The Rainbow Bridge

The novel follows Marian, a young girl who wakes one morning at the Home for Little Pilgrims, an orphanage where abandoned children are given shelter and the chance at a new life. Through Marian's eyes, we experience the complex emotions of childhood without a family: the hope that curls up in your chest when visitors arrive, the ache of being passed over, and the fragile courage it takes to believe that somewhere, someone might choose you. The narrative captures both the tender cruelty and unexpected kindness of institutional life, where children watch and wait and wonder if they will ever belong to someone. When adoption opportunities arise, Marian must navigate the terrifying possibility that home might not be where the heart is. This is a story about the deepest human need: to be seen, wanted, and loved. It endures because it speaks to something universal in the orphan experience, capturing the way children hold both hope and fear in their small hands.