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The Foundling cover art

The Foundling

By: Stacey Halls
Narrated by: Hattie Morahan, Laura Aikman
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Publisher's Summary


From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars

Two women, bound by a child, and a secret that will change everything . . .

London, 1754. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London's Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst, that Clara has died in care, Bess is astonished to be told she has already claimed her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl - and why.

Less than a mile from Bess's lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house in a decade. When her close friend - an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital - persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart.

From the bestselling author of The Familiars comes this captivating story of mothers and daughters, class and power, and love against the greatest of odds . . .

'The new Hilary Mantel' Cosmopolitan

Another gripping, immersive, intelligent work of historical fiction from the bestselling author of The Familiars' Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies

'A gripping and moving read' Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido

'Fantastic storytelling that grabbed me from the off' Good Housekeeping



*Sunday Times bestseller February and September 2020*

*Winner of Women's Prize for Fiction x Good Housekeeping Futures award - Good Housekeeping 14 Oct 2022*

©2020 Stacy Halls (P)2020 Bonnier Books UK

What listeners say about The Foundling

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Lovely story

A easy story to listen to, the readers are good, although sometimes a bit too ‘anxious’ for my taste.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Engaging and addictive

Loved this story. The two narrators made it more real. Couldn't stop listening.

Stacey Halls is already a favourite!

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Very satisfying

This is the third Stacey Halls book I listened to in succession. In all, she draws you into the intrigue and unravels the fullness of the story at the end. I really like the historic element, the detail of the times and the narrators were great in this, as they were in her other novels. All are a great read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Utterly brilliant! Fantastic narration. Addictive.

The writing and narration create such a vivid picture. I did not want to stop listening.

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Wonderfully engrossing

I have just discovered this wonderful writer. I am in awe of her ability to conjure the past up in such rich detail. Very well narrated and totally transporting. I listened to the Familiars first and then immediately downloaded the Foundling, which was even better, and now I am going to download Mrs England.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Hard to hear

Blame it on my hearing (I'm 83) but just could not get on with the accent - just could not make out the words. I am sure it is accurate for the area and I was looking forward to the story but time is too short to struggle on with it.

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