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allison_sirovy's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the book in terms of the story line and the historical aspects of it, but the writing was so-so for me. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I had hoped. Still a really good read!
meghb's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I thought the book had a good premise, and a decent timeline, but some things just didn’t hit that right note for me. Firstly, the title is a tad misleading. It barely touches on the ‘Home for Unwanted Girls’ and Elodie’s (the only likeable character) story, and when it does, there is very little depth. The book spends most of the time on Maggie, who (and I may be biased as an adoptee) is an absolutely selfish character who learns nothing. Why there is so much time and repetition about her father and his love of seeds, I have no idea. If it’s some sort of “if you plant it, it will grow” sort of metaphor, it fell short. There were also a lot of unnecessary descriptors just so we were 100% sure she was in Montreal. (Why the need to mention that she scraped her shoes on the cobblestones of Old Montreal?). I also thought the English/French animosity had very little to do with the plot.
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Rape
jennclark's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lottie1803's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nav26's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Have been wanting to read this for a while and finally got around to it. I was shocked that as a Canadian I had never heard about Quebec turning their orphanages into asylums. This was good insight into the horrors that so many children and families went through because of this terrible policy. I was hooked on both stories and couldn't put it down.
ekstanding's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
The r slur is used a lot, it is a product of the time period, but just prepare yourself for that.
reading_in_the_garden's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jsegaloff's review against another edition
4.0
Though the writing itself was not exceptional, the story was great. It had me researching orphans in Canada for days after finishing the book!