"Lana and May are a very long way from home.
Their Nigerian parents have emigrated to England in search of a better life for their family. Nineteen Fifties London is a great adventure to the girls but not always welcoming. There are signs in windows of lodging houses warning: 'no blacks, no dogs, no Irish'.
When tragedy strikes and the girls lose their father, their mother is unable to cope. When she fails to recover from the surprise birth of another child all three girls are sent to an orphanage. Lana is determined to keep her sisters together but when baby Tina gets adopted, she must admit their family is about to be torn apart – perhaps for ever..."

This was a fascinating insight into those Nigerians that arrived in the 1950's, how they were welcomed/treated, their struggles and how difficult it was for them to be accepted into England.

I found the story of the three sisters to be engrossing, however, it dipped a bit in the middle of the book and I felt the ending was all rather swift after such a long build up to it, so only 3 stars from me.

I so loved this book!

It’s based from its starting point in 1950’s through to 1980’s.

Life was different in some respects in the 1950’s and racial prejudice was rife. I’m not saying it is not prevalent today, but it’s eased and there are equality rights in place.

Having children who are black back then with a family who came over to the UK and later being orphaned caused its sadness. But this book wasn’t sad throughout, it showed guts and determination for siblings to be together.

It didn’t pan out.

But they were determined.

I loved the solid writing in this novel. It flowed to well I was eagerly turning the pages.

I loved it.

The story is set in 1950’s London. A Nigerian family immigrates to England for a new life with wonderful opportunities. The whole family is so full of hope for their future in England, even though they’re not made to feel welcome.
“No blacks, no dogs, no Irish”
The children, Lanre and Mayowa Cole, are immediately thrown into the deep end once they arrive in this strange and unfamiliar setting even having to shorten their names to Lana and May to sound more ‘English’. As much as their new surroundings take some getting used to, their loving home life with their doting parents is their solace. That is until, tragedy strikes the house leaving Lana and May heartbroken. A surprise birth and further tragedy means the girls (and the baby) end up in a miserable and woeful care home where they must survive the cruel world they’ve been thrown into, a lifetime away from the happy home they once knew. This is a story of heartache, tragedy and drama, but also that of survival, love, and the strength of family.
Review
I have to say I have been a fan of Lola Jaye since I was 13 and read ‘By the time you read this’. Some of you may think that because I am a fan of the author, it bodes well with a review of her new book. However, I believe as my expectations was so high, it was really a question or not of whether the book lived up to my expectations. Well? It excelled them! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, believe me when I was hooked!
I read it on the train, the bus, with my lunch, in the evening, at 1 am in the morning when I was desperate to read ‘one more chapter’ (which turned into 4 or 5 more…) It is safe to say I was addicted to this book and devoured its contents page by page.
This book touches on a part of history I am sure most people would like to forget, but it’s an important part of the past and should be highlighted. I am sure the stories of Lana and May are not unusual; that of bullying, abuse, torment and racism. This book not only teaches the importance of family and overcoming ones past, but also heightens the kind of place the world was all those years ago. This story must have been researched a great deal and so I admire it even more. The writing style of Lola Jaye is unique and stunning, I cannot praise this book enough.
This book is a modern masterpiece with characters that will stay with you long after you’ve finished their story. Many times I was holding back tears whilst reading, both sad and happy. It was an incredibly moving novel I found thought-provoking and imaginative. A dramatically raw story concerning the bond between sisters and the strength of family. An outstanding book. Praise for Lola Jaye! I would recommend for anyone who likes historical fiction and dramas. I would also recommend to those who like authors such as Lesley Pearse and Katie Flynn but also to those who are interested in expanding their reading genre preferences. If you want to attempt anything new, please read this book. You will not be disappointed!

Lola Jaye is a brilliant author, and her story stayed with me for a very long time. Think the cover is perfect and can't wait to see what she does next.

Spanning three decades, Lola Jaye’s Orphan Sisters is an addictive, emotionally fulfilling read that focuses on a topic – black history – too rarely touched upon in the English saga genre. Pardon the cliché, but I stayed up too late to finish it.

