The Home for Unwanted Girls meets Orphan Train in this unforgettable novel about a young girl caught in a scheme to rid England’s streets of destitute children, and the lengths she will go to find her way home—based on the true story of the British Home Children.2018 At ninety-seven years old, Winnifred Ellis knows she doesn’t have much time left, and it is almost a relief to realize that once … and it is almost a relief to realize that once she is gone, the truth about her shameful past will die with her. But when her great-grandson Jamie, the spitting image of her dear late husband, asks about his family tree, Winnifred can’t lie any longer, even if it means breaking a promise she made so long ago…
1936
Fifteen-year-old Winny has never known a real home. After running away from an abusive stepfather, she falls in with Mary, Jack, and their ragtag group of friends roaming the streets of Liverpool. When the children are caught stealing food, Winny and Mary are left in Dr. Barnardo’s Barkingside Home for Girls, a local home for orphans and forgotten children found in the city’s slums. At Barkingside, Winny learns she will soon join other boys and girls in a faraway place called Canada, where families and better lives await them.
But Winny’s hopes are dashed when she is separated from her friends and sent to live with a family that has no use for another daughter. Instead, they have paid for an indentured servant to work on their farm. Faced with this harsh new reality, Winny clings to the belief that she will someday find her friends again.
Inspired by true events, The Forgotten Home Child is a moving and heartbreaking novel about place, belonging, and family—the one we make for ourselves and its enduring power to draw us home.
more
As you read The Forgotten Home Child written by Genevieve Graham, the most important thing to remember is that this fictional story is based on actual events. This book is well written, and the characters were soundly developed. What impressed me the most about this book was how impeccably and painstakingly the research was done. Ms. Graham uses real-life events to tell a heartbreaking story of how between 1869 to 1948, approximately 100,000 to 130,000 children were taken from England’s streets, orphanages, and homes and then shipped to other countries, under the guise of a better life. Some of these children’s stories were happy, but the majority of them ended in some tragedy. One of the countries these children were sent to was Canada. Unfortunately, the primary purpose these children were sent to Canada was to rid England of these unwanted children. Canada then embraced these children by making them indentured servants where they worked on farms or as domestic servants. These destitute children were between the ages of three and eighteen. Ms. Graham, a native of Canada, makes no excuses for the involvement of her country; when she came across this part of her country’s history, she was shocked and saddened and felt compelled to share the stories of the British Home Children.
In The Forgotten Home Child, Ms. Graham brings these children’s story to life, through the characters, Winny, Mary, Jack Cecil, and Edward. Ms. Graham takes the many stories she discovered through her research and applies them to these characters to tell this harrowing story of survival. As I read this novel, I fell in love with all these characters, who are authentic and believable. Ninety-seven-year-old Whinny narrates much of this story to her granddaughter and her great-grandson. Sharing her family history for the first time, Winny tells what happened in her life between 1936 to 2018. Through the writing of Ms. Graham, the humiliation and stigma these children endured daily is described in excruciating detail. These events which carried over and affected much of their adult lives are palpable throughout the entire book.
History does not always paint a pretty picture, but we must remember the mistakes that were made so that they are never repeated. There are over four million decedents of the British Home Children living across Canada. Everything you read in The Forgotten Home Child has happened to these children. This book was not always easy to read; there are many instances of child abuse. However, I believe it was necessary to give credence to this vital part of history. This book would work well in a book club setting as it lends itself to intense discussion. I highly recommend this book.
* I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Genevieve Graham. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. *
Another gem from one of my favourite historical fiction authors! Graham reveals our past — both the shame and the hope of it — in the truest possible light. In doing so, she offers promise that the future can be changed by the telling of such important stories. This novel is heartbreaking yet romantic, distressing yet charming — and perfect for fans of Joanna Goodman and Jennifer Robson!
