Clara is still housemother and facing plenty of challenges. It's heartbreaking, funny and emotional and took the breath right out of me.

I have read and enjoyed all of the shilling children's books, but this one didn't hold me at all. It was so long-winded and frustrating. I had to drag myself to pick it up.

Clara and Ivor faffed around trying to get it together and took over a quarter of the way through the book which got on my nerves. I feel maybe Lizzie should have changed the book completely and made it just about them.

I have been excitedly waiting for this episode to come out and felt completely deflated.
I did finish it in the hope it would pick up but sadly this was not the case.

I know how much hard work authors put into their books. So it is hard for me to give it the rating i have.
So sorry.
Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. xx

The Children Left Behind is book four in Lizzie Page’s Shilling Grange Children’s Home series, I suggest you read them all! Like the first three installments, this one touched on all my emotions. As hard as the times were and despite the challenges Clara and her ‘family’ faced, I always felt a sense of hope. I loved watching Clara grow into her own person as her love for these children grew. I have loved every book and this series and when I’m sad to leave the characters behind at the last page, I know it’s a good story,

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy. It is my pleasure to leave a honest review and all opinions above are my own.

1952, Clara Newton's orphanage is the victim of a campaign of upsetting incidents: stolen bikes, broken windows, and other little attacks. Has Clara made an enemy and are the children in danger?
The Children Left Behind is the 4th book to feature Clare Newton and her children's home. I have not read the previous books but I feel it would be beneficial to read the books in order due to the mentions of previous inhabitants and relationships.
An important thread throughout the book is the on-off relationship between Clara and Ivor. He proposes but she isn't ready. Clara feels that she has a vocation and a duty towards the children in her care. She isn't ready to conform to the norms of the time and become simply a housewife. The author mentions in her note at the end that she has kept Clara and Ivor's relationship hanging. She admits that some people find Clara a bit irritating and this is what I felt. Clara and Ivor should have just sat down and talked about how to continue the children's home and worked out how to compromise!
There is plenty of mystery as Clara muses on who could be responsibile for the incidents at the orphanage. She contemplates her own circumstances and responsibilities as well as the safety of those she loves. There are several suspects who could have been upset for various reasons and I was kept guessing until the true culprit was revealed.
I enjoyed the use of real events to underpin the fictional narrative. In particular, the death of the King which was relatable due to the recent death of our own Queen, and the experience of the air crash at Farnborough which is local to me.
The Children Left Behind is an emotional historical book.

Post-WWII ~ England ~ orphanages ~ housemothers ~ children ~ tragedy ~ love ~ daughter/father relationships ~ bicycles ~ heart-warming ~ friendship ~ mystery ~ Shilling Grange Children’s Home ~ love ~ siblings ~ adoption ~ adventure ~ strong heroine ~ great characters ~ hope ~ part 4 in series ~ highly recommended!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed being back with Clara and Ivor and the children at the orphanage. My favorite parts are hearing about the children and the way Clara advocates for the kids amidst a broken system. I found the church attendance and relationship with Ivor to be too much at times.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own

Somehow I have missed the first three books in this series but I will be looking for them to read. I will then re-read this book to get the full picture of the events that happen. This is a deep book about the orphans that are left after the war and the lady who runs it. Her life really makes this book come to life along with all the events. Very well worth 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Book 4 of the Schilling Grange series, The Children Left Behind delves deeper into Clara's life with her father as she continues to do her absolute best for the children in her care. She is in love with Ivor but didn't want to marry him just yet! Suddenly, the Orphanage comes under attack! Things thrown at windows, trip sites and other needless vandalism. Clara is frightened but determined to get to the bottom of it. The characters are always engaging and relatable. I felt as though I was Clara's newest friend once again. Fantastic read

England, 1951 it has been six years since the end of the war and people are still trying to put their lives back together as best they can. So much heartache and loss. Clara Newton has loved each and every child that has been placed in the Shilling Grange Children’s Home throughout the years. Many children have aged out and moved on trying to find their place in the world. Gladys still misses her two brothers Trevor and Frank. Florrie continues to work through the trauma in her life and Peg still doesn't speak. Clara never gave up on any of the children. Clara put her whole life and happiness on hold to care for the children she loves so much. She turned down Ivor’s proposal because had she gotten married, she wouldn’t be allowed to work, and she wasn’t willing to walk away from the children that still need her care. The children’s home is under constant attacks of vandalism and Clara wants to know who is behind it and why. One day on an outing with the children, an event changed their lives forever.

