A heartwarming, mysterius and heartbreaking middle grade novel. We follow Peg as she learns to know herself and her family.
I really enjoyed this audiobook, the atmosphere was great and the narrator did a really good job at protatring Pegs character and her feelings. I expected this book to make me cry and be scared. But it did not do that. When i requested this book i thought it was gonna be more of a mystery/thriller, but it is more coming off age. As to why I did not cry, I dont think I was interested enough in the charachters

The House Children seems to be a very good depiction of what life was like for unwed mothers and their children in Ireland in the latter part of the 19th century into the early part of the 20th century. This story, although not true, gives the reader/listener a good idea of the struggle these unwed moms would go through when they were sent away to have their babies. It is an even better representation of what the children would go through. This story depicts the struggle of one little girl from the age of approximately 6 to her late teens. She starts out in the story as almost a throwaway child in a household where she is not wanted by anybody. What she doesn't know however is that there's family close by. By the age of 6 this little girl goes to an orphanage. The children that were there in the story, were there for a variety of reasons although she was there because she had an unwed mother. She spends the majority of the story trying to figure out who her mother is. We hear about her hardships at this orphanage. We hear how she tries to create a livable environment everywhere she goes. We experience her triumphs and her low points. By the end of the story we have a somewhat happy ending. At the very least one of her questions is answered. It would have been great to have heard a little more about where this imaginary teenage girl ends up. Perhaps a sequel is required telling about her early adult years.

I did find this to be an interesting and sad story. Yet, I found myself struggling to stay in the moment and connected with the characters. In fact, I listened to this audio book on a faster speed to help progress the story to move along faster. It moved too slowly and was not helped with the fact that the characters did not resonate with me. Also, I found the Irish accent of the narrator to be distracting. At times I could not stand it and had to stop listening tot he audio book. While, I do see what the author was doing with this book. I just was not feeling it. I may give this author another try in the future.

*THE HOUSE CHILDREN: Mary Margaret Joyce was born in the Tuam house for unwed mother’s. She finds herself in a foster home until there is an accident and she is abandoned at said foster home. Mary is forced to attend the industrial school to live and work, only getting holiday once a year. When Mary accidentally learns who her birth mother is, she begins to struggle with connecting with the family and planning for the future.*

Overall, not a bad read for me. There were some turns that were introduced a little too early and it doesn’t really give you a lot of closure at the end . Possibly meaning a sequel? Either way, I give this one a ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I enjoyed listening to this book in audiobook form. It was a well paced book about a young girl growing into a young adult and finding out her family history.

I listened to this one on audio and the narrator being Irish, really brought this story to life. You could feel the loneliness and pain that Peg felt come through in her voice. This book had a somber undertone to it but also had a sense of hope for what a person can do in life despite how they grew up.

This was excellent. I loved Peg and really felt her world. I was frustrated when she was frustrated. I really want more of her story. Did she have a happily ever after? It's just so sad that this was the trust of living in Ireland under the thumb of the catholic church. Anyone who complains about not having enough privileges in the US should read this.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Ireland in the 1940s and 50s, THE HOUSE CHILDREN tells the story of "Peg" who was a child born out of wedlock during a time when women were thrown into workhouses like the Tuam Home to wait out their pregnancy - and then sentenced to stay for a time period afterward as penance. Many of those babies didn't survive. But those that did were fostered out until they were old enough to be sent to an industrial school to be raised. These children were called the house children.

Both a story about the house children's experience and that of Peg trying to find her place in a world where she's judged for how she was born. At 13 Peg learns who her mother is and why she has been able to go on a yearly holiday to stay with a family in Galway. Now she has to grapple with that on top of everything else.

While not a true story, Tuam Home and the industrial schools are very real. This is an opportunity to explore a time in Irish history that happened not that long ago - house children are still alive today. This isn't a happy read, but it was an interesting one.

Lauren Reilly does a good job with the audiobook performance.