Drawing on a dark, yet little-known chapter in Canada’s history, Graham paints a searing portrait of a childhood shattered by isolation and brutality. I was profoundly moved by this tale of courage, fortitude, and the heart’s ability to open again in the wake of great injustice. The Forgotten Home Child is a powerful and engrossing read, brimming on every page with both heartbreak and hope.
#NetGalley #The Forgotten Home Child #Simon & Schuster
The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham tells the story of the British Home Children. Thousands of orphaned children were sent to Canada from England in the 1930’s. The theory was that it was a chance at a better life for these children. In reality many of these children were work slaves for the families that took them in. They were abused and neglected. This is a part of history that I knew nothing about. The story is very well written and tugs at your heartstrings. I felt that I knew the characters and it was heartbreaking to know that many of the things in the book actually happened. At times I found myself with tears running down my face. This is a story that will stay with me for years to come. Well done Ms. Graham, thank you for bringing awareness to the plight of these children.
Genevieve Graham researched the lives of many Home Children who were brought from England to Canada to be treated harshly by families who took these children to be free labor on farms. Only about twenty-five percent of the children were treated as family members. Their stories remain unknown in Canadian history. Much like The Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours shed light on the plight of orphan children being treated poorly, The Forgotten Home Child is a story of Jack, his sister Mary, Edward his brother Cecil and Winny who are a group of friends doing anything they can to survive on the streets of London before being taken in Barnardo’s Home of Unwanted Children.
This story is told by Winny as a ninety-seven year old, who wants to tell her story to her grand-daughter and great-grandchild. Much like war veterans who hide the horrible experiences of war, many of the home children suppress and do not tell the horrible experiences of their childhood. Graham brings their stories to life and this reader had to put the book down after reading how Winny, Mary, Jack, Cecil and Edward were treated.
This is a story of the “British Home Children”. Between the years of 1869 and 1948 100,000 to 130,000 destitute British children between the ages of 3 and 18 were taken from England’s street, orphanages, and homes, and then shipped across the ocean to work in other countries. It was thought they would have a better life, but in reality there were no checks and balances in the system and many of them were in abusive homes and suffered from inadequate care, no education, beatings, sexual abuse and even death. These children were called the “Home Children”. They did not feel wanted in Britain, and they did not feel welcome in their new countries. Many of the natives spat at them and said mean things to them. After they turned 18 they were turned away from finding work because of the depression and social conditions and because they were British.
This story is fiction based on history and research by the author. The story is about several main characters from Britain Jack, his sister Mary, two brothers Edward and Cecil, and Winny with Jack and Winny being the two main characters. The story follows them from when they took the ship from Britain to Canada. Jack was seventeen and Winny was sixteen.
The story begins with Winny now in her 80’s telling the story to her granddaughter an d great grandson after her daughter finds a trunk with old clothes and photos in it from Winny’s past.
The story follow the children and some of their friends as they arrive in Canada, go to the farms they will work on, grow up and leave their service or die on the farms. The treatment they receive, the sheds and barns they were forced to live in and the beatings.
The fortitude and courage of Winny and the guilty feelings of Jack as he leaves them behind. As they interact again later in years and how the past affected their present. secrets that were kept and finally released. Love and heartbreak and lives forever changed because of their immigration to Canada. Their dedication to each other and their love for each other.
The ending of the story is bittersweet and very well done. I loved the book beginning and ending, although it was sad and tragic it told me about a section of history which needed to be told.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Thanks to Genevieve Graham, Simon and Schuster Canada, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this book.
The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham is an intriguing story of a Canadian home child and her friends. This story is similar to the orphan trains in the United States except these children came all was from England rather than just Eastern cities. Life on the streets in London was difficult although these five managed with each other for support, until they were dragged off to the orphanage. That made for a couple of hard years. Eventually they were sent separately, boys and girls to a home funded by a man named Barnardo. Barnardo’s homes were all over England and they mostly did their best. The children were clean and well-fed. They were educated and generally had good lives, until one day they were prepared for a trip, by ship, to Canada, where they would all find new homes. People were paying for them: some to become family, some to become little better than slaves.
