The Forgotten Home Child

Written by Genevieve Graham

Narrated by Alana Kerr Collins and James Langton

The Home for Unwanted Girls meets Orphan Train in this unforgettable novel about a young girl caught in a scheme to rid England’s streets of destitute children, and the lengths she will go to find her way home—based on the true story of the British Home Children.

2018

At ninety-seven years old, Winnifred Ellis knows she doesn’t have much time left, and it is almost a relief to realize that once she is gone, the truth about her shameful past will die with her. But when her great-grandson Jamie, the spitting image of her dear late husband, asks about his family tree, Winnifred can’t lie any longer, even if it means breaking a promise she made so long ago...

1936

Fifteen-year-old Winny has never known a real home. After running away from an abusive stepfather, she falls in with Mary, Jack, and their ragtag group of friends roaming the streets of Liverpool. When the children are caught stealing food, Winny and Mary are left in Dr. Barnardo’s Barkingside Home for Girls, a local home for orphans and forgotten children found in the city’s slums. At Barkingside, Winny learns she will soon join other boys and girls in a faraway place called Canada, where families and better lives await them.

But Winny’s hopes are dashed when she is separated from her friends and sent to live with a family that has no use for another daughter. Instead, they have paid for an indentured servant to work on their farm. Faced with this harsh new reality, Winny clings to the belief that she will someday find her friends again.

Inspired by true events, The Forgotten Home Child is a moving and heartbreaking novel about place, belonging, and family—the one we make for ourselves and its enduring power to draw us home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: Mar 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781982144609

Genevieve Graham

Genevieve Graham is the USA TODAY and #1 bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Forgotten Home Child, which has been optioned for TV, Letters Across the Sea, and Bluebird. She is passionate about breathing life back into history through tales of love and adventure. She lives in Alberta. Visit her at GenevieveGraham.com or on Twitter and Instagram @GenGrahamAuthor.

Reviews for The Forgotten Home Child

[Kathleen Thornley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At last this book reveals the truth of how children, yes children, were sent to Canada and the horrific stories of how they were treated. My mother was a British Home child and taken in by a loving couple who treated her as their own. Her brother was abused and felt the betrayal for the rest of his life. This book is an absolute read for any Canadian lest we forget!

[Brandi M Rubin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Outstanding. Saddening. True. Wonder why such a monumental moment in our history has only just come across my senses? This is an eye opening, heartfelt, personal account of so many young lives affected by a government, by a world... That was so quick to toss them aside during the devastating economical destruction of the times. This story will introduce you, if you hadn't known already, of the children of the streets of England (car aside by their own families who could not afford to care for them /and a country not wanting to care for them) sent to Nova Scotia & areas of Canada in the promise of a better life. But many of these extremely young (some as young as 3 & 4 years old) are sent to work as farm hands, forced to live in barns with animals, working tirelessly day after day with only one meal. Many beaten & starved. Young girls raped by their masters, and called horrible names, made to feel inferior... This is eye opening, heart breaking and these children deserve to be remembered in an honorable way. I cannot recommend this novel, enough!!! A read for everyone.

[dolly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Had no idea about this history of Canada! It was an incredible and powerful read!!!

[Julia Bauman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a heartbreaking, beautiful story about our Canadian history! Well written and emotionally accurate.
I enjoyed listening to two narrators. It made the story easy to follow and come alive better. I did find the female narrator had a confusing tone. Always ending sentences like they were a question.

[4evasummer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fantastically narrated, a novel based on a history I had no previous knowledge about.

[Nicole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thank you for sharing a bit of history that is not taught in American history. I have read others books by the same author and will again.

[KLehman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a really good book. But extremely sad.
But well worth your time

[Nancy Jo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story of the Canadian Home Children is compelling enough, but add to that the fantastic accents in the audio version and the story becomes even more achingly real

[Sharon Neill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Skipped large parts of story throughout. Otherwise would have rated higher

[Lori Ireland Mills · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very well written, a must-read for Canadians! How is this history not taught in our school system?

[Cristina · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really appreciate how this book was put together, interesting part of history that I was not aware of. Well done, really enjoyed it. Thank you

[Valerie Rousset LeBeau · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story. Entertaining from beginning to end. Tear jerker. Loved it.

[Cindy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story will stay with me for a long long time. It is a very well written, thought provoking piece of history.
Side note: I like when an audiobook has both a male and female narrator - well done, narrators!!

[janet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well written about our history that I did not know about. Highly recommended.

[Teesha Fogelsanger · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The facts that this story was written on are so sad but the story itself is so so.

[LynneGauthier · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This one will tug at your emotions. Plan for a tearful ending.

[BettyAnne McDorman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A novel every Canadian should read. Well written. Well researched.

[Enidan Dragunov · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing, captivating and enthralling. My mom is the child of a Homeboy who never got to hear his story. Life was hard back then. Feel so grateful to live in the world now.

[Mary Lou Smith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great historical book. I love reading these and it keeps me thinking

[celia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book that tells the story of children coming to Canada. This part of Canadian history has not been told and the author tells a heart wrenching and warming story. Tears fell reading thid