Margaret Humphreys writes a devastating and harrowing, but true account of children who are yanked from their place of birth to be sent to populate the colonies, specifically Australia. Their stories are filled with suffering and abuse, that will deeply touch the heart of every reader. However even though her story, and those of the migrant children, is captivating, it is written by an inexperienced writer who tells rather than shows. She uses too many cliches, her writing is repetitive, and there is little character growth in her eagerness to tell us the stories of these many, many deprived and forgotten children. The problem is that eventually it will all melt into one story, one narrative, just the names change. The subject matter kept me going but I think a bit more editorial input, a bit more real writing assistance would have gone a long way to making this good, interesting read a truly great one. However even with the shortcomings it is well worth reading!

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