This is the story of Winny, one of five children who had lived on the streets together and after years of separation, came together again on the ship to Canada. By this time they were teenagers, only to become separated again upon their arrival. Winny went to a horrible place. She wasn’t even allowed in the house. If she didn’t finish her work in time, her dinner went to the dogs. She slept in the barn, which meant in the winter she was kept warm by sleeping sheep, so it wasn’t so bad. She eventually located her friend, Mary, who was nearby but had a horrible like, too. Hers was worse. This is a truly heartbreaking story but tinged with so much love and goodness that it became almost heart-warming. Not everything was bad, which is not excuse for the damage done. Every type of personal story makes an appearance in this book and it is riveting. Read it. You will love it. I highly recommend it. You will not be sorry.
I received a free ARC of The Forgotten Home Child from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #theforgottenhomechild
The Forgotten Home Child is heartbreaking and poignant, and it held me in its grip from beginning to end.
If you’d like to read my full review, visit http://www.ramblingsofadaydreamer.com
I can’t believe I stayed up till 3:30 am to finished this book. Just couldn’t put it down.
It might be a work of friction but it is based on various stories told by the descendants of some of the “Home Children” .
Everything described in the story has happened to a real child at onetime or other. Like many others I was not aware of “Home children” and this sure was an eye opener. As everywhere else the darker parts of history tend to be kept quiet and not mentioned in the school systems.
As a parent it is hard to comprehend children been treated that way but even in today’s society it still occurs. At least it is not an accepted practice. In a discussion with my husband we came to the conclusion that they were not any better off then slaves the only difference been that they regained their freedom at 21 years of age if they survived that long,
Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, and significant!
The Forgotten Home Child is a powerful, impactful tale that sweeps you away to the mid-1930s and into the lives of the British children who through the Dr. Barnardo’s homes were sent from England to Canada with the promise of a better life, which in reality was more likely to include forced labour, abuse, starvation, and violence.
The prose is immersive and heartfelt. The characters are vulnerable, scarred, and determined. And the plot is an authentic, pensive tale of friendship, heartbreak, loss, love, hardship, self-discovery, hope, courage, and survival.
Overall, The Forgotten Home Child is a beautiful blend of historical facts, alluring fiction, and palpable emotion that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the personalities, feelings, and lives of the characters you never want it to end. It is a nostalgic, fascinating, affecting tale that highlights an important aspect of Canadian history that is unfortunately often unknown, forgotten or overlooked.
I don’t even know where to begin! This is one it takes days to digest and I’m still doing that. So much research went into this book. It was written beautifully. The topic, I believe, is not well know. The home children went through terrible, terrible situations in their childhood. These things should never happen to anyone. So grateful for Genevieve Graham for enlightening the world to these happenings. If I could give this millions of stars ratings I would
This fantastic read deserves more than 5 stars. This Historical Fiction book is based on the British Home Children who were children sent from England to Canda to clear out the orphanages and sold as indentured servants. In 1936, 15-year-old Winnie runs away from her mother’s abusive boyfriend who lives with them and often beats all of them. She meets up with Mary and her brother Jack, brothers Edward and Cecil and together they live on the street and steal to survive. When they are caught, Winnie and Mary are put in Dr. Bernard’s Barkingside Home for Girls and the boys are put in the home for boys. After 2 years, they all ship out to Canada at the same time supposedly to work for families and have a better life, but that is not what happens. The story then goes to present day when Winnie is a 97-year-old widow living with her granddaughter, Chrissie and her great-grandson, Jamie. One day, they ask her about the trunk from her childhood that she has brought with her and about her past which she has kept a secret for all these years. This is such a heartbreaking and moving read and I highly recommend that you keep some tissues nearby. The author, Genevieve Graham, did a very thorough job researching the history of the British Home Children. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this very moving story in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend this book.
