The McAlister family
is in dire financial straits after the death of the father of the
family. When Edna Mcalister, the mother, contracts pneumonia and is
hospitalized, the children, Katie, Gareth, and Grace are left with
noting to eat. Neighbors are willing to help, but their resources are
limited. The three siblings are sent to an orphanage.
Laura, the oldest
sibling is working as a ladies’s maid at a large estate about an
hour away. She rushes home to help her siblings, but it’s too late.
They have been sent to Canada to supposedly experience a better life.
Laura can’t bear the idea of her siblings being away from her. She
conceives a deception, to work for the orphanage, to discover what
happened to them. Andrew Fraser, the son of the owner of the estate
where Laura worked is a wealthy young lawyer. He and is mentor are
given the task of looking into what is happening with the deported
children. In this capacity he meets Laura again. He’s drawn to her
and ends helping her discover what’s happened to her siblings.
In the 1800s both in
Britain and US, a great many orphans were sent to Canada, or in the
case of the US to the Mid-West, to find supposedly better homes. This
was not always the case and often the justification was financial for the orphanage. Many of the orphans were conscripted for
farm work, or household help. Not all were treated well.
Interestingly, the heroine of Anne of Green Gables arrived at her
farm through a similar program, However, for her it ended well.
This is a
well-researched historical novel that may make you cry. Laura is a
strong character who does the right thing seeking out her siblings. I
also liked Andrew Fraser. He was an upright young man who wanted to
see the right thing done. The siblings, Katie, Gareth, and Grace, are
very sympathetic. Katie's point of view is well described and pulls you in to her plight
.
The ending was not
satisfying. However, I believe another book is planned which will
make the ending more satisfactory.
I received this book
from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review.
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