Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This review is my own thoughts. I found this to be an interesting time in history. The potato blight! The workhouse! Young girls were sent to Australia! Families were left behind. The characters were well thought out and likable. What a difficult journey, leaving family behind and starting a new life in a different country.
3.5 stars that I have rounded up to 4

In a Nutshell: A historical fiction novel that goes from Ireland to Australia and based on the Earl Grey Scheme. Excellent historical research, good characters though they take their time to shine, structured episodic plot. A bit too much romance for my liking but it is handled well. Recommended!


Plot Preview:
1845. After the blight results in the potato famine, Kate Gilvarry and her family are forced to give up their land and their home to move into a workhouse. However, after some more tragedies in the family, Kate finds herself alone. When she is selected under the Earl Grey Scheme to be transported to some new place called “Australia” for domestic work, she has mixed feelings. But with the company of the fellow orphans from the workhouse, she feels like her future in the new land might be better than her present. After the harrowing journey, the girls make it to Sydney. But is Australia really all it was promised to be?
The story comes to us in Kate’s first-person perspective, writing from some time in the future and narrating to us her life story going back to 1845 and covering more than a decade.

Bookish Yays:
🐨 Kate as the main character – courageous, compelling, impulsive, caring, and naïve. All attributes that make her a suitable lead.
🐨 The secondary characters, especially the other Irish girls bound for Australia. Some of them are cliched at the start and get only a limited set of emotions. But as the story progresses, their characters show their worth, whether positive or negative.
🐨 The historical atmosphere of Ireland and Australia – seems quite real, with the writing capturing the social, cultural, and moral values of the era.
🐨 Some wonderful new (to me) parts of history to learn from this book: The Earl Grey scheme and its repercussions, the Irish potato famine, the Australian gold rush,… I always love it when a novel teaches me facts without feeling like a history textbook.
🐨 The episodic division of the plot. The story is divided into six distinct parts, each set in a different phase of Kate’s life. Helps us see the progress of the characters as well as their situation.
🐨 The clearly demarcated time and location throughout the story, which makes it very easy to follow the timeline despite the lengthy duration.
🐨 The “romance”. To be honest, I rolled my eyes when the first sparks of romantic thoughts started firing up in Kate’s mind. It seemed to be an utterly predictable move and I was worried that this would turn into a historical romance. To my surprise, the plot used Kate’s feelings quite well later, with the attraction being used as a background instigator to decisions instead of taking the central focus.
🐨 The research of the location, events, and people. The author has clearly done her homework!
🐨 The presentation of the biased views against and the religious views of the Irish Catholics. The books has mild religious undertones thanks to Kate’s belief, but the religious ideas never dominate the plot, nor do they get preachy.
🐨 The portrayal of the negative effects of colonisation, not just on Aussie soil but also on Irish lands. When it comes to indigenous trauma, books rarely focus on the Irish, so this storyline did a great job. Of course, it was slightly ironic that these very characters looked down on the Australian aboriginals. It’s true to the era though, so can't complain about the depiction.
🐨 The dual significance of the title, with the key characters being orphaned from both family and country. Both aspects are used nicely in the novel.
🐨 The author's note: interesting and revelatory.


Bookish Mixed Bags:
🦘 Kate is supposedly writing from some unknown point in the future, letting us know the events in her life from 1845 onwards. However, except for one small section at the start and the very end, most of the rest of the book doesn’t read like a flashback narration. It is written like a typical novel. So the start and end by future-Kate didn’t make much sense overall, except for a couple of foreshadowings.
🦘 I liked almost the entire ending except for one tiny development. It seemed shoved in just to drag out one particular reconciliation and didn’t make much sense considering the characters involved.
🦘 While Kate is a good character, it gets a bit tedious to constantly hear her as the sole speaker against any injustice, as the only character who knows better than anyone else. The story might have worked even better for me had it had multiple character perspectives.

Bookish Nays:
🐍 Some events seem over the top, and some of the thoughts a bit too feminist for the 1850s. For instance, would any woman of that era genuinely believe that she would be entitled to an equal share of profits on her husband’s farm? Even that ‘Crossing the line’ ceremony felt exaggerated considering some traumatic scenes occurred in the plain view of women with the men intervening only much later. Works for dramatic intensity, but affects plot plausibility.


Overall, despite a few niggles, I found this a strong historical fiction, focussing on an era and location we rarely get to see in the genre. The characters, their circumstances, and the realistic solidity of the plot far outweigh the minor deficiencies.
Much recommended to historical fiction readers looking for a story that’s not often explored.

4 stars.

