Is the book a good read for history buffs?

Yes, the book provides a unique perspective on the Foundling Hospital's history and its legacy, which might be of interest to history buffs.

What are the book's themes and ideas?

The book explores themes of identity, belonging, and the legacy of the Foundling Hospital.

Is the book a good choice for readers who enjoy memoirs?

While the book is a memoir, it might not be the best choice for readers who are looking for a more in-depth or personal account of the author's mom's past.

What's the book's tone and style?

The book's tone is engaging and easy to follow, but the writing style is not particularly memorable.

Is the book a good read for fans of Charles Dickens?

Yes, the book mentions Charles Dickens and his connection to the Foundling Hospital, which might be of interest to fans.

What's the book's setting and time period?

The book is set in the 18th century, during the time of the Foundling Hospital, and explores the hospital's history and legacy.

Is the book a good choice for readers who enjoy stories about family history?

Yes, the book provides a unique perspective on the author's mom's past and her connection to the Foundling Hospital.

A Disappointing Bestseller: The Stranger's Name Review

Hello everyone!

I've had this book, 'The Stranger's Name: The Secret of the Foundling Hospital', on my reading list for ages. The cover and blurb really caught my eye, the title was intriguing, and the reviews were glowing. I was super excited to dive in.

I read the book in its digital version.

The book is a memoir by Justin Cohen and partially by his mother. It's a story about his mother's past, specifically her time at the London Foundling Hospital.

Justin wants to share this part of his mother's history through this book.

The Foundling Hospital has a legendary status; it's been around since the 18th century. Charles Dickens used to live nearby, and the hospital's history even inspired some of his work.

I've noticed that hospitals like this one have a lot of tradition and rules that haven't changed much since they were founded. It wasn't until after World War II that some significant changes started to happen, but by then my mom had already left this place.

I didn't know much about my mom's past, and it wasn't something we talked about in my family. When she tried to tell me about it, I brushed it off. To be honest, I wasn't really interested at the time, but years later, after she passed away, I found myself curious about her history.

The book's narrative is a bit all over the place. If I had to break it down, I'd say it's divided into three sections: the history of the hospital, my mom's story, and my own memories of my mom and childhood, along with my journey of discovery.

The hospital's history is definitely interesting, especially since it was a place that took in children who weren't orphans, but rather the result of, shall we say, 'unplanned' pregnancies.My mom's story is also fascinating, but it's a bit scattered and disjointed in the book.As for my own memories, they're a mix of good and bad, and it's only now that I'm older that I can see the bigger picture.On the plus side, if you can get past some of the overly poetic language, it's actually pretty engaging to read about the hospital and its history.

I have to admit, I was really curious to read excerpts from the author's mom's memoirs.

One of the main topics in this book is the psychology and inner world of a child who's been abandoned by their parents. What kind of impact does life in an orphanage have on a child's future adult life, their relationships with their own kids? This book raises some thought-provoking questions. The mom's memories of her childhood in the orphanage and her daughter's memories of growing up without a loving mother are really eye-opening and telling.

I have to say, I was disappointed.

But it turned out that all this exterior flair was just a clever marketing ploy with no connection to the actual content.

The title 'Stranger's Name. The Secret of the Royal Orphanage' is intriguing, but there's no real secret in the book. The orphanage for abandoned children didn't take in orphans, it was just one of its distinguishing features. The strict discipline, punishments, the terrifying uniform - all the usual tools of the trade in institutions like this, especially in the first half of the 20th century.

The original title, 'The Secret Life of Dorothy Somes', fits the book much better. Changing it to 'Stranger's Name. The Secret of the Royal Orphanage' for the Russian translation was a misstep by the publisher, as it completely misrepresents the book's content.

If the book was just a memoir of her mom, and Justin's tangents were structured and made sense, the book would've left a completely different impression. In the end, almost half the book is Justin's memories of her awful mom, her messed-up and unhappy childhood. All these memories are ripped out of context and presented haphazardly.

From them, you get the impression that Justin's mom was eccentric, over-the-top, and a bit off; her behavior was unhealthy and traumatic. Maybe that's how it was, but it's hard to make conclusions based solely on Justin's words. She wasn't the only kid in the family; she had a sister, and I'd love to hear her perspective, but it's naturally not there.

Justin's numerous statements about how she hated her mom start to get annoying in the end.

I got the feeling that this book was her personal form of therapy. She just wanted to express herself, publicly confess her hatred for her mom, and come to terms with her feelings.

I found all this to be unnecessary emotional baggage that the author dumps on the reader.

Memoirs are a specific genre that's only really valuable to the author themselves - unless others want to read them, you either have to be able to write interestingly about yourself, or write about something genuinely interesting.

Justin's stories about her mom driving her to violin lessons at 6 am or buying her a wardrobe on her own taste, not her daughter's, are genuinely dull and suffocating. All her attempts to prove and justify herself were really boring.

There are plenty of stories like that out there.

So why should I care about Justin Coen's memories?

I have no idea who she even is...

The chaotic writing style and excessive use of filler make it hard to follow. The book is divided into chapters, but it's poorly structured.

Let's get real...

I was thoroughly disappointed with the book. My expectations didn't match reality.

Firstly, I was really annoyed by Justin Coen herself, who hated and rejected her mom and all her attempts to talk about her past.

But after her death, she suddenly became interested, found her mom's manuscript that she'd sent her years ago and never even bothered to read, and started her search, crafting a bestseller out of her mom's story.

Secondly, there's no mystery to the royal institution in this book. I wouldn't say there are any mysterious secrets in this book at all.

I have to say, the last part of the book is really hard to get through - the writing style is all over the place and it's super frustrating.

It's so dull that I found myself wanting to just give up on the book, and that's not something that happens to me often.