The Orphans — Fiona McIntosh

Two lost souls. One fateful meeting. A love story twenty years in the making.In the harsh desert country of South Australia in 1914, ten-year-old Tom Catchlove's world is torn apart by a family tragedy. At the funeral home, he meets eight-year-old Fleur Appleby, whose kindness during his darkest hour leaves an indelible mark. Twenty years later, their paths unexpectedly cross again at a dance hall in Port Adelaide.Fleur, now a talented mortician working alongside her widowed father, dreams of opening doors for women in the male-dominated funeral industry. But she must battle with her manipulative stepmother who schemes to marry Fleur off to a coffin-maker's son and seize control of the family business. When Tom emerges from the isolation of the desert to find work at the port woolstores, Tom and Fleur's paths cross again – only to become entangled in a murder investigation where they can trust no one but each other.From the million-copy bestselling author comes an unforgettable tale of two lives forever changed by a childhood encounter, as they navigate family obligations, buried truths, and the courage to forge their own destinies in a world determined to decide their fate for them. If you love Kristin Hannah, Julianne MacLean or Where the Crawdads Sing, you must read this book.