My thanks to Kensington Books for providing the DRC of “The Famine Orphans” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Content warning: premarital pregnancy, attempted abortion, graphic sexual assault, religious bigotry, racial and class discrimination, death.

This was my first read by this author. I will look for more.

Quote on the last page that got to me:
"We are emigrants and we exist in two worlds, one past, one present, and we are nourished by both."

I enjoyed this book a great deal. It started out a little slow for me. To much on the ship I think. Though it was a necessary part of the story.

The Irish potato farms were hit by a plague. The potatoes were rotting and people were starving. Most had to give up everything and join workhouses just to survive. Some didn't even survive that. This is a story of what happened to the many orphans were starving in Ireland. The ones who were sent to Australia to become a servant. Hopefully to find a job with a good family.

This is the story of a group of young girls on a ship called the Sabine. A group who worked together on the ship to survive and hopefully get a good report so they would be hired. In this story you meet Kate Gilvarry. Kate left Ireland after the death of her mother. She left behind a younger brother. Kate works hard but seems to have horrible luck at every turn. Some didn't like her and to me it was just very unjust. Kate was smart and worked hard. But she also endured a lot. She was definitely a fighter. A survivor.

You get to know other girls who were in Kate's small group also. What happened to each and how they ended up. This story does not leave you hanging. It has closure on all counts. Kate is the one telling this story and what a story it is.

From 1848 on she tells about all the tribulations and triumphs she and her friends endure. There is a love story in here also. While I liked both men to an extent, one really captured my heart. I was glad Kate ended up happy after all she went through. Also the other girls. Bridie, Patsy, Mary, Lizzie, and Sheila. Lizzie and Sheila had the strongest friendship of them all but all were friends. Bridie was my favorite character besides Kate. She was just that kind of person who you want in your corner.

I will never as long as I have lived and may still live, understand why being an orphan makes people want to be cruel. It's not like they can help what happened to them. They have lost everyone and then face cruelty???

This book is based on the truth. Well researched and descriptive. It will hold your heart in many places. It is one that I do highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC.

The Gilvarry's were farmers in Ireland and lost everything when the potato famine struck. Kate's brother, Paddy, went to England to find work and Kate and her mother and younger siblings went to a work house. Kate agrees to be part of the Earl Grey program where female orphans of the famine would sail to Australia to hopefully marry the convicts already there and establish families of their own.

I have enjoyed other books by this author but this one was kind of a miss for me. I liked Kate but I found the overall story slow. Perhaps it was because the chapters were so long taking me at times two hours for just one. The treatment they got on arrival was not what they expected and there was a lot of animosity towards them shattering the orphans dream of a grand welcome and bright future. The matron on the boat and then her employer seem to really have a problem with Kate making things more difficult. Then there was her marriage to Luke and time in the outback so a whole chapter just on that. The other girls in her "mess" on the boat were Patsy, Mary, Lizzie, Bridie and Sheila. All interesting but could have been developed more. What I appreciated was the amount of research that went into the story and bringing to light another part of history I knew nothing about. I think I am probably an outlier with just 3* but for myself the biggest drawback was the really, really long chapters and the neat ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for providing me with a digital copy.

Kate Gilvarry was one of many that lost family members and faced famine. She was sent to Australia to learn to be a domestic servant. She was one of about 4000. I found this to be an interesting story of the young women who came to Australia seeking a new life. It was not an easy choice, or an easy life. Kate's story ended well, as did most of her friends. I enjoyed the story.

If you love historical fiction, this book is for you. It is compelling and rich in detail as you journey along with Kate Gilvarry as she travels from her home in Ireland to Australia. The story is based on the Earl Grey scheme and what happened to so many young women after the Great Famine. At times heartbreaking, you will be drawn in by the characters and all that they have to endure to survive. This book will stick with me for a long time.

Kate Gilvarry is a young teenage girl who ends up in a workhouse in Northern Ireland after her family is evicted from their small farm when potato blight destroys their crops. Barely surviving in the Newry workhouse, she knows there is no future for her in Ireland and along with several other girls reluctantly agrees when offered the opportuntiy to travel to Australia and work as a domestic.

After a harrowing ocean voyage of many weeks, they arrive in the port of Sydney on Christmas Day in 1848 only to discover that they are not wanted due to rising anti-Irish and anti-Catholic sentiment stoked by newspaper columnists. Along with the other girls she met aboard the ship, Kate must adjust to life in a new land first working in Sydney for a demanding employer and then on a farm in the Outback.