A very interesting story about a hidden part of (irish) history, wonderfully told from the perspective of a child growing up in one of Irelands industrial schools.
The story is easy to follow and talks about themes of identity and belonging in a time were having an illegitimate child was frowned upon by society. I really enjoyed listening to the story out of Pegs (Mary Margarets) point of view and the anger that she feels upon discovering her true identity and how unfair her situation is.
The story could have gone a little bit more into detail at some points, but it was overall very well written and enjoyable.

𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯!

What a story and I still can’t beleive is based on actual events.
An emotional, character driven, powerful, gripping, heartbreaking, engrossing and impossible to put down story that you need to read.

Thank you NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio by Findaway for this ALC.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘐𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

This audiobook was really good! The history behind it and the end was interwoven so well! I enjoyed the story as well as the narrator!

The House Children by Heidi Daniele is an interesting novel set in 1937-1952 Ireland. During this time, children of unwed mothers were taken at birth and placed into homes. They were shamed for being illegitimate all of their lives. At the age of 5, Mary Margaret Joyce is sentenced to an industrial school run by nuns where her name is changed to Peg because they have too many Mary’s in the home. The home has over 100 children born out of wedlock and their days are rigid with prayer, chores, and studying. Peg acclimates to this new routine but doesn’t understand why she is there and grows not understanding why she was abandoned by her mother. The one thing that she looks forward to is an annual summer holiday with a family in Galway who she often wishes would keep her as their daughter.

I didn’t know about Industrial schools or this way of hiding the illegitimate children of Irish Catholic unwed mothers. The treatment of these women and their children was dreadful and there were no repercussions for the men who fathered the children. I noticed that the book was labeled a Mystery/Thriller so I was expecting something different. I don’t think there was a mystery other than who her mother was. Overall, I enjoyed this book but I felt like it ended and I still wanted to know much more about Peg and her life.

Thank you NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The house children by Heidi Daniele.
Narrated by Lauren Reilly.
In 1937, Mary Margaret Joyce is born in the Tuam Home for unwed mothers. After spending her early years in an uncaring foster home, she is sentenced by a judge to an industrial school, where she is given the name Peg, and assigned the number 27. Amid one hundred other unwanted girls, Peg quickly learns the rigid routine of prayer, work, and silence under the watchful eye of Sister Constance. Her only respite is an annual summer holiday with a kind family in Galway.
At the tender age of thirteen, Peg accidentally learns the identity of her birthmother. Peg struggles with feelings of anger and abandonment, while her mother grapples with the shame of having borne a child out of wedlock. The tension between them mounts as Peg, now becoming a young adult, begins to make plans for her future beyond Ireland.
I liked this audiobook. Normally I don't like historical books but listening to it was different. This was based on actual events. I loved the cover. 5*.

This book was a really good book, but I feel like there is many unanswered questions about Peg and her story. Narrator did a great job. Would live to see a book 2 from this author.

The House Children is a moving tale with memorable characters. Heidi Daniele has crafted a stunning story set in Ireland during a time that wasn’t long ago but demonstrates how the society held onto many archaic customs. The engaging words drip from Lauren Riley‘s voice, setting the scene with her masterful pronunciation and lilt.
Mary Margaret is sentenced to an industrialized home for children when she is six years old. Her only crime: being illegitimate. Henceforth known as a House Child, Peg, or Number 27, she lives a pragmatic life, going to primary school and working the jobs assigned to her by the nuns. Her only reprieve is one week in July each year when she travels to Galway to spend time with Nora Handley and her husband. Peg relishes her time with Mrs. Handley and begins to wonder if the family will adopt her. Will Peg be adopted, or must she prepare for her own future? Unfortunately, choices are limited for House Children, and the stigma usually follows them throughout their lives.
I received an advanced reader copy of the audiobook for my honest review. I was so impressed with the way the book was written. The author gave the reader enough information about the process of the institution without slowing the story. I thought it added to the story that Lauren Riley read it in an Irish accent, but she was able to sound American during the dialog if it was required.
I was appalled by the treatment of women in Ireland in the era the book described. I am glad that I read this book and learned about the status of women in a time that was not even a century ago. I wasn't surprised to learn the book is based on true events, and I hope to learn the reason the author chose to pen the pages.
I recommend the story for young adults and experienced readers, due to a violent scene in the beginning chapter and some mention of abuse throughout the book.

