About the Book

Book: A Token of Love

Author: Carrie Turansky

Genre: Fiction, Historical Romance

Release date: September 3, 2024

Separated by centuries, the lives of two women intertwine through their shared pursuit of love, truth, and justice.

In 1885 London, Lillian Freemont embarks on a treacherous journey to reunite with her long-lost niece, Alice, who was abandoned at the Foundling Hospital eight years ago. Fueled by her sister’s plea and armed with the gold token that identifies her niece, Lillian teams up with investigative reporter Matthew McGivern to expose the grim reality of the shadowed streets of London. As Lillian and Matthew unravel the mystery of Alice’s disappearance, their partnership blossoms into one of shared purpose and undeniable attraction.

In present-day London, Janelle Spencer finds herself unexpectedly running the Foundling Museum. When filmmaker Jonas Conrad arrives to document the museum’s history, their collaboration takes a surprising turn as they uncover articles from the past that shed light on a haunting connection to the present. As Janelle becomes caught between exposing the truth and protecting the museum’s reputation, she must decide if she can risk everything for what she believes.

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About the Author

Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of twenty-one inspirational novels and novellas and a winner of the Carol Award, the International Digital Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She loves traveling to England to research her Edwardian novels, including No Journey Too Far, No Ocean Too Wide, Across the Blue, and the Edwardian Brides series. Her novels have been translated into several languages and have received starred reviews from Christianbook.com and Library Journal.

More from Carrie

Come with me to London!

My latest novel, A Token of Love, is a dual-time story set in London during the late Victorian Era and present day. That prompted my husband and I to take a trip to London earlier this year. We were especially delighted to visit the Foundling Museum which tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, the first children’s charity home in England. The Foundling Hospital and Foundling Museum tie the historical and contemporary plots together in A Token of Love.

Thousands of children were taken in by the Foundling Hospital when their mothers could no longer care for them. Some of the mothers left small items such as coins, thimbles, and pieces of jewelry with their infants as identifiers in the hope that if their situation changed, they might be able to return and reclaim their child. Those items were called tokens, and we saw several of them on display at the Foundling Museum.

Each token is unique and represents a mother’s love and desire to be reunited with her child. It was very moving to view them on display and think of all the heartache and hope behind each token.

More than two years ago, I saw an image of the tokens on Pinterest. That sparked my curiosity, and I followed the research trail to learn more about them. That led to the Foundling Museum’s website, which offers a treasure trove of information and personal stories about the mothers and children connected by those tokens. What I discovered helped me develop the characters and plot for A Token of Love. The story highlights one mother who gave her daughter into their care, then eight years later tries to reclaim her. But her daughter is missing, and that sets off a series of events that stirs all of London. Family drama, romance, inspiration, and a touch of mystery will make the story meaningful for readers.

If you like stories based on true events in history that will touch your heart and lift your spirit, then I think you will enjoy reading A Token of Love!

If you’d like to see more photos from my research trip to London and the Foundling Museum, I hope you’ll visit my website photo page!

MY REVIEW

There is nothing better for me than reading a book by this author. When it is a split time story that is a bonus for me. Her writing takes me to a place where a where much was going on behind closed doors.We start in 1885 where a prominent hospital is highlighted. It had a prestige reputation but secrets were hidden from many. I can’t imagine thinking your baby has died then discover that the child is alive. Will justice prevail ?

I love the storyline about the token that many parents left with their child as a remembrance of their heritage. A small coin or a locket holds family history and is hoped to identify their child if they can come back to get them. Let’s think about the parents who had no choice but to give up their child. The heart wrenching decision will last a lifetime. Oh how I wanted to help find those who looked gir their child.

Lillian is a very strong faith filled woman. Her determination to find her niece fills the pages with hope. I loved how she overcame many obstacles and never once thought of giving up. What she uncovers with the help of a journalist is hard to put into words. Battered, abused young children being used as maids or the unthinkable of losing their innocence.To think that human trafficking went on so long along shows how little we have done today to protect innocent children.

Matthew is writing a story on the hospital and runs into Lillian. He joins Lillian to help find her niece and expose the truth about the hospital. He wants to help Lillian while also sharing with the world a dark secret that needs to be shared . I liked how he is courageous, caring and also faithful in his walk with God.

We move forward in the story to 2023. Here we meet Janelle and Jonas. I absolutely loved how this thread of the story gives us a glimpse into the life of a teenager you will meet. Her attitude is not upbeat but soon her life will be changed. Janelle has a new promotion at the museum and finds out that Jonas is there to do a documentary on the infamous hospital from 1885.

The author does an amazing job of bringing justice to a forgotten group of children. It stated many years ago yet it is still present today. Each character found that trusting God would help them through their trials. I loved that this story is based on true historical facts. It piqued my curiosity and decided to read more about the hospital on my own. I have to end my review so I don’t give anymore away. Be prepared for tears, hope, secrets, and most of all hope.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.