The Famine Orphans is an informative historical fiction novel based on the little known story of The Earl Grey Scheme and the thousands of young women (mostly orphans) who were shipped to Australia from crowded workhouses in Ireland from 1848-50. Officially, the scheme was presented as an opportunity to get the young women out of the workhouse and employed as domestic servants, however, there was also an unstated purpose that they would civilize and marry convicts who had served out their terms so that settlements could be built in the colony.

I knew nothing of this chapter in Irish/Australian history before reading the novel so enjoyed learning about these young women and their role in building Australia. The story of their voyage by ship from England to Australia was fascinating, however, I would have liked more depth to the story once they arrived in Australia even if it made the novel significantly longer. Overall, an interesting story of resilience and survival under harsh conditions in 19th century Ireland and Australia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Kate’s family has lost everything during Ireland’s potato famine. They have been sent to the workhouse where things are not much better. So, when an interesting opportunity arrives to go to Australia and start a new life, Kate takes it!

Kate is definitely a strong young lady. She basically spends a few years as an indentured servant before things fall apart and she has to move on. She ends up married and in the Outback. But things do not go as planned there either. And you will need to read this to find out!

This story takes you on a wild ride that you won’t soon forget. I enjoyed this time period and definitely this setting. It has been a while since I have visited Australia in a book and it was a much needed journey.

Need a compelling story that will take you from Ireland to Australia…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel for a honest review.

A historical fiction based on the true story of over 4000 young women, many of them orphans, shipped from the Irish workhouses to Australia for a better chance at a good life. To many, it seemed a dream come true, until their ships arrived in Australia, where they found racial prejudice limited their opportunities. As the story unfolds, it highlights the challenges faced by these young women, celebrating their determination to improve and become better. Patricia Falvey does a skillful job of bringing the characters and communities to life.

Historical fiction lovers this book is for you! Based on the Earl Grey Scheme which transported girls from the workhouses in Ireland to Australia in 1848 this is a fictional tale of Kate Gilvarry. Kate’s life is irrevocably changed when her family is forced from their home during the famine. After becoming an orphan in the workhouse she becomes part of the girls transported to Australia. Full of change and danger I found myself feeling the emotions with Kate as her life evolved. The hardship and struggle along with friendship and love in Kate and her friend’s lives made the story compelling and real. Kate and the other orphans showed resilience and formed connections that became unlikely friendships that allowed them to survive and thrive. The best historical fiction books bring the events to life and have readers wanting to learn more about it, and reading this book left me searching to learn more about these events. I highly recommend this to readers of historical fiction or readers that enjoy books with resilient women.

This wonderful and informative novel provides a very clear and detailed story about a tragic time in Irish history of the potato famine of the 1840's. It features one family's struggle to overcome the loss of their crops, the horrors of the workhouse, and their brave journey to Australia. Overall I was very moved by this novel as it provided a well thought out recount of history.
It follows the story of a young girl named Katie who has a pretty good life until the famine wipes out her family's crops. From there the whole family is struggling to find food and money is very scarce. It gets to the point where the family has no other choice but to go to the workhouse.
Katie is then encouraged to go on a voyage to Australia because they are providing excellent opportunities. However, on the arrival there she has a feeling that life there will be a struggle as well due to some of the natives being unhappy about having the Irish there. However she does her best to make the best of a bad situation.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

When I was offered the opportunity to read an advanced copy of "The Famine Orphans", by Patricia Falvey, I jumped at the chance! I enjoy historical fiction with an Irish setting, based on actual events in the past. This story has it's beginning in Ireland, at the start of the Great Hunger, the 1845 potato famine and moves on to the infamous workhouses, then to the 1848 Earl Grey project /decision to send 4,000 teens to Australia as domestics.

The fictional story shows how the potato blight affected Kate Gilvarry's family and a million others like them. When their potato crops failed her older brother left the island in search of work, the first domino to fall ---but the rest soon toppled, and the life they knew was gone forever. Kate saw an opportunity to make the money needed to redeem her family from the poor house in the Earl Grey project.

After a harrowing sea voyage, the girls landed in Australia. It was not what they dreamed of, and for many it was worse than before. Kate has to face the Irish prejudice, indentured servitude, and more. She and some of the others in her group persevere and succeed in making new lives.

This is a story of extreme hardships, prejudices, perseverance, and faith. The author notes at the end are eye-opening and very interesting. I enjoyed this tender, yet tragic slice of fictionalized history. Others who like historical reads will enjoy this.