I have really enjoyed this series. Author Lizzie Page has such an amazing talent for absorbing the reader into the story and establishing a personal relationship with the characters. I felt personally invested in the lives of Clara, Ivor and the children. I was anxiously waiting for each installment in this series to be released because I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next. This was a story of courage, survival, love, family, and friendship. This was the fourth installment in what is a phenomenal series. This unputdownable and rapid page-turner is one that I will recommend over and over again. I loved everything about this story.

The Children Left Behind is the fourth in the Shilling Grange Children’s Home series by Lizzie Page. It underwent a title change prior to me beginning reading and I do feel the new title is more apt. At this stage, each time I return to Clara and the children at the home I feel that it’s like catching up with old friends after a short time away and checking in with them. We get to see how they are, are there any new arrivals and most importantly I feel at this stage how are things between Clara and Ivor?

If you haven’t read any of this series previously, I wouldn’t worry in the slightest as each book can be read as a standalone as little titbits of background story are given in a few sentences every now and again. Spoilers aren’t given away but just the right amount of information is provided so you are up to speed with all the goings on. Again, as with all the books, I found this to be a quick, easy and light read with the continued lovely conversational style of writing which makes you feel relaxed and at home with both the setting and the characters.

It’s July 1951 and things are going well for Clara Newton who is housemother to the orphans at the Shillings Grange Children’s Home. The home itself has had a name change thanks to the generosity of Martha, the mother of Clara’s fiancée Michael who died in the war, but really the Shilling’s Grange title has stuck. Clara has now been with Ivor for over two months but despite living across the road from each other they barely set eyes upon one another. This is proving immensely frustrating to Clara and to be honest for this reader too and I am sure many others. The author mentions in her end notes that readers had asked for Clara and Ivor to be brought together much earlier on and I admit I felt this way too but I suppose the will they/won’t they scenario had to occur to add some drama and tension to the books. Even now things aren’t all plain sailing and there is always something that gets in the way of the pair spending time together.

Clara and Ivor go on a break but they don’t always seem fully comfortable in each other’s presence. I think Clara came across as being nervy, anxious and agitated and that she couldn’t settle into her relationship with Ivor as there were always outside forces there to complicate things. Be it new arrivals coming to the home or Clara trying to form a relationship with two-year-old Patricia whom Ivor took in even though he is not her biological father. It was like the two of them were on different paths and although they deeply yearn for each other I found it strange that they let obstacles get in their way. To be honest they were each as stubborn as the other and I wanted to give them a good shake and say just take the time and sit down together and talk and really say how you feel. Forget all the external goings on in your life for awhile and just focus on each other. But due to their good kind, compassionate hearts they were always helping others when maybe a little time for themselves was needed. When Clara refutes the ultimate declaration from Ivor I thought that was it. That the relationship would really crumble but the author had plenty more twists and turns to come in the tale.

Clara feels over stretched in all aspects of her life. The demands of being a house mother change regularly and when new kids Trevor and Frank arrive and meet their sister Gladys who has been living with Clara, Peg and Florrie for several months well that’s when sinister events start to occur that really unsettle Clara and the others. As well as dealing with the numerous strange turns of events and unnerving things that start happening in and around the home she is trying to balance things with Ivor as well as the surprise arrival of her father. The relationship Clara has with her father has not been a very positive one in recent years and the chasm between them remains very wide. She misses her mother deeply and resents the fact that her father didn’t do enough to save her at the time. So the fact that he has arrived combined with the mysterious and unsettling goings on really has Clara on edge. She tries her best always to do what is right for the children and to support them but it seems when everything is against her how can she go on?

At this stage it feels like I know the characters inside out.The children are as adorable as ever with their funny one liners and quirks and I could really see Clara blossoming even further in her role. So I did understand how she was torn between abandoning those who needed her the most or else following her heart. She viewed it as the children’s needs coming first but then she questioned whether she should put her own desires and needs first for a change but seen as she had achieved so much for so many in such a short space of time should she throw it away so easily? It really did highlight how women were expected to conform to social rules at the time and this in turn limited what most could do and achieve.I’m thankful we have come so far in modern day society. Clara thinks that she can’t do right by everyone but she can do right by some and to be honest this is what she battles with throughout the story. How can she find that balance? Protect the children that she loves when they come into her care but also satisfy her own personal desires and life aspirations and the love she has for Ivor? Reading of how she tries to work all this out coupled with the mystery ( which I have to say I didn’t exactly work out who the culprits were) and the daily goings on at the home all make once again for a very enjoyable read.

