Although Little Exiles is a harrowing story about a boy abandoned after World War II, it is a memorable book that will stay in your heart long after you finish the last page, writes Ciara O'Kelly.
World War II is over and Jon Heather’s father has not returned from the battlefields. Unable to cope with life, Jon’s mother places him in Chapeltown’s Boys Home of the Children’s Crusade. The only thing keeping Jon going is the fact that his mother has promised that she’ll return to collect him in two months time. However, the weeks pass by and instead of heading back home, Jon finds himself on a boat that is heading south, straight to Australia. So begins the harrowing story of the real life lost boys who find that Australia is not the ‘better life’ that has been promised to them.
The really moving element of this book is the fact that its fiction based on fact, rooted in historical stories that defined the lives of over 3,000 children who made that frightening journey in the middle of the 20th century. Not surprisingly it is harrowing and quite a bleak novel. The author creates graphic images that sometimes make for uncomfortable reading. So what makes you keep going? It’s the affection you develop for the characters as you hope that life will get better for them.
Jon is a spirited and entertaining narrator and despite the sadness which prevails through ‘Little Exiles’, there is an uplifting element to the book detailing the power of friendship and loyalty. The heart warming motto of home is wherever you find friends helps ease the heartache that Jon experiences.
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We’re not going to lie to you, it takes a while to get into this book and at times, it can be a bit upsetting. However, it is also one that will strike a chord in your heart and Jon is a character that will stay with you long after you’ve closed the cover on this memorable book.
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Title: Little Exiles by Robert Dinsdale
Although Little Exiles is a harrowing story about a boy abandoned after World War II, it is a memorable book that will stay in your heart long after you finish the last page, writes Ciara O'Kelly.
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World War II is over and Jon Heather’s father has not returned from the battlefields. Unable to cope with life, Jon’s mother places him in Chapeltown’s Boys Home of the Children’s Crusade. The only thing keeping Jon going is the fact that his mother has promised that she’ll return to collect him in two months time. However, the weeks pass by and instead of heading back home, Jon finds himself on a boat that is heading south, straight to Australia. So begins the harrowing story of the real life lost boys who find that Australia is not the ‘better life’ that has been promised to them.
The really moving element of this book is the fact that its fiction based on fact, rooted in historical stories that defined the lives of over 3,000 children who made that frightening journey in the middle of the 20th century. Not surprisingly it is harrowing and quite a bleak novel. The author creates graphic images that sometimes make for uncomfortable reading. So what makes you keep going? It’s the affection you develop for the characters as you hope that life will get better for them.
Jon is a spirited and entertaining narrator and despite the sadness which prevails through ‘Little Exiles’, there is an uplifting element to the book detailing the power of friendship and loyalty. The heart warming motto of home is wherever you find friends helps ease the heartache that Jon experiences.
We’re not going to lie to you, it takes a while to get into this book and at times, it can be a bit upsetting. However, it is also one that will strike a chord in your heart and Jon is a character that will stay with you long after you’ve closed the cover on this memorable book.
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