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 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.
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 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.
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. ~ taken from Goodreads
This was my first book by author Genevieve Graham but it will not be my last. I have already added her previous books to my TBR list because she just has a way with words. The story is captivating and left me haunted, scouring the internet to learn more about these Home Children I had previously heard nothing about.
This story alternates from present day Winny, an old woman eager to tell her family the secrets of her past. How she got here, what she endured as a child, and why she hasn't ever talked about it. Telling the story will be tough. Old wounds will be opened and heartaches will occur once again, but it is a story she is determined to relive so that her family can know where they come from.
Characters and scenery of the past were well written and the characters immediately likable. A group of abandoned kids, living on the streets in filth, given a chance for a better life. The intentions of the British and Canadian governments were good, but the plan and followup went very wrong, leaving these children in the hands of monsters with no checks and balances for their safety.
Although some parts of the story were sappy and predictable, I couldn't stop reading. After finishing, it was a story that haunted me for a couple days as I searched the internet for anything I could find on this subject. Guilt slowly set in, as I had never heard of this part of history and I wanted to share it with anyone who would listen to me. This part of history should never be forgotten.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for allowing me eARC to read and give my honest review.
Genevieve Graham's The Forgotten Home Children is set to be released March 3, 2020 for US readers. Please pre-order this novel as you will not be disappointed. A 5 star read for me!
Happy Reading!
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