It isn’t easy being born during The Great War. A young mother, desperate and alone, leaves her newborn on a church doorstep, whilst another dies in childbirth surrounded by wealth and family. Both baby girls are brought to the children’s home, one to be adopted, and one to be looked after until her rich grandparents are in a position to look after her. After a tragic mix-up at the home, all is cast into darkness and uncertainty.
Years later Jo – a young woman seeking answers – attempts to discover which identity is rightfully hers. Did a poor young girl abandon her in a churchyard, or is she in fact a long-lost member of the aristocracy? Is she Joy, or is she Josephine?
Originally published in 1948, witty, engaging, and heartfelt, Joy and Josephine is Monica Dickens at her best.
