The Child from the Ash Pits: A heartbreaking saga Kindle Edition

I always loved a booked that grabbed you and held on tight from the first page, and this one did just that. The characters were rich and gritty. Storyline full of pain, life and love.

The Child from the Ash Pits by Chrissie Walsh takes us back in time to 1926. Cally Manfield is nine years old when her mother passes away and her life changes forever. The Child from the Ash Pits takes us from 1926 through the end of World War II. Despite her humble beginnings, Cally was determined to get ahead. There were numerous obstacles put in her path. Cally had a horrible stepmother who intensely disliked her and a father who failed to stand up for her. She is intelligent and worked diligently on her studies. Cally is tested throughout her whole life, but she perseveres thanks to her strength and determination. A saying of her mother’s guides Cally. It is “Happiness doesn’t find you; you make your own.” The beginning is incredibly heartbreaking (have a box of tissues nearby). We get to see what it was like living in the shadow of the mines. The air, the filth, and the incredible danger. I found The Child from the Ash Pits to be well-written and the story moved along at an even pace. The characters were developed and suited the time period. I thought the author captured what it was like to live during this era. I do want to let readers know that there is violence in the story along with foul language (a sprinkling). The Child from the Ash Pits is a story that will linger with you long after you finish it. The Child from the Ash Pits is a heart-rending tale with coal calamities, flashy floozies, handsy humans, terrible travesties, and a sympathetic soul.*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. I am not required to leave a review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

This book is a testament to the courage of women for standing up for themselves in impossible conditions and being able to go on with life. The book starts with Cally, a 7 year old in a small mining community. It starts with the death of her mother and ends with the death of her father. As she goes through life she is forced to grow up young and to defend herself from those that would mean her harm. The emotional harm her uncaring stepmother does with her mean ways stays with Cally most of her life.Cally manages to finally find a job where she can be happy, she falls in love and marries. Two children later her marriage is troubled. Her husband refuses to grow up and take responsibility for anything, she is totally absorbed in her job and has no time for him. The death of her son sends both of them spiraling into a world of grief, each blaming the other. Eventually with the coming of WWII and the troubles it brings her husband Red enlists and becomes a man and Cally pulls out of her grief and realizes her shortcomings.It is a story of sadness, of love, of a woman standing up for herself in a world where women's word wasn't taken to mean much. Cally had courage, she had failings and she had love. She loved her father, but never did reconcile with the stepmother that was so cruel to her.The book is very well written, I love the characters, especially the character of Cally and Mary. It was a good book to read and I would recommend it.Thanks to Chrissie Walsh, Aria Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review and advance copy of the book.

This is a truly amazing historical fiction that had me rooting for Caroline “Cally’ right from the start. Cally’s life begins with such an emotional hardship when her mother and unborn sibling dies, when she witnesses her father’s indiscretions, and when she experiences having a step mother who hates her to the core. In her growing years, she yearns for the love of her parent.However, her father buried in his own guilt and grief was not able to provide any love or attention she needed and craved. Worse yet, as she buried herself in doing well in school she was denied by her step-mother the opportunity to further her studies. Instead, her step-mother sends her away to work in a home where the master is known to take advantage of young women.The story goes through history from 1926 through WWII, and the hardships of the laborers in the mine, the country and the injured soldiers. As the saga of Cally’s life continues, we see her through her marriage and family, her life continues to be tested. But because of Cally’s strength and resilience we are rewarded with a satisfying story where difficulties and challenges are a part of life.Walsh is an exceptional storyteller that has brilliantly delivered an amazing life story of how a girl finds her way and picks herself up from the ash pits.