I am so excited about this series! This book was the perfect escape for me, and I loved reading about the main character, Ellen, growing up. If you are a fan of shows like Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie or Poldark, don't miss this series. I cannot wait to read the other novels.

Close to the reality of life
"The Orphan's Island" by Kate Hewitt is the first volume in the "Amherst Island Series", published by Bookouture and was previously published as "Down Jasper Lane" in 2011. Twelve year old Ellen Copley arrives at Ellis Island, New York, in 1904 only three months after they buried her mother in Scotland and manages against odds to get through immigration. She makes new friends in this new country, e.g. Hope Cardle, but has also to deal with the fact that her father abandons her. Living with her aunt Ruth who has no children is difficult, but Ellen discovers unconditional love on Amherst Island while she is living with her aunt Rose, uncle Dyle, and their children. The "Winds of Change" mark her path, bring her to New Mexico where she meets her father and also back to Amherst Island. But will the "Winds of Change" also lead her back to Jed whom she met previously there or will her path lead someplace else?
Once again Hewitt's book is marked by great and believable primary and secondary characters. It also contains a realistic historical story line. I highly recommend this book for people who like inspirational historical fiction. In spite of the fact that the story continues in "Dreams of the Island", it can also be read as a stand-alone. In any case I cannot wait to read the second book.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheOrphansIsland #NetGalley

I have read several books by Kate Hewitt now and loved them all, so I felt incredibly excited when I was offered the chance to review this book.

This is the first book in this series. In this story we follow the life of Ellen. In 1901 Ellen and her father leave their home in Scotland after the tragic death of her mother. They set off to America to join her Uncle and his wife in the hope of making a new life for themselves there.

But things are not quite as they had hoped. Struggling to find work, Ellen’s father makes the decision to leave her with her Uncle and his Wife as he searches for work. Her Uncle’s wife is very withdrawn and shows little emotion towards Ellen, which is what this young girl needs right now. It is apparent straight away that they are quite resentful of Ellen and her presence in their home and their lives. As they struggle with the new dynamics, her Uncle and Aunt make the decision that she would be better staying with another Aunt in

They send her off to Amherst Island to stay with another Aunt of hers, and what she finds there could not be more different than the life she has left behind. Here in Amherst she is immediately surrounded by a family who show her nothing but love and acceptance and give her a true sense of belonging. Aunt Rose makes her feel welcome in their home and their hearts, and bonds are formed quickly between the family and also Aunt Rose’s neighbours Jed and Lucas.

Ellen quickly comes to love the Island of Amherst, and her heart is also opening up to Jed who she spends a lot of time with. Although he does tease and torment her, she finds herself falling in love with him. But now she is worried that this love won’t be reciprocated, and what that means for her life and future here in Amherst.

I adored this book. It captivated me from the start and I found it impossible to put down. The characters were all so unique and some of them rather complex, and this all added to this incredible story. Kate Hewitt brings the scene to life beautifully, you can picture the island so clearly and you end up falling in love with Amherst Island yourself. The story takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions, breaking your heart and then piecing it back together again. I would recommend this visit to everyone who loves a good, rewritten historical fiction.

Kate Hewitt really did a fantastic job on this "The Orphan's Island". I never lost interest in this story about a girl with her father goes to America to start a new life full of dreams of what will be! Characters in this fantastic story become alive for me where you think about this after you have finished the book,I didn't want it to end. Follow the happiness,the sorrow and just plain life as this girl grows up and finds out dreams do and can come true. Have read many of Miss Kate's stories and never,ever have been disappointed. Received from Net Gallery.

The Orphan's Island is the first book in the Amherst Island trilogy by the author Kate Hewitt. I liked it and I think it is a good start to hopefully another good and satisfying series. While reading the book I could not help myself comparing it to Anne Of Green Gables because the story was somewhat in a similar vein and I was pleasantly surprised to find out at the end of the book when the author, in her letter, mentions that she had loved Anne Of Green Gables and was inspired by it to write this book.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Kate Hewitt for the e-Arc of the book. This book was published on 30th November 2020.

Another great book from Kate and the first in the series. Following the life of a young Ellen and her father as they leave England and head for a new life in America. Life however doesn’t work out as they planned but I’ll leave the reader to find out what happens. Great family interactions both good and bad and plenty of characters to learn about. Can’t wait to read the next book. Thanks Kate and NetGalley.

