The Lost Blackbird in Aussie Readers

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Sep 03, 2020 Brenda rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-read, arc, gift-from-author, historical-fiction, aussie-authors, 2020-release, reviewing-by-request, read-on-kindle

After Charly and Lucy Rivers’s father died and their mother was taken away, the girls were left at a children’s home in London, run by loveless, cruel and heartless women. When the opportunity of a journey to Australia with its blue skies, birds and animals, long stretching beaches, arose – a child migrant scheme – Lucy, although a little unsure, along with her friends and sister were hoping to be chosen for the scheme. And they were. The six week journey on the Star of New South Wales was wonde After Charly and Lucy Rivers’s father died and their mother was taken away, the girls were left at a children’s home in London, run by loveless, cruel and heartless women. When the opportunity of a journey to Australia with its blue skies, birds and animals, long stretching beaches, arose – a child migrant scheme – Lucy, although a little unsure, along with her friends and sister were hoping to be chosen for the scheme. And they were. The six week journey on the Star of New South Wales was wonderful for the starved and love-hungry children as they were fussed over and given delicious food.

On their arrival in Sydney, the children were separated, and although they had been told siblings would stay together, Suzy and her twin sister Patty were separated, as well as Lucy and Charly. The devastation was heartbreaking. But the farm Lucy, Vinnie, Suzy, Patty and Jane (along with other children) were taken to – Seabreeze Farm (nowhere near the sea!) – was their new prison. Mr Yates worked them from dawn to dusk, weekends included, and the horse whip was felt for any misdemeanor. While Charly was adopted by Frank and Dolly in Wollongong, and although confusing for her, she was treated much better than her sister was.

What would be the outcome for these poor, disillusioned children who’d been dragged from the only country they knew, from the people they knew – to a foreign place where they were shown no care or compassion?

The Lost Blackbird by Aussie author Liza Perrat is a fictional story of the "10 pound Poms" which occurred from the 1950s through to the 1970s, ostensibly to give the children a “better life” in Australia. But instead these poor kids were treated dreadfully, little more than slaves, and while few did have a good childhood, it was all delivered with lies, deceit and betrayal. The shocking tragedies that fell on children, through no fault of their own, is despicable. The Lost Blackbird is told in both Charly and Lucy's voices and is an excellent, well researched and well written novel which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Aug 20, 2020 Jacqueline marked it as to-read

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