The Last Orphan

The author wrote a raw and honest account of what life was like for him as one of the last orphans sent to Australia under the Child Migrants Programme in the 1970s. He was abused by those that were supposed to be caring for him. This memoir shows the bravery it took to survive such a horrible childhood.

I volunteered to read this book before publication. In 1970 2 brothers were sent from the U.K. to Australia as part of the child migration act. They were the last children to be sent. Before leaving and upon arriving in Australia, both children suffered severe abuse and trauma. This is the story of one of the brothers. It's one of the saddest books that I have ever read. It also makes me very angry at the failure of the institutions to help him find his mother! It's truly astounding how this man suffered as a boy. I couldn't put it down.

A very difficult book to review as it is written in the first person. Rex Wade tells of his harrowing life sent to Australia as an orphan in 1970. it beggars belief that this practice was carried on by the British government. The book made me angry and it is a difficult read but all respect to the author for relating his story. I don't know how to rate this book so I give it 5*. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC. Reviewed on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Mirror Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Last Orphan is a raw and true account of Rex Wade, the middle sibling to brothers Bruce and Kevin. This story details life as an orphan and all the effects this has on a young child.

After the woman he believed to have been his mother falls pregnant, Rex and his younger brother - Kevin are removed from her care and promised a better life in sunny Australia. A life - as the book so describes - of oranges and sunshine, getting to ride horses to school while admiring all the different animals found in Australia. When they arrive to their new home though, reality is nothing like the picture they were promised.

Rex becomes a rebel. He pushes through a life of abuse by immersing himself in alcohol and cigarettes. Having started at such a young age, he easily grows into a troubled alcoholic struggling with addiction.

I immediately had to dive deeper into some research as soon as the last pages of this book were read. This raw account of one mans life, is heartbreaking. And yet there are thousands of children who are faced with the same life challenges. All Rex longs for is an apology.