Ah, I love historical novels. Set in the early 1900's, Ellen Copley and her father travel to
America from Scotland. The plan is to settle in Vermont where Da's (Ellen's dad) brother is.
Da is unhappy and leaves Ellen with her aunt and uncle, and sets out for New Mexico.
Ellen isnt happy either and her Aunt Ruth sends her to live with her Aunt Rose on Amherst Island.
Ellen thrives on the island and finally feels at home. We get to see Ellen grow up and become a young woman. Like all young women, Ellen is unsure of love, what her future has in store,and faces family tragedy. I give this a big thumbs up!
This is my first Kate Hewitt novel and I am now a fan!
Thanks Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After years of sickness, Ellen Copley’s mam passed away, gently leaving this earth and the people who loved her. It was 1904 when Ellen and her da finally sailed for New York, then onto Vermont to join her da, Douglas’ brother, Hamish and his wife Ruth, who had left for new shores many years previously. Hamish and Ruth had done well for themselves with the small general store they had opened serving the people of Seaton well. But Douglas couldn’t settle with Hamish and Ruth and before long he left, heading to Santa Fe and the rail lines where they needed workers, leaving Ellen by herself, only twelve years old. Ellen was devastated, angry at her da for leaving her.

It wasn’t long before Ruth and Hamish sent Ellen to Aunt Rose and her family on Amherst Island, on Lake Ontario. Aunt Rose was as different to Aunt Ruth as chalk was to cheese and Ellen found herself settling in, happy and content finally among the children and friendly neighbours, and a family who loved her. As Ellen did her schooling on Amherst Island with the other children, and life moved forward, she also visited Seaton occasionally. But would her future be with one of the young men on Amherst Island, the one who had taken her heart? Or would her life move on, away from the island as well as Seaton?

The Orphan’s Island is the 1st in the Amherst Island trilogy by Kate Hewitt, and I’m finding I really love this author’s work. I only started reading her historical fiction recently and have found her easy style of writing, her beautifully descriptive words, and her well crafted characters are such a delight to read. I loved The Orphan’s Island and am looking forward to #2 in the series very soon. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really good book and I look forward to reading the sequels to this book.

Ellen and her Dad decide after her Mum dies to come to America to be with his brother and sister in law. Things don't go as planned and Ellen's Dad decides to go and work on the railway line as his sister in law would not want him working in the shop.

Ellen feels abandoned by her Dad as he told her the day before he was going and on the morning of his departure he left early so she didn't even get to say goodbye.

Ellen finds i very hard living with her Uncle & Aunt and eventually she goes to live with her other Aunt and Uncle and feels loved from the moment she arrives at their homestead.

We see how this book goes through what happens to Ellen over the years and certainly look forward to reading the next books.

Wow, this was a surprise. Having never read any of Kate’s books I was pleasantly surprised.
Main character Ellen wins your heart from the off. The big thing is who will win hers, this begins with her family , then Hampshire and Ruth, then Aunt Rose and family, Amherst island which brings Jed and Lucas. It brought tears to my eyes in places and far from feeling lost when I’d finished it I just moved on to the next one. Totally recommend it.

Ellen had a hard life in Scotland in the early 1900s looking after sickly mother from an early age while her father worked on the railways but her father's dream had always been to move to America and so they leave to start a new life in Vermont. Soon afterwards Ellen's father leaves her with an austere aunt who is not best pleased until her Aunt Rose rescues her and takes her to her house on Amherst Island. For the first time Ellen can feel happiness.... and could there be love with the boy next door!

Another great story by this author with good characters and storyline making compelling reading so really looking forward to the next two books in the series

This is the first novel I have read by this author, and let me tell you she did not disappoint. I love it when an author can bring characters to life and make you feel like they are a part of your circle of friends, and Kate Hewitt does exactly that.

In the early 1900’s, Ellen moves with her family from Glasgow Scotland to America. Shortly after arriving in America, her father disappears. Her Aunt and Uncle take her in and she befriends the two brothers that live next door. As the story progresses, Ellen is learning to navigate life in America and is trying to find where she fits in. Ellen continually overcomes the trials and tribulations that life throws at her. The historical aspect of the story is phenomenal, it is a much slower and simpler time setting in 1904. I like the character of Ellen as she is very humble, smarter then she realizes, she is very brave and a talented artist. She is very level headed and is hopeful of her future. The author has such talent for making you feel like you are going through Ellen’s life right beside her. The descriptions of the landscape and the island are so real, that it will make you want to go visit.

This inspirational historical fiction is a must read. I gave this book five stars and I can’t wait to read the next two books in this series. I will definitely read more from this author.

I don’t even know where to begin with this review for Kate Hewitt’s newest release, The Orphan’s Island. I have said quite a few times in the past that Hewitt is an autobuy author for me and while I have only read her contemporary books, I was quite unsure how I would feel reading a historical fiction story. Hewitt proves once again that she is the Queen of her craft. I am completely and thoroughly floored over how much I adored this book! So much so, that The Orphan Island has now replaced my all time favorite book by Hewitt, A Mother’s Goodbye (which I never thought would ever be possible!)

Ellen Copley was forced to grow up way too early having to leave the comforts of school to care for her sickly mother while her father was out working on railway engines. Ellen’s father always dreamed of his family leaving Scotland and heading over to America for a better life and when it finally happens, the tiny town in Vermont is not exactly what Ellen envisioned. Her father takes off not long after their arrival and Ellen is forced to live with her Uncle Hamish and his wife Ruth who is a stern woman with no children of her own. When Ellen gets an invite to come to Amherst island in Ontario by her aunt Rose, she leaves Vermont behind not sure what to expect. Little does Ellen know that her life is about to change. But, is Amherst Island a place where she can finally call home?