I enjoyed immensely The Children Left Behind, it pushed the overall storyline on well and in my mind by the end of the book Clara had really grown up and matured an awful lot. She wasn’t as flighty and her confidence grew. She knows she is a good housemother to all those in her care and she has also tried to put some past demons to rest. Clara really concentrated on herself and her own needs in this book and I hope she continues to do so. Now with the next book being the finale to the series, I just hope that things between herself and Ivor become really solid and we get the ending we all have been wishing for since the pair first laid eyes on each other in book one. This book was a welcome addition to the series and I am really looking forward to seeing how it all concludes.

I have followed this saga from the beginning. And I so loved it...in the beginning. Children have come and gone, though some remain, and I was really looking forward to this fourth installment. But...I simply couldn't finish it.

Over the course of three books we have followed, not only the children and the comings and goings of all the child officers, but also the blossoming and then defunct relationship between Clara and Ivor. It was clear from the very beginning that they were attracted to each other but for whatever reasons, things got in the way and they went their separate ways.

But still Clara moons over Ivor. She watches for his light to go on or off in his workshop across the street. And she continually berates and second guesses herself about whether he really is interested in her but when push comes to shove she just becomes haughty and slams the door of her heart to him for whatever reason. She did it in the first book, then the second and then hope blooms by the third but instead Ivor returns from his wanderings with a baby daughter in tow and of course Clara jumps to every other conclusion without actually asking him about it. And he's as stubborn as they come, not to mention moody, that any approach seems like one's head would be bitten off. So why bother? I guess Clara felt much the same.

So then we come to book four, and hope against all hope, they are finally going away for a weekend together by the seaside. And despite running late due to yet another child officer turning up unannounced, they actually make it somewhat late to the said seaside. And what romantic things do they have planned? A visit to a boys reform school?? Really? OK, so Clara did appreciate the thought that Ivor put into surprising her with the visit but it's not exactly high on one's list of priorities for a romantic weekend away, is it? So what ensued then? Romance? Candlelit dinners for two? Dancing the night away? Or secluding themselves away in their room for the duration? Well, some of that maybe but then comes a visit to a supposedly quiet beach which turned out to be anything but with squealing children and sand being kicked in one's faces and then...what? A surprise proposition that leaves Clara speechless (for once)...and thus ruins the rest of the said romantic weekend away, therefore both hurriedly returning back to Lavensham not speaking to one another, continuing the silence once they return.

Here we go again! Come on, this is book four! By now, these two grown adults should have gotten their acts together already and quite frankly I was tired of their faffing about and thus had no patience for it. Added to that, baby Patricia was the devil incarnate and Florrie was a moody teen both of which I had no patience for. Gladys gave me a headache with her constant chatter. Little Peg was still there and she is the only one that endeared herself to me. And Clara and Ivor? I want to bash their heads together.

Sorry but after so much preamble getting there, I would have thought (and liked) to see them actually do something constructive and stop this ridiculous dance they have going. Both are moody and unlikeable and I had no patience to put up with any more.

I'm sorry, I was really looking forward to the continuing saga but Clara and Ivor have ruined it for me. I found the whole thing tedious and frustrating. I give it 2 stars because I have enjoyed the series thus far despite rating any book I don't finish with only 1.

I hate leaving negative reviews because I know each book is an author's painstaking hard work and I really do appreciate that. It's just the storyline I couldn't continue with that ruined it for me, otherwise it would be another wonderful read as the others have been.

