The Forgotten Home Child is a beautiful, abeit sometimes painfully sad, story that takes place partly in 1936 and 2018. It is a story of abandoned children, either just given up or actually orphaned, and the terrible hardships they endure. In the midst of these hardships there are lifelong friendships made and during those years these friendships are their families and this goes along the way, 1936 to 2018. It is also a story of love, determination, survival and the beauty of love. My heart just burst reading this, I loved the story and I'm sure you will too. Thank you #NetGalley #Simon&Schuster #TheForgottenHomeChild

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advance copy of this book.

Based on the true story about the British Home Children, The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham tells of how the UK shipped children to Canada from homes that had rescued the children that were either destitute, from families that were dysfunctional, or suffered a tragedy such that they fell on hard times forcing them to surrender the children to these homes. Many still had families, and when some recovered and went to get their children back, they were heartbroken to find they’d been sent away.

Thrust onto a new continent, these children were placed into situations that were not always good and they suffered as many viewed them as inferior and filthy street rats from London. Alone and separated from anyone they knew, they withdrew into themselves and buried the stories of their past in dealing with the trauma.

While this migration scheme was well-intentioned, the results were devastating to these child victims. Being poor and in need stigmatized them in many different ways bringing shame to their plight as we learn as Winny, a 97-year old, tells here story painful bit by bit to her granddaughter and great-grandson.

This is beautifully written and tells an important story about the dark history here. Don’t discount it as being like so many others similar in it subject matter. The Forgotten Home Children is distinctly different. Historical fiction fans will find lots to like in this book.

Oh man...this sat on my Kindle app for months. I worked at it little by little, not because it's not good (quite the opposite in fact) but simply because the story is so heartbreaking and unfortunately it's a work of fiction about true events. This is my second book by this author and I have another one of hers on my Kindle...yes I like the way she tells a story. The Forgotten Home Child is about England's scheme to clean up the streets by sending poor, unwanted children overseas to be taken care of by families. The problem was that the majority of these children suffered greatly at the hands of these people who were supposed to take care of them. Most of them were treated as indentured servants with no rights and no recourse. Forgotten by everyone basically, no follow-up from the agency who shipped them off and definitely no more than a mouth to feed by the people who "cared" for them.
There are two different timelines, and the story is told by Winnie starting in 2018 when she's 97 and in 1936 when she's 15. I love books with different timelines and different POV's and this one didn't disappoint.
At the end of the book Ms. Graham provides a lot of insight into why she wrote the book and how she did her research. Many heartbreaking stories that apparently are only coming to light in recent years because of things like ancestry.ca. Unfortunately a lot of history is already lost because people were ashamed of the stigma of being a "home child" and therefore took their heritage/stories to their graves.
Any book that teaches and opens our eyes to injustices past and present is typically a 5 star for me.
Excellent book!

Thanks to NetGalley & Simon & Shuster Canada for the ARC and allowing me to write an unbiased review.
#NetGalley
#TheForgottenHomeChild

In the mid-1930s, Winny, Mary, Jack, Edward and Cecil are children living in the streets in London. Their families couldn't afford to support them and rather than be abused or put in orphanages, the alternative was to take to the streets and do whatever they could to eat. The five of them are eventually rounded up and put in orphanages and then in Barnardo Homes. After a couple years, when they are in the early to mid-teens, they are put on a boat along with hundreds of other children and sent to Canada as "Home Children". It's positioned as a great opportunity for them as families in Canada will be taking them in.

Once they arrive, they discover that they are basically slaves living on farms, helping the poor farmers who saw this as a cheap way to get labour. Jack, Edward and Cecil end up on a farm in the London, Ontario, area working for an abusive man who beat them for no reason. Winny and Mary end up on different farms near Peterborough, Ontario. Winny's mistress expects her to do many chores, sleep in a barn with the sheep and she is always hungry. Mary lives in a shed on her mistress' property and is responsible for taking care of the children. This is not what the Barnardo organization had promised but no one if following up.

