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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
An interesting, little-known history of the Home children, the poor, sometimes orphaned kids sent from England to be indentured servants in Canada between the mid 19th century and 1948. This story follows six children and is told from two POV (Winny, Jack) with flashbacks from modern day to the 1930s. Good scene setting, particularly in describing the bleak farms of Canada during the Depression. I found the first half of the book the most engaging. The ending tied things up a little too neatly and implausibly (for me). The dialogue, at times, struck me as contrived and Pollyanna. Overall an interesting history relating the varied experiences of the Home children.
Well wrote, heartbreaking, I want to learn more about the Home Child program history. And, I will be reading other books by this author.
Meticulously researched and written, Graham has written a lovely novel about British Home Children, which I knew a little of, but nothing like this.
It's a sweet story about resilience and family in its own way. It also tells the true story - as mentioned in the note from the author at the end of the book - about many, many, home children and what they went through.
Why the 3 stars then?
In many ways this novel felt artificial, light, and more focused on tying a nice little bow on things. Is some ways, it almost reminded me of the film Pearl Harbour, in which the romance is brought to the forefront over telling the gritty truth, and the relationship is the biggest takeaway from the movie. You leave satisfied, but it doesn't have the depth of substance that it perhaps should have had. If that makes any sense, haha.
While not my favorite read this year, it has given me some information about these children that I simply had no idea about. I'm glad that someone was able to tell their story as elegantly as Graham has done here.
It's a sweet story about resilience and family in its own way. It also tells the true story - as mentioned in the note from the author at the end of the book - about many, many, home children and what they went through.
Why the 3 stars then?
In many ways this novel felt artificial, light, and more focused on tying a nice little bow on things. Is some ways, it almost reminded me of the film Pearl Harbour, in which the romance is brought to the forefront over telling the gritty truth, and the relationship is the biggest takeaway from the movie. You leave satisfied, but it doesn't have the depth of substance that it perhaps should have had. If that makes any sense, haha.
While not my favorite read this year, it has given me some information about these children that I simply had no idea about. I'm glad that someone was able to tell their story as elegantly as Graham has done here.
emotional
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I wish I had read the afterword first. Through most of the book, I kept thinking the storyline was predictable and a wee bit trite: a romance novel in disguise. But the last bit of the book and the afterword turned that around – the story was based on actual histories of the various orphaned or surrendered children who were transported from poverty-stricken streets of England to the new country Canada in hopes of a “better” life. By the end I realized there was nothing trite about the story at all. The whole child-shipping endeavor was perhaps founded on a feeble impulse to improve desperate lives, but descended quickly into the damnation of thousands of children.
I’ve been a reading slump lately. Book after book, wanting more. Then I came across this book. What a beautiful, heartbreaking story. I haven’t cried at a book in years and this one did me in. I finished this book in one day because I couldn’t put it down. Winny was such a beautiful character and I absolutely fell in love with her. So much emotion in this book but all worth it. This is one of those books that I’m going to have to read again!
Be ware of the trigger warnings. Sexual assault, assault, homelessness, war descriptions, and suicide.
Be ware of the trigger warnings. Sexual assault, assault, homelessness, war descriptions, and suicide.
One of the best books I have read in a long time. It should be shared far and wide, as being a part of Canadian history. I had never heard of these home children before reading this book. Truly eye opening.