им предстоит расставание, ведь никто не хочет брать Сару, но жизнь в разлуке разорвет их сердца.

Алиса, бывшая работница детского дома, которая теперь мать и счастливо замужем за Бобом, оказывается под угрозой, когда в ее жизни появляется человек из прошлого. Джек Шоу, бандит из Восточного Лондона, всегда был слабым местом Алисы, но собирается ли она реально пожертвовать всем ради него?

Анжела Мортон теперь полностью отвечает за детский дом, и ей предстоит справиться с многочисленными проблемами и заботами. Но к Рождеству, когда многие дети нуждаются в помощи, St Saviour's нуждается в настоящем чуде... Книга захватывающая и эмоциональная и понравится поклонникам произведений Надин Доррис и Шейлы Джеффрис.

Award-winning writer Cathy Sharp returns to fiction with an emotional family drama that explores birth and loss, forgiveness and love.

Twins, Sarah and Sam, have always shared a close bond, until cancer claimed their mother's life after she gave birth to just one child, Sarah. alienated from his own daughter, Milo Evans' cruelty had ensured she would be left an orphan. Always clever but wayward, as she grew, Sarah created a security net where the abandoned twin sister, Sam, would be safe. Abandoned by Milo when they were thirteen and lashed out to further reinforce the separation, the girls came into the care of the refuge; there they joined other children who were also orphans or with special needs and facing difficult challenges, such as Johnnie, who had cerebral palsy. Sam had been blinded in most of her life but knew each member of the huge family by heart and relied on her compassionate nature to find her way around. Meanwhile, Sarah opened up the family soul to their unremitting struggles. As they both aged, their strong bonds became even stronger until a big blow: Milo exhibited violent tendencies towards his wife, leading her to commit suicide. He then left the children alone and vulnerable yet beautiful images of one day adopting Sarah emerged of a stable, middle-class family who would look after her grandchildren - letting Sarah know she wouldn't be so alone. Yet another blow struck when the hospice care aged Angela Deadman passed on leaving Ms Morton, an experienced head of care, in charge. Against the odds Christmas would bring hope to the underachieving refuge; meetings with fun and festive spirit became apparent, some revelations among staff, notably Alice Graham and Audrey, sniffing a romance unfolding, allowing Sarah to explore her sexuality for the first time and preventing Morgan Budd from passing into drink and drugs. By the same stroke Jack Shaw arrived, pitching an offer to provide foster carers and helps fund tough services for the skilled Alice and Audrey. What ensued were twists, turns, unlikely parallel stories and a sudden sense of Christmas.[