Despite the subject matter, I liked this book ... though I did find it wrapped up rather quickly with a happy ending. I've read other books about home children and the author does a good job letting us know what life was like for them. I liked the writing style. It bounces back and forth from present day with 98-year-old Winny finally telling her story to her granddaughter and great grandson to beginning with when Winny, Mary, Jack, Edward and Cecil are children on the streets, how they came to be home children, their life in Canada and what they did once they were able to leave their masters. It is written in third person perspective in Winny and Jack's voices ... the chapters are noted with the dates and voices.

The story is based on true experiences of home children. There is a chapter at the end providing some history about what home children programs were all about. It's hard to believe that until the late 1940s, up to 130,000 British children between the ages of three and eighteen were taken from England's streets, orphanages and homes and shipped to Canada, Australia and other countries. Many were told that their parents had passed away or didn't want them anymore, which wasn't always true. While some children did benefit from the arrangement, most didn't and were beaten and abused. In 2017, a monument was erected in Park Lawn Cemetery here in Toronto honoring home children who are buried there.

This book reminded me of Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours. Here, the children were sent from London orphanages to Canada. It’s based on a true story, like these books usually are, of a program that existed for over 70 years and covered over 100,000 children.

The book alternates between the present day, as 97 year old Winny finally tells her family about her history as a Home Child, and her earlier years. There was a lot of abuse in the program, with many of the children being treated more like slaves than family members.

To me, the most interesting part of the book was the shame that caused Winny and Jack to keep the secrets they did. In much the same way as we have treated migrants, the Home Children were not well received or treated as equals. That stigma caused ripples far down Jack and Winny’s lives.

I will admit that while reading the book, it often struck me as melodramatic. However, in the author’s note, Graham states that each incident in the book is based on someone’s real history. According to her research, about 75% of the children who came to Canada experienced abuse and neglect. As is often the case with historical fiction, I found the author’s notes to be the most moving part of the book.

My thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advance copy of this book.

This was such a lovely, charming, and heartbreaking novel! I've only read one novel by Genevieve Graham before this one, but I will definitely be watching for her future publications.

This book follows a group of Home Children, children from England who were shipped to Canada to begin new lives. Between the late 1800s and mid-1900s, it's estimated that upwards to 120,000 of these children were sent to Canada. Many of them were essentially sold into labour by cruel masters, and died far too young. As a Canadian with a particular interest in history, I was horrified that I had never even heard of this before.

There are two main POVs--Jack and Winny--but five main Home Children (Jack's sister, Mary, and brothers Cecil and Edward). I really loved both perspectives. I think Graham really nailed the atmosphere and language of the time. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see the reality of how these children (these characters are 15 or 16 at the novel's beginning, but they're accompanied by children as young as 5 or 6) lived in awful conditions in Canada. Some were lucky and led better lives, but these cases seemed rarer.

The majority of the novel follows the characters before, through, and immediately after WW2. Interspersed between these historical POVs is the present-day POV of Winny as a great-grandmother, telling her story and secrets to her granddaughter and great-grandson. I thought this really tied up the narrative really well.

Overall, a lovely, well-written, and devastating novel following a little-known piece of Canadian history.

I have read many WWII books and even several on the Home Children that were shipped from England to Canada, but this is by far one of the best and will go in my top ten books of the year list. The writing is excellent, the research is spot on, and the character development is done so well that you fall in love with many of the main characters, especially Winny, plan to be carried away on an adventure and bring a tissue, you will need it.
Even though this is historical fiction, it is based upon true happenings of what these poor children had to go through when Canada was completely unprepared to take care of the number of children delivered from orphanages. The most important factor is shame on the people of Canada for the horrible conditions some of these children had to endure. So many failures caused by greedy people, poor administration, no organized government control and lack of staffing for supervision is no excuse for this deplorable event. Another war fallout with innocent children involved.
This is a great piece of history told in a most stellar way. Well done Ms. Graham, well done!!!
I thank the publisher for giving me the opportunity to receive this book from Simon & Schuster Canada through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This one gets my highest 5 star review I can give, this is an awesome book!!!