Wow! The Famine Orphans was an evocative read filled with triumphs & devastations as a young Irish woman travels from Ireland to the wilds of Australia in 1848. Filled with romance, close friendships, tragic setbacks, & resilience, this story completely captured my attention. Based on the true stories of 4,000 Irish girls who were part of the Earl Grey Scheme, it’s an unforgettable read that kept me quickly turning the pages.

Kate Gilvarry lived a happy life on her family’s farm in South Armagh, Ireland until the Potato Famine of 1845. Driven by hunger & loss, Kate, her mother, & young brother are forced into the Newry workhouse. When an opportunity to go to Australia with the promise of food, clothing, & gainful employment comes about, Kate reluctantly agrees to go.

After surviving the difficult months at sea, she arrives in Sydney with new found friendships & a budding romance with the ship’s doctor. But, there’s no welcoming party in Sydney, instead she finds anti-Irish sentiment & a demanding job. As she & her fellow Irish girls try to thrive, she encounters numerous setbacks & when she doesn’t hear from the man she’s in love with, she agrees to a marry a former convict striving to create a new life in the Outback.

This story completely drew me in! Told in first person, I enjoyed Kate’s spunky, resilient narrative. She undergoes many challenges including loneliness, wild animals, the unforgiving land, an absent husband, & even attempted assault. But, each thing she survives, only makes her stronger, & I loved seeing her finally triumph in the end.

It’s a hope filled story despite harrowing circumstances with endearing female friendships, heart aching romance, & vivid descriptions of the Australian Outback. I knew nothing about the Earl Grey Scheme & was shocked at how these young women were treated. It’s a touching story that’ll stay with me.

Highly recommend to historical fiction fans. I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily. 4-4.5 stars!

CW: Some swearing & substitute swear words. Mentions of prostitution & attempted assault.

𝖨 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒 𝖺 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖾𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌𝗅𝗒 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝖨 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖺 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝗈𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒.

𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝗉𝗈𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗈 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝖨𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐𝗌 𝖪𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖦𝗂𝗅𝗏𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗒, 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝖿 4000 𝗍𝖾𝖾𝗇𝖺𝗀𝖾 𝗀𝗂𝗋𝗅𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗉𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖠𝗎𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗅𝗂𝖺 𝖺𝗌 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖤𝖺𝗋𝗅 𝖦𝗋𝖾𝗒 𝖲𝖼𝗁𝖾𝗆𝖾 𝗂𝗇 1848, 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾.

𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒, 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗅𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖽𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗂-𝖨𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗁.

𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖨 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗈𝗋𝗉𝗈𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖨𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗁 𝖽𝗂𝖺𝗅𝖾𝖼𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝖼.
𝖧𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗌 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖼𝗋𝗂𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗅𝗈𝗐𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗇'𝗌 𝗃𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗇𝖾𝗒. It was well researched, and I suggest reading the author's note at the end.

𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝖽𝖾𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗒 𝖺 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖧𝖥 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒.

I love it when a book takes your hand and leads you within its pages. You become part of the story; you experience everything the characters are going through. Their first are your firsts. Their pain is your pain. Making the emotion notch up tenfold. Patricia Falvey based this book on a true story, and you can tell all the time that was put into research. I grew up with the characters, watched them mature and become adults. Standing by their friends that became their family no matter what. I had to look at it like an adventure and not at the real context on why these young women were put on a ship heading for Australia.

Kate has always loved growing up on a farm, she is only fourteen and she knows no other life. When the potato famine strikes and her family cannot get out from under their debt, they must move into a workhouse in order to survive. As her family is taken from her one by one, Kate is given a choice. Move to Australia and begin a new life as a servant or see if she can make it in Ireland. Kate and a small group of girls from her workhouse decide to board the Sabine and see what Australia can offer them. From the moment she steps foot aboard the ship, Kate feels like she needs to care for her group of girls. As the seasickness hits and the wonders of the ocean are witnessed. It takes them three months to reach Australia on Christmas Day. They have no idea what is going to become of them. Will they find jobs, husbands, what is Australia like? From the moment they land Kate is determined to find a job for herself and hopefully for the rest of her small group. Will they all be able to make it in this new world?

I loved it when they first witnessed the kangaroo or when Kate witnesses the Outback for the first time. So much wonder and so many hurdles she must cross. Thank you to Patricia Falvey, Kensington Books, and UpLit Reads for this fantastic read I will not soon forget!

The Famine Orphans by Patricia Falvey is an engaging historical fiction novel that takes us back to the depressing times of the Great Potato Famine in Ireland. The story revolves around Kate, a spirited young girl, who, along with a group of other girls from a workhouse (poor house) are sent to Australia in promise of a better life. They must serve as indentured servants for three years.

These girls, all aged 14 to 16, are faced with unimaginable challenges as they leave everything they know behind (starvation, suffering and death) on a 3-month long ship ride to a new land. The details of the program are hidden and glossed over.