I just love Ellen! She is such a great character and so well written. I felt myself really drawn into her life, feeling sorry for her as a young girl tasked with taking care of a sick mother for much of her childhood and not ever really getting to experience being a child. The weight on her shoulders was astounding, but she coped as best she could. She didn’t fit in well with girls her own age and she felt so different than them. Ellen hopes things will change once coming to America, but once she arrives she misses home and finds that she still does not fit in. Ellen slowly starts to blossom on the farm in Amherst Island and here is where we see the woman she will become. It is also where she finds love for the first time in one of the neighbor boys.

The story itself really just pulls you right in and I found myself staying up way late into the evening just to finish the book. There are just so many things to like about Ellen’s journey from a child to a young adult and we are taken on that journey right along with her celebrating all the highs and weeping at some of the lows. There is a scene with a baby that just completely gutted me and the feelings and emotions Ellen experienced just completely ripped my heart in two. This is such a heartfelt coming of age story that I completely lost myself in.

Told with an undeniably raw honesty and realness, The Orphan Island is sure to be a keeper for your bookshelves. I can’t wait to continue Ellen’s journey with the second book in the series, Dreams of the Island.

This book quickly pulled me in. Ellen comes to America with her father after the death of her mother. Her father leaves her with an aunt and uncle. She is unhappy but has no choice. It was great to experience her disappointments, but also the things that made her happy. I look forward to reading how her life continues in the sequel.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy of this book. This was one of the best stories I have read in the last year.

Kate Hewitt’s The Orphan's Island is a lovely historical fiction story of a young Scottish girl immigrating and growing up in America. The story draws you in plight of young Ellen Copley in the early 1900’s. This is the first of the Amherst Island Trilogy following her life with its joys, hopes and dreams in the mist of losses and struggles. What a remarkable character!

Besides Ellen, I enjoyed getting to know Aunt Rose who welcomed Ellen into her lively home when others did not. Then there are the neighbor boys, Jed and Lucas who also provided some drama and angst in her life. These people come to life in this novel making all feel so sincerely real.

There is a note that says this book was previously published as Down Jasper Lane. However, I am not familiar with that title or the story so The Orphan's Island is a new read for me. This first book in the trilogy was a wonderful much like I had found Anne of Green Gables to be when I was young. Now I have found another with a character who comes to life in a beautifully described setting.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Orphan's Island by Kate Hewitt is a heart-warming story of young Ellen Copley who is finally arriving at Ellis Island with her father from Scotland. They had waited years, mostly because her mother was too ill to make the journey. Now they were here and on their way to Uncle Hamish and Aunt Ruth in Vermont, where they would life: she going to school land her father with a job. Sadly, that didn't work out and her father left one morning, without even saying good-bye and she was left in a stark and loveless life with her aunt and uncle until one day when work came from her aunt Rose that she needed help with her children who had been stricken by scarlet fever. She wanted Ruth to come, but of course, that would not happen, so they sent Ellen, into the wilds of Canada to a small island. There she found the love and happiness she had never known. Shuttled back and forth between homes, he life moved on until she came of age, and determined to attend nursing school, where she found a vocation, of sorts.

What a wonderful book! Ellen learns many things as she is growing up, even as she reaches adulthood. She also has fun, meets people, and explores life. She makes friend, falls in love, and finally visits her father. It is a journey of caring, of learning the harsh realities of life, and of loving, even when it seems all is lost. Hewitt does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into Ellen's live and into her psyche. We live it with her and we bleed with her. I loved very minute of it and I can't wait for the next chapter in Ellen's journey. You will love it!

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Orphans' Island by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #theorphansisland

I enjoyed read this book watching Ellen mature and all the ups and downs she had in her young life. There were a few times I wanted her to wake up to what was happening and for her not to fight her feelings. I am glad this is a trilogy as I am looking forward to reading the other two books to see how Ellen’s life goes on. With World War 1 just around the corner I’m sure there’s lots more adventures for her yet.

This is my first time reading the author. I thought this was an incredible book and I can’t wait to read more. I’m taking part in the blog tour for other books in the series so I’m in for a treat. I didn’t want top stop reading because I got so caught up in Ella’s world and her life on Amherst Island. I fell in love with the island and everyone there. It’s been ages since a book spoke to me as much as The Orphan’s Island. It reminds me of the Anne of Green Gables books or The Walton’s or Little House on the Prairie. I mean that a compliment. I cried like a baby several times reading this. This is an incredible book.

An enjoyable story from start to finish about Ellen's life from when she left Scotland to her teenage years. I'm now looking forward to reading the next one

This book was the perfect escape. It was lovely and fun. It was my first book by this author and I will definitely be on the look out for more!!