This book started off a little bit slow, but when it picked up, I could not put it down. I had never heard of the Home Children, so it taught me the horrifics of a system that should have been good, but ultimately was so terrible for millions of kids. My heart hurts for these characters, and for all of the children forgotten about from that time. I praise Graham for writing this heartwrenching novel and for working to teach people about these kids that should never be forgotten.

This book was not only an incredible educational tool, but it was such a beautiful novel. It made me laugh, cry, yearn, and mourn. The characters were fierce and strong and relatable and I fell in love with all of them and hated their enemies. Kudos to Graham for this incredible work.

I knew this book would deal with some heavy topics. I never expected it to leave me in tears. Once I finish a book I can usually dive right into the next without a problem. But this one haunted me. I knew it was fiction but knowing that these types of things happened in the past weighed on me as I read.

Winny is ninety-seven years old, living with her granddaughter and great-grandson Jamie, the spitting image of her late husband. An old wooden trunk has them asking questions when it's contents tumble out. It's part of Winny's painful past she longed to forget. And when they ask her about the family tree she starts her story at what brought her to Canada.

The book is told in parts each one starting in present day. Then the chapters move to the past told from Winny's point of view and switch back and forth to Jack's point of view. They are indentured servants who were told that they were coming to Canada for better opportunities. But their reality is much harsher than they could have imagined.

That last line had me in tears!
Go read this book!

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster.
#TheForgottenHomeChild #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this story about British Home Children, who I’d never heard of before reading the synopsis of this book. While there tends to be a lot of historical fiction about orphans, this one still felt very fresh and unique to me.

I was really drawn into the story of these 5 kids and the paths that their lives followed. I felt like the book went into awesome detail about how they ended up in their situations, as well as all the experiences they had once they arrived in Canada. The author did a good job of making you care about these characters and their fates.

The last 25% of the book was probably my favorite. A lot of things were revealed and I was definitely finding myself eager to read more and see where the story would wind up.

My only complaint about this book is literally the last sentence. I can’t say why, but I just wish it hadn’t even been in the book. I felt like it took away a bit of the authenticity I had been enjoying throughout the book.

Overall a great and insightful read!

The Forgotten Home Child is a compelling story of survival, set amid the backdrop of a very sad time in the history of England and Canada. The story takes place over decades, as we watch Jack, Winnie, Mary, and their friends contend with abuse, poverty, hunger and loneliness with bravery, compassion, and strength.

The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham is a work of historical fiction based on the real life events that happened to thousands of English children who were sent to Canada for a “better life”. The novel follows 6 children who are placed on horrible farms as indentured servants. Most of them are left in cold barns to sleep with animals and could go days without eating.! They are expected to work hours on end with little to no breaks . The children are severely punished if they do even the smallest thing wrong . The abuse is unimaginable. The story follows these children and what happens to them both when indentured and when they are freed, escape or die from the abuse of their master. It amazes me that this author incorporated real life experiences into the characters that she writes about. I knew nothing about the emigration of children to Canada and I am grateful to have read this book in order to be more fully educated about the social atrocities of the past. It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend this novel. I received this novel from Simon and Schuster Canada and netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am not a big historical fiction fan, but I really enjoyed this one. Definitely recommend.

Wonderful read full of history that I knew nothing about. In parts heartbreaking but yet hopeful, the characters came alive for me, especially the present day Winnie. I had no idea so many Canadians could be so cruel and I wish the story followed more of the happy cases as well, because my heart broke for those kids.

I really wanted to love this book, and I did find it to be well written. The descriptions of how the children were treated, once they arrived in Canada, were difficult to read.