On the ship to Australia, we meet Nathaniel, the ship's doctor, who quickly becomes a key figure in Kate’s life. Their connection grows as they navigate the trials of the journey together, and it’s hard not to root for Kate as she falls for Nathaniel. The early parts of the book, detailing their experiences aboard the ship, are filled with emotion and tension. You can practically feel the fear and hope swirling around the girls as they face the unknown.

However, as the story progresses, Falvey’s shift in tone didn’t quite sit right. The narrative started leaning toward a more modern perspective on immigration, which felt a bit out of place given the historical backdrop. While I was totally invested in the beginning, which seemed more about Kate and the well-being of her friends; the latter parts felt one-sided and lost some of the depth I was hoping for. The story had undertones a political and feminist commentary.

Overall, "The Famine Orphans" has its moments of heart and resilience, but it could have benefited from staying true to the historical context it’s set in. All the traveling from town to town may not have been possible on horse and buggy. It left the impression of traveling in a car.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing | Kensington for the Advanced Readers Copy of the book. All opinions are my own because I proudly have freedom of speech.

I'm a historical fiction fan and love books that take historical fact and expand on it in a fictional book. This book had just what I like!

Kate Gilvarry is sent to Australia after her family loses everything to the potato famine. Once in Australia, she realizes she's not much better off, but she has more opportunities than she would have had in Ireland. What follows are wonderful descriptions of what took place in her life, and in the lives of women she met on the journey across the sea. Kate worked to make her way in this new land. Good and bad, she persevered and made something of herself.

I loved the epilogue that got the reader 'caught up' with the women that were passengers together on the Sabine. A sad time in history, but this book gives historical perspective about how these women became the 'Mother's of Australia'.

i didnt know this side of history. im certainly not sure i ever wanted to. but that sounds ignorant and part of the problem so im semi glad i do now. and after going on to farther look into this. wow. how horrific. how awful. how sadly predictable and sadly telling of the time and of our time. it makes me both want to rage and cry that this what the treatment of these young woman. and how we dont hear about it, of course we dont. and how this continues. this hate or treatment of lower than or certainly woman. will anything ever change? seemingly not, dark pockets continue and open up even today to make sure this treatment continues. granted in different ways. but thats just a sign of the times not a sign of the change in feeling or behaviours towards woman.
this is a fictional story on a very real story that happened. The Early Grey Scheme was about sending already hurt young girls between ages 14-18 (4000 thousand of them) to the colonies. to help "civilise" the men. and help the population of the colonies. but they werent told that. they were told they were sailing on a ship for work and opportunities. so what would a starving family do. send, or go of course.
this book focus on one of those young woman. Kate is a young girl whos family has fallen to the famine. they are starving. so she is one of the transported on a ship, a harrowing journey in itself over to Australia.
we then follow Kate on her journey. she could very much be warranted to fall down where she was and stop. and sadly some did. or some were treated so bad the choices they had were far worse than home. the support and friendships these woman found in eachother was once again a strength to see. i loved how determined Kate had to force herself to be and watching her go onwards to try and forge something for herself. which takes her further into the unknown. and in a place where the Irish very much arent welcome she faces threats and sadness at every turn. but i never regretted watching this young girls journey, it felt so vivid, it felt raw, and it felt a needed privilege to even read a fictional version of one of these brave young womans story.

When I saw the synopsis for this book I knew it was right up my alley. I hadn’t ever read much about the famine in Ireland & didn’t know that they send orphan girls to Australia. I was honestly not aware of the extent of discrimination that Irish people faced at the time.

The girls were likeable & realistic and I thought the author did a good job of showing different reactions to the trauma they went through. I liked Kate & seeing her wrestle & grow & change in what felt realistic.

Seeing the beginning of Australia was interesting & the interactions between the “nobility”, ex-convicts, orphans & Aboriginal people makes for an interesting picture.

There were a few plot twists I enjoyed & a few heart wrenching moments that almost made me cry.

This was a great read & I would recommend.

Trigger warning for assault however.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

The Famine Orphans is another wonderful story by Patricia Falvey. This story is unique as it is about orphans sent from the workhouses in Ireland during the potato famine. Based on a true story, under the Earl Grey Scheme poor orphan girls from the North of Ireland were sent to Australia to relieve the country of the shortage of domestic workers and to hopefully marry the many bachelor men who were sent to Australia as convicts and were then relieved of their sentences. This is also a wonderful story of friendship and romance and strength. 5 stars ⭐️ !