I would like to thank #LizziePage, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheChildrenLeftBehind in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Children Left Behind' by Lizzie Page.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Lizzie Page, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 3rd March 2023

Previously titled: An Orphan’s Hope

This is the fourth book I have read by this author. It is also the fourth book in the 'Shilling Grange Children's Home' series but can be read as a standalone. The previous books are called 'The Orphanage' which is the first book in the series, 'A Place To Call Home' which is the second book in this series and 'An Orphan's Song' which is the third book in this series and I would highly recommend them both. This book and the previous can be read as standalones but it is better to read in order to get a better insight into the characters.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I am a HUGE fan of Lizzie after falling in love with her books 'The Orphanage', 'A Place To Call Home' and 'An Orphan's Spng' and if this is half as good as that was it is bound to be a page turning read. The synopsis also stated that this book is "An utterly tear-jerking, heart-warming and unforgettable historical novel, set in the aftermath of World War Two. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Diney Costeloe and The Orphan Sisters.." I am a huge fan of 'The Orphan Sisters' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 51 chapters, 6 letters and a news report. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Clara Newton. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

'The Children left behind' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Lizzie discusses/includes child abuse and neglect.

Wow!!! Yet another absolutely captivating heart warming and tear jerking stunning page turner ♥ Well done Lizzie on yet another stunning success!

This book is absolutely beautifully written and it had me absorbed from the first page to the last. The vivid descriptions really put me in the storyline with Clara and the children and the cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

This series itself was quite unique for me as in I have never actually read a fictional book about a children's home apart from the first three book in this stunning series 'The Orphanage' (book one) , 'A Place To Call Home' (book two) and 'An Orphan's Song' (book three). I have read several non fiction foster books but never any fictional so I have been looking forward to getting sucked into this continuation of Shilling Grange children's home !! The storyline is filled with heartbreak, love, friendship, family, shocks, tension, sadness, hope and much more. My mind and heart was completely captivated throughout and I couldn't stop turning the pages from start to end. I was completely shocked and saddened by certain events. I can't say any more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. There are several parts where I found tears running down my face which isn't an easy feat so you may want a box of tissues on standby and I would definitely clear your schedules as this really is unputdownable. I cannot wait until the next book in this beautiful and amazing series comes out (even though I am gutted it will be the last)!!! If it is half as addictive as this and rest of these amazing books in this series then it is bound to be a winner!!! I absolutely loved how this book ended even if it ended in even more tears!!! This would make an absolutely stunning TV series!!

Although this is the fourth book in the series I had would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULES AND GRAB THE TISSUES AS YOU WILLL BE UNABLE TO PUT THIS BOOK DOWN AND YOU WILL BE HOOKED ON THIS EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER RIDE THAT IS SHILLING GRANGE CHILDRENS HOME!!!

I absolutely fell in love with the kids and I absolutely adored Clara in what she was doing for them in 'The Orphanage' and I was over the moon to "meet" them all again in all of the books since. This series has absolutely captured my heart and I am absolutely devastated to read that the next book will be the last :( ! What are you doing to me Lizzie!!! I absolutely love that the main protagonist Clara is a strong female who went from someone who seemed to have certainly chosen the wrong job and really annoyed me on several occasions with her materialistic ways to a fighter and a role model for the children and I enjoyed watching her grow and develop in 'The Orphanage' and watching her grow and develop even more in each book since. She is as determined as ever in this book and is even more annoyed at how the council and others are continuously letting the children down by allowing them, and her, to slip through the cracks meaning families that could have been reunited years ago are left apart!! . I absolutely love how she fights for the children as well as other things even when it felt like she was banging her head against a brick wall she never gave up!!! She was not only struggling with everything that was going on with the council but with the children, her own emotions and feelings and much more yet she continued to keep going strong even when, at times, she just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. This book sees her go through even more when herself and the home are being targeted from stolen hats and milk, to her being egged, having threats chalked on her pavement, the grass being painted red and rocks thrown the window. Clara's father also makes an appearance and she has no idea who is to blame. You would like to think that is enough for anyone to deal with but Clara thinks she has made a huge mistake with Ivor and doesn't know whether she can fix it. Does Clara discover the culprits? Will she be able to fix things with Ivor? We also meet new children in this book , no surprise there really, and I will talk more about them in a bit. I look forward to meeting Clara again in the next book in this wonderful series, even though I am gutted it will be the last one :( . I could not stand Mr Sommersby who I found to be horrible, insensitive and most definitely in the wrong job as he didn't seem to care for the children one iota! I was also disgusted with and couldn't stand Davey who I found to be n absolute rat from the start and couldn't understand how he could do what he did to his best friend whether he was around or not!! I fell in love with Marilyn and found her to be a fantastic and supportive friend to Clara and I could absolutely hug her for what she did!!! It is so lovely to see that, although Marilyn is Clara's fiancé's mother (Michael, who passed away) that she has such a strong bond and is a mother figure to Clara and a grandmother figure to the rest of the children. We only get to hear from her in this book when Clara speaks to her over the phone but she is definitely worth a mention as she still plays such a big part in Clara and the children's lives. I hope we get too meet her again in the next book especially as it will be the last one :( (yes more guilt tripping Lizzie, I will keep at it until you change your mind!!!) I loved all the children who each had their own unique personalities. It was lovely meeting the new boys Frank and Trevor who definitely reminded me of Billy and Barry, especially Frank with his A. Quirkiness and B. personality!!!! My heart absolutely went out to them with their constant fear of being drowned and because of something else that happened in this book. I wont say more about it so you will just have to pick up your own copy to find out! Jonathon is also new in this book and my heart went out to him also for the tragedy that he lost his family in and then the reminder after what happens in this book too. It was also lovely to meet/hear from children that I have met from the previous books regardless of how short some of the meetings were. These include the sweetest of all the previous children Peg, the lovely Gladys, the lovely but serious Florrie who I was absolutely landed for because..... nope, go grab your copy ;) ,Evelyn who was adopted by Anita and Dr Carter, Peter who got a job in the comic industry, Clifford who ended up in the Hunstanton Reform School For Boys and Maureen who is studying at secretarial college. I absolutely adore Ivor who is such a gentle and sweet man and is so amazing with the children and I cannot wait to see what happens next after the stunning ending of this book, although I am VERY SAD it will be the last one LIZZIE :( An absolutely fantastic mix of characters and I am looking forward to meeting Clara, Ivor, the current children and the new children in the next book (even though I am SAD it will be the last).