This book grabs your heart and doesn't let go! I was immediately pulled in with the story of Winny and her recalling her past with her granddaughter and great grandson.
The book focuses on the story from both Winny and Jack's point of view, while also being narrated by the currently 97 year old Winny.
Winny met Jack and his Sister Mary on the streets of London, where they became a family, only to be scooped up by an orphanage and later taken to Canada to serve as home boys and home girls with families there. The children were put to work and treated so badly.
Throughout the book, Winny opens these painful memories back up and shares them, things they never told anyone.
The way the author wrote it, you already know part of the ending, so you want to read about the events that get them there.
I loved the ending of this book! It was great closure to the story! Part of me wishes it was longer at the end to tell more of Bill and Winnys story, but the focus was not on that, it was on Winny and what happened in her life; overall I'm glad the author kept that as the focus.
Will most definitely be getting this book and reading it again!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

Mary, Jack, Cecil, and Winnie are living on the streets in London, abandoned by their parents. They steal and beg to survive. Mary discovers Winnie, lost and forlorn and takes her into the family fold. She is told she has to support herself and they teach her the art of stealing and living on the streets. One miscalculation sends then all in trouble with the police. They are taken away and finally sent to Dr. Bernado’s home for orphans. There Mary and Winny meet Charlotte who has been dropped off by her mother who can’t afford to keep her, but insists she will be back for her.
After 3 years they are all informed they are going to Canada for a better life.
Scared of the unknown they manage to travel on the boat together. Jack, the oldest, is determined to look after his sister Mary and also Winnie. They arrive in Toronto by train and have to wait for whomever has paid for them. The 3 brothers stay together, but Winnie and Mary are torn apart. They end up working on farms in horrendous conditions, often starved and beaten

Winnie by coincidence finds Mary who is not treated well, but tries to hide the fact. Then later Winnie discovers Charlotte who lives with a kind and generous family.

Stories of the home children have abound over the years when it was discovered how cruelly many were treated. Dr Bernardo thought he was sending them to have a better life, but there was almost no follow up from the home. Tens of thousands of children were relocated in the 1920/30’s, mostly to Canada and some to Australia. I have often wondered where these children and grandchildren are today. It is very well written and an interesting read. I am not sure why more details are not documented in our history books.

This story gripped me right from the beginning. Thank you to the author Genevieve Graham and Netgalley for introducing me to a time, that I'm sure some Canadians wish had remained hidden. This story was well researched and very well written. Some of these stories brought me to tears. I intend to find out more about these times, using some of the information at the end of the book as a guide.

I feel like I've been in a bubble, protected from some hidden Canadian history, that I can honestly say is appalling to me. I was never taught about this in school. Reminds me of how we weren't taught about our own Canadian aboriginals, and the schools they were forced into. And how they were taken from their families-- beaten and abused.

How could a society treat young people this way and get away with it.

The British Home Children-- told they would get a better life in Canada. They were lied to. They were treated no better than field hands, beaten and sometimes raped, by their so called new families or masters. Some were lucky, but most were not. Some ended up dead. More than 100,000 of children sent to Canada and Australia.
Another dark time in Canadian history.

This was a heartbreaking novel. The author did meticulous research on the subject of The British Home Children. I never knew of this history but was glued to this story until I finished. It was very well written and researched.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Heart-wrenching is the best single word for this book, yet there are heart-warming elements as well. Graham has taken a previously unknown (at least to me) piece of history and brought it to life through a splendid cast of characters. The British Home Children were sent to Canada with the promise of homes and families. Some were orphans, and some had been placed in the orphanages while their families worked past hardship, illnesses, and destitution but with the hope of being reunited. Some were street children who were basically fending for themselves. The idea was good, but the results were often mediocre to horrific. Many of the families receiving the children were looking only for farm hands, and it was a very hard environment. This history is made real through the lives of Winnie, Mary, and Jack, and their friends. This is a fascinating book, and is extremely well done. Graham has based it on truth and leavened the hard facts with life and love.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.