Overview

This novel is inspired by a true story. London, 1881, and another party of child migrants sets sail for Canada, leaving behind all they know in search of a new life. Taken from the slums and workhouses of Britain, they are set to work as labourers and servants, building a nation in a foreign land. Among them is Mary Oliver, desperate to fulfil a promise she made to her dying father; Arthur Dilkes, to whom emigration is just another adventure; Sam Barney, who longs for a new family to replace the one he has lost; Margaret Walsh, who cannot forget the father she has left behind; and Lily, who does not even have a surname to call her own. All are unprepared for the prejudice and hostility they will face, and the obstacles they must overcome. All struggle to escape their pasts. Presiding over them and countless others is Alice Hamilton, obsessed with making her mark in a man’s world, whose mission to ‘save’ these children is called into question by a series of tragic events. A story of heartbreak and courage, Songs of Expectation shines a light on a shameful chapter in British history.

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9781806342051

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This is Chris Mapp’s first novel, although he has always written for work and pleasure. He is passionate about telling this story, partly because of its connection to his father and the parallels with his own life, but also because these children have been largely forgotten (at least, in Britain) and they do not deserve to be. It is a story worth telling and through writing it, Chris has learned a great deal about both his father and himself.  

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