The Orphan Girls of Bath - A Novel
What happens when you take Plan B too far?
In 1940, facing lies and estrangement with her only child, a widow is nagged by memories as to why her father, Civil War Marine Charles Brother, gave her matchsticks when he surrendered his girls to the Davenport Orphanage in his hometown of Bath, New York. While under confinement of the regimental curriculum of the 1890s, the girls experienced quality training, having no use for matches outside of the kitchen. But it always bothered her: What was the plan for the matches? What was she supposed to set ablaze?
In 1887, facing reverses in Iowa, a Marine gives up his children, knowing well the risks of exposing them to indoctrination. At the last moment, he asks his middle child, Fannie, the only fighter in the bunch, to carry the torch for truth. But in her fit of rage over his last betrayal and her tendency for unrestraint, would she even hear his final instructions?
The Orphan Girls of Bath
A Novel
by Christine Friesel
paper back ▪︎ historical fiction
Published: Dec 21, 2022