Congratulations Lizzie on yet another absolutely gorgeous book ♥ This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors. Here's to your next success 🥂

Overall an absolutely heart-warming, soul lifting unputdownable book that will captivate your heart, body and mind.


Genres covered in this book include Saga Fiction, Romance Sagas, Spiritual & Historical Fiction, Family Sagas, Historical Literary, Romance Literary, British & Irish Historical Literature, Saga, Sisters Fiction, Coming-Of-Age Story, Historical Fiction, Literary Sagas and War Story amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Before We Were Yours', Casey Watson, Harry Keeble, Shane Dunphy, Louise Allen, Angela Hart, 'The Orphanage', 'A. Place To Call Home', 'The Orphan Sisters', Diney Costeloe and and anyone looking for a heart-warming book on children's homes.


394 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback at time of review via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this heartfelt book

clara newton is doing what she does best ...being a house mother to orphans and its a role that has grown around her as she protects and learns from them

but all is not as it seems as her house becomes the target for some unwanted attention when a stone is thrown threw her window narrowly missing everyone and things start to escalate

another brilliant read from this author, this series really hits all the spots and leaves you wanting more, cant wait for the next book in this brilliant series

Shilling Grange Children's Home Book 4

England, 1951. In the aftermath of WWII, Clara's orphanage is all these children have left. Clara Newton has dedicated her life to taking care of orphans who have nobody in the world but her. From affectionate Gladys who desperately needs her older brothers, to traumatised Florrie who longs for her father and refuses to eat, Clara loves each of the children like they are her own. But even though she has opened her heart to so many little ones, when brown-eyed war hero Ivor asks her to marry him, Clara is afraid to take a chance on love. Would married life prevent her from dedicating herself completely to her orphans?

It was good to catch up with Clara and the children, but the relationship Clara has with Ivor was beginning to grind me down. But the way Clara supports the children in her care is sublime. I was looking forward to reading this this book, but there seemed to be something lacking that wasn't in the other ones, or maybe it was just me. The characters are well developed and by now I feel like I know them all personally. Will Clara and Ivor finally get it together? You'll have to read the book to find out.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #LizziePage for my ARC of #TheChildrenLeftBehind in exchange for an honest review.

England, 1951. In the aftermath of World War Two, Clara’s orphanage is all these children have left. Can she keep them safe and help them to heal? A heart-warming and emotional story of love and loss. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Diney Costeloe and The Orphan Sisters.