In 1958, sisters Lanre and Mayowa Cole, aged 7 and 5, and their mother, Adanya, emigrate from Nigeria to Britain in search of a more prosperous life. At the London airport, they joyfully reunite with their father, Tayo, who's worked hard to prepare a new home for them.

Tayo is an optimist, and their loving parents try to shield the girls from their difficulties adjusting to their new surroundings. The climate is cold, and their apartment is cramped; the culture shock is difficult enough, but they also encounter overt racism and anti-immigrant bias.

Without straying from Lanre's viewpoint, the novel also lets readers see her parents’ reactions. Although she doesn’t understand the “Keep Britain White” pamphlet she finds on the ground, her mother definitely does. The girls take the names Lana and May for school in an attempt to help them fit in.

Tayo dies unexpectedly, leaving Adanya desperate and, in her grief, unable to care for her children, who are essentially raised by her best friend, their white neighbor “Aunty Ginny.” When Adanya’s condition declines further, the girls are sent, along with their baby sister Tina, to a children’s home. Expectations are low for black children, and they have only basic necessities and an indifferent staff, so Lana takes it upon herself to ensure her sisters remain as a family. Then lighter-skinned Tina is adopted...

It’s so easy to empathize with both sisters, who have very different perspectives: Lana, who assumes a motherly role despite her youth, and May, who takes refuge in books and closes herself off emotionally, even from Lana. The novel excels at depicting their complex relationship as well as Lana’s long-term friendship with Clifton, a boy from school.

Some sagas add contrivances to the plot in an attempt to heighten tension, but here the scenarios never feel less than real. Their separate paths forward are tough, yet this is a read filled with determination and hope as Lana and May establish places for themselves in a world that often seeks to hold them back. Orphan Sisters also explores elements of the girls’ Nigerian culture, and how their hairstyles, accent, and choice of name come to symbolize their desire to blend in or proudly set themselves apart, as they so choose.

The ending brings the story full circle and provides answers to any lingering questions. There were a few times I would have liked to know what year it was; a minor complaint. I unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone interested in social history or simply seeking an engrossing novel.

(Published at Reading the Past)

Orphan Sisters by Lola Jaye


Orphan Sisters by Lola Jaye is published by Ebury Press and Penguin Random House on 21st September 2017. Orphan Sisters follows Lanre and Mayowa Cole entering 1950s Britain with their mother (Adanya) from Nigeria, to be with their father (Tayo) who had already travelled ahead to secure work and go to college. Although initially moving to Britain is seen as a great adventure, "in England there was no conflict and no hardship" and they would "have a good and happy life" there, the girls are soon seethe harsh reality of a racist 1950s London, only Auntie Ginny, the next door neighbour greets them with open arms. They are faced with signs in lodging houses that state "no blacks, no dogs, no Irish". The headmaster at their new school insists that they are givn English names that are easy to pronounce, so they become Lana and Maya. Sadly their father die unexpectedly and their mother has a third little girl - Tina - unexpectedly. Unable to cope, the three little girls are put in to a care - Sir John Adams Children's home. Lana tries desperately to keep her family together but Tina is adopted and Maya has to deal with Stan's harassment.

The story follows their lives up to the 1980s. Lana, with her childhood friend Clifton puts her energies into putting the jigsaw that their lives back together and tracing her two sisters, Ginny and discovering what really happened to her mother. Maya drags herself up from the underbelly, seedier side of London to become a financially successful business woman whilst Tina remains unaware that she is adopted and has two Nigerian half sisters. Lana puts her little family back together and fits the jigsaw that is their life back together.

Beautifully written, the story is empathetic and caring to the plight of the Cole family. Drawing upon black political and social history in 1950s England Jaye tackles issues such as systemic racism and failures within social services head on, whilst also creating a story about a family that brings a tear to the reader's eye that three little girls should suffer so much sadness and loss but still be determined to carry on.

I received my copy from NetGalley, Ebury Press and Penguin Random House UK in exchange for an honest review but this does not influence my opinions as all opinions are my own.

Hi

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, it is well written and engaging in parts, however, it is really a genre I favour so I felt that even had I finished it I would not be able to provide a satisfactory review because it didn't hold my interest. Not because of the way it was written or at any fault to the author but because as aforementioned it is not a genre which I particularly like to read, thank you again for the opportunity to read it however.