Identical twins. Billy and Tommy Jones were born out of wedlock in Lancashire, England in 1921 at a time when such a thing was regarded as a disgrace. Tommy was taken by a catholic priest and placed in an orphanage the day after his birth. Neither boy knows they have a brother until thirty-two years later. The trajectory of each boy’s life takes them to different parts of the world where they suffer the consequences of circumstances beyond their control which they must confront and resolve. Billy is injured in WW2, falls in love with his nurse, and is left struggling with shell shock after being discharged from the army. Eventually, through the kindness and compassion of strangers, he regains his health and, in a surprising turn of events, learns the truth about his birth. Tommy is a victim of the British Home Children program and is sent to Canada when he is thirteen to work on a five-year indenture labor contract on a dairy farm in Quebec. When his contract ends, he travels to Jersey, a Channel Island, just before the Germans invade and occupy the island. To avoid capture and deportation to Germany, Tommy becomes resourceful in surprising ways. The Soldier and the Orphan is a fast-paced, emotionally packed novel with strong characters and surprising twists. It will elicit unexpected tears of joy and sadness as the story touches on colonialist attitudes, discrimination, love, and tragedy. And for readers wanting an extra taste of mystery and suspense. The Soldier and the Orphan brews up a good share of deceits and secrets, and even murder as the novel threads to a powerful, heart-warming conclusion.