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vikingwolf's review against another edition
Kathleen is one of the daughters of a single mother in Ireland at a time when unmarried women are targeted by the social services. When Kathleen's new father dies in a fight, the authorities try to take the girls into care. After winning their freedom, the mother faces losing her children again when 8 year old Kathleen is raped by a neighbour. The girls are sentence to live in an industrial school run by brutal nuns until they are 16.
This wasn't my cup of tea at all. It was too descriptive about everything-every detail about the house, the street, the neighbours and neighbourhood and took an eternity to get into the story. By the time the real story began, I was already getting bored with the book. The story inside the school is brutal and cruel and I will never understand how Christians can treat children like this and truly believe that they are doing the children good. It disgusts me. This is not the best example of this type of book but it will interest anyone who wants to read about the industrial schools.
This wasn't my cup of tea at all. It was too descriptive about everything-every detail about the house, the street, the neighbours and neighbourhood and took an eternity to get into the story. By the time the real story began, I was already getting bored with the book. The story inside the school is brutal and cruel and I will never understand how Christians can treat children like this and truly believe that they are doing the children good. It disgusts me. This is not the best example of this type of book but it will interest anyone who wants to read about the industrial schools.
hayley12337's review against another edition
5.0
I literally could not put this book down.
I absolutely loved it and went on such an emotional roller coaster with it.
There are grammatical mistakes and the writing isn't great, but the story makes up for it. It is shocking and a real insight into a time that a lot of children suffered through.
I absolutely loved it and went on such an emotional roller coaster with it.
There are grammatical mistakes and the writing isn't great, but the story makes up for it. It is shocking and a real insight into a time that a lot of children suffered through.
dorod59's review against another edition
3.0
I started this book yesterday, and I couldn't keep it down until I'd finished.
It's a quick read, but also a difficult one, as the story is very very sad... I can't nterstand how children can have been treated that way for years!
The writing was not the best I have come across, but I understand that this story needed to be written and read. I don't regret reading it and I recommend it to everyone liking true story and not minding a sad one.
It's a quick read, but also a difficult one, as the story is very very sad... I can't nterstand how children can have been treated that way for years!
The writing was not the best I have come across, but I understand that this story needed to be written and read. I don't regret reading it and I recommend it to everyone liking true story and not minding a sad one.
xeni's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book early this morning and I picked it up on the way to work. I couldn't focus all day for reading, and just now finished it!
It was such a moving story about Kathleen O'Malley and her life in the "justice" system of Ireland in the 50's and 60's. She was taken from her loving, caring mother and put into a sort of "religious workhouse" for orphans all because she was born out of wedlock. She was raped and then put back into another prison-like confinement until she was 16. She she spend almost her whole adult life still in this prison due to the brainwashing she received at such a young age.
I was really really glad to read this book. It's nothing something easy to digest (sort of like [b:A Child Called "It"|60748|A Child Called "It"|Dave Pelzer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170545613s/60748.jpg|59104]) but it did make me rethink my own childhood and how good I've had things.
I love Kathleen's candid take on her whole life. She has accepted what happened to her, and now wants to share with the rest of the world. Raising awareness for these things is just so important, I find. Plus, it makes me feel justified to be anti-institutions, especially religious ones.
It was such a moving story about Kathleen O'Malley and her life in the "justice" system of Ireland in the 50's and 60's. She was taken from her loving, caring mother and put into a sort of "religious workhouse" for orphans all because she was born out of wedlock. She was raped and then put back into another prison-like confinement until she was 16. She she spend almost her whole adult life still in this prison due to the brainwashing she received at such a young age.
I was really really glad to read this book. It's nothing something easy to digest (sort of like [b:A Child Called "It"|60748|A Child Called "It"|Dave Pelzer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170545613s/60748.jpg|59104]) but it did make me rethink my own childhood and how good I've had things.
I love Kathleen's candid take on her whole life. She has accepted what happened to her, and now wants to share with the rest of the world. Raising awareness for these things is just so important, I find. Plus, it makes me feel justified to be anti-institutions, especially religious ones.
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