I was thrilled to read this fourth book of the Shilling Grange Children’s Home series. I just adore Clara and her sweet nature and personality! She is the perfect fit for the role of the housemother of the orphanage and as each book progresses, we see her confidence and love for her job and the children grow. She still tends to act on impulse and her temper still flares at the silly things, but she is just so lovely. Her relationship with Ivor is absolutely adorable and I was so happy that they were still together. In this book we see more direct effects of the war, and as troubling as it was, I was impressed with the author’s skills at capturing the times, events, emotions, and turmoil. As with the other books in the series, I love how the children’s unique characters are a prevalent topic and focus. Their personalities truly feed into shaping Clara and help us truly feel and appreciate why she thinks, says, and acts the way she does. I love this series and look forward to reading them!

The Children Left Behind is the 4th book in the wonderful Shilling Grange Children’s home series. This is such a wonderful series and an absolute joy to read. It’s lovely to be back with Clara and the children who she looks after. Each child has their own issues which Clara is always there to try and help and look after. We also have the regular characters back again and I enjoyed reading more about the relationship between Clara and Ivor. This is a lovely read and at times a poignant and emotional one. I highly recommend this series for fans of historical fiction but I do suggest to read this series in order.

The Children Left Behind is the fourth book in the Shilling Grange Children’s Home series and is set in 1951 in Lavenham, Suffolk. A place that is very close to my heart.

It was good to catch up with much-loved characters but also great to meet new characters too.
I love Clara’s character; she is so strong and stands up and fights for every child in her care. Even if it means she is putting her happiness on the back burner.

A lot of things happened in this book some very happy things, some shocking and some so sad, it was a rollercoaster of emotions throughout. There were also reconnections.

Can I just say, Peg is adorable I have hoped through every book in this series that Clara will adopt Peg. Perhaps that will happen?

I have absolutely loved reading this series and hope that more are in the works.

If you have not started this series yet, why not? Go grab the first one, you will not regret it!

In this touching fourth book in the Schilling Grange Children’s Home series, Clara Newton’s orphanage currently has three children in residence. Clara loves the children very much, and this includes the children who have moved onto better circumstances. One child, young Gladys, is really missing her two older brothers. While Clara looks for information about the boys, her romantic life with neighbor Ivor is giving her pause.

While on the one hand, she loves how close she and Ivor have gotten, but her priority has always been the children, even at the cost of her own happiness. While navigating her relationship with Ivor, Clara is also sorting her feelings about her father. Then there is confusion about difficulties at the orphanage. There is sabotage going on and this really makes Clara nervous and increases her concern for the children.

I have really been enjoying this series by Lizzie Page as Clara has grown when it comes to how far she will go for the children in her care. I love how this latest book has Clara looking at herself, her life and her needs, all while everyday things were going on. However, additional stresses had her contemplating her life choices. I so much loved how this book came to a close, and I can’t wait to see where Clara and this series goes in the next book.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of The Children Left Behind in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Set in post war England, Clara lives as a house mother for a home of orphaned children. The book is a third person narrative from Clara's perspective. Throughout the book, Clara struggles with balancing love, family and purpose. As Clara works through her current place in life, the reader is introduced to the members of the children's home, each of whom have unique and appealing characteristics that make for a pleasant read.

Very enjoyable to read about this time period and area of world. Admittedly, I stepped into book four of the series. For future readers, I'd recommend reading the earlier books in the series, so you can be more familiar with the many characters that are mentioned without direct ties to this book's plot. The story spends a good deal of the narrative reflecting on the same issues and topics, slogging the plot a bit without advancing of the story or going into much depth. Overall, a nice light and easy read.

I have been desperately waiting for the next book in the Shilling Grange series and it was so worth the wait!

Clara is such a wonderful character. She wears her heart – and her flaws – on her sleeve in a way that makes her both relatable and loveable. Her relationship with the orphans in her care is so beautiful and, while I missed the characters who found families in book 3, there were some wonderful new additions to take their place. Many of the supporting characters feel like old friends now, too – especially the wonderful Ivor (sigh!)

One of the many aspects of this series that I love is the way that Lizzie Page weaves in historical events to the narrative. Every time, I learn something about British History that I didn’t know. There is also a mystery that needs to be solved in this book – I thought I’d worked it out but I hadn’t!

I absolutely loved this book – and now I need the next one, please!