What a beautifully written historical fiction of true events that happened to orphan children from London. It was heart breaking to read how they were used and treated. Very well written and had me quickly turning the pages.
Thanks to a Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC
Thank you to Net Galley, Simon and Schuster and Genevieve Graham for this Advance Reader Copy. This story is basically Winnie’s story, but also the story of thousands of children during the 30’s and 40’s. England was overrun with orphan children and homeless children they shipped them to Canada thru the BritishHome Children’s program. They were told the would be cared for, given schooling and better lives. Unfortunately many were used as servants and abused. This book follows Winnie and her best friends. Told mainly by Winnie as she finally shares her past at age 97 upon a request of her great grandson who she says looks just like his great grandfather. This was a book I will not forget, it really makes you appreciate what you have and what’s really important. I highly recommend it.
I was given this advanced readers copy by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions are my own.
I cannot say enough about The Forgotten Home Child. Until I read this book, I had no idea that there was such a thing as the British Home Children. The book is a fictional, yet historically acccurate, telling of some of the things that these children had to endure. They were treated horribly. Sold into servitude, not able to leave their “masters” until they were at least eighteen years old. Some were lucky enough to get adopted. Those who weren’t were abused physically, mentally, and sexually.
I fell in love with the characters. They made me laugh, they made me cry. I was angry for them. I was devastated when something happened to one of them. I don’t want to give away too many details as not to spoil it for those who haven’t read the book. This book was beautifully written. It is the first that I’ve read by this author and I am greatly impressed.
Again, I don’t want to give away too much information as you really should read this for yourselves. Be prepared to go on an emotional rollercoaster!
***Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
Reading a Genevieve Graham book is like waking up in a warm bed on a cold morning….you just never want to leave!
The Forgotten Home Child takes us on an unforgettable journey to 1930’s England, where poverty raged due to over-population and lack of work. To help alleviate the problem, children were sold and shipped to Canadian families.
But what was supposed to be a better life, turned out to be anything but. These “home children” were just as unwelcome in Canada as they were in England. Some faced unimaginable abuse while working in harsh conditions on Canadian farms.
Genevieve Graham has woven a story around a group of friends, Winny, Mary, Jack, Edward and Cecil, that will have you reaching for the tissue long after you read the last page. It’s a heartbreaking story that deserves to be told and the author did a phenomenal job of making the reader feel the confusion, injustice and pain of the home children as they grew-up in an unfair world. This is an ABSOLUTE MUST READ and has definitely set a very high standard for 2020 books!!
The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham is an excellent historical fiction piece that moves between present day Winnie at age 97 living with her family, and the story that she is telling of her past (1930s England and Canada).
Here in between Winnie and Jack we hear their tragic and resilient stories of how they came from one hard situation in London, to their journey as “Home Children” as they were sent to Canada to work and “better themselves”.
This story is not an easy one to read. These children experienced situations and treatment that no one should ever have to experience, however the drive and determination of these children were evident, and allowed them triumph over adversities in the end. The ending does wrap up nicely and gives the reader a positive and satisfying outcome, however one realizes that outcomes for many of the children were not as positive and fortunate as the ones mentioned here.
This is a story of love, acceptance, forgiveness, fortitude, and overcoming odds and adversity. This is an excellent read and I am so glad I was able to learn more about this time in history.
5/5 stars
Heartbreaking novel!
Genevieve Graham always writes historical novels that leave us memories that aren’t easily forgotten because of the sadness that they leave us with. This Canadian writer delivers another rich and poignant novel, which is part of the forgotten history. I read his previous four books, but this one is really filled with strong emotions and sadness! The story ‘The Forgotten Home Child’ is based on the true story of the British Home Children. The author really captured the essence of that period of time! It really captivated my attention from the beginning because she has very well portrayed the journey of Winnifred Ellis’s life filled with ups and downs and lots of strong emotions!
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book!