The Story: This coming of age story follows the life of an orphan named Mary Margaret Joyce. At the age of six she is sentenced by the judge to live in an industrial school where is renamed Peg and given the number 27. Albeit the rigid and strict rules of the school, Peg always look forward to spend her annual summer holiday with the kind Hanleys family at Galway. As she grows older, she begins to wonder who her birth mother is.

My thoughts: This is a character driven historical fiction that sets in Ireland between 1937 - 1952. I am not aware about industrial schools and glad to learn about them in this book! I enjoyed following Peg's journey as she learns to navigate her new life in the school and also her feelings as she enters into young adulthood. There were some heartbreaking moments especially when she learns what it meant to be called house children and an illegitimate child.

I would say that the plot is light which was calming and soothing with some suspense here and there. But there was no drama or anything like that. The writing was easy to read and it was like reading a journal. I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the narrator Lauren Reilly with the Irish accent. This truly elevated the listening experience!

In a nutshell, I enjoyed this story which was based on true events. I think what really stuck with me was the way the society treated unwed mothers who not only being shunned by the society but were forced to give up their children. It was heartbreaking.

Pub. Date: Oct 12th, 2021

***Thank you BookSparks and OrangeSky Audio for this gifted listening copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

I enjoyed the story took place in the 1940s in Ireland. The characters were very detailed. I really enjoy historic fiction

We meet Peg when she is about four years. She is an illegitimate child and is taken to a Catholic Orphanage/school. The Nuns are brutal and life is hard for all the girls there.
By age seven she has the opportunity to spend a week with a family. This continues every summer throughout the book. Peg feels a kinship with Nora, her husband and their children but there is also much resentment.
I enjoyed the book but would of preferred a different ending and for the story to continue on for a few more years of Peg’s life . I recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley and Book outre for the opportunity to listen in exchange for my Honest review

This was an emotional listen. Beginning in 1940s Ireland, young Mary Margaret Joyce is living with a foster family and has no family of her own. Around age 5, she is sent to an industrial school run by nuns. As one of the “house children,” her name is changed to Peg and she is assigned number 27. It’s a rough life, with few compassionate people. Peg longs for a family and wants to know her own story.

Peg is sent for from to spend time with with Nora Hadley and her husband Dan. She treasures her time with the Hadleys and dreams that she lives with them as a family. Soon Nora and Dan have a child of their own, but the visits continue.

This story plays out over the span of at least ten years and the characters are well developed. I listened to the audiobook and it was fabulous. The narrator brought the right amount of emotion and feeling to the book and her voice gave indications of what was going on under the surface for the characters.

This is historical fiction, and I don’t have extensive knowledge about this time period in Ireland but I feel like this book filled in some gaps. Big questions are grappled with about the nature of identity and family, and the journey of women under strict institutional Catholicism is explored. There are some difficult scenes in the book which were challenging to listen to, but really spoke to the brutality of life as one of the house children in an industrial school.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and felt connected with the characters and invests in their futures. It seemed like there was room left for a potential sequel - I have my fingers crossed!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Firstly, I want to thank #netgalley and #heididaniele for the advance copy for a honest review .
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Trigger warning ⚠️ ⚠️⚠️
Depression. Heartache . Religion.
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The woman in 1900 has a lot to take in. A lot of questions and doubt about who she is,where is her family and why is she in a industrial school.
The story is based in Ireland and from true events.
'Peg' is a strong girl,from a foster family to be taken to industrial school until she is grown to be an adult. She grow up very strong and have something to look forward into the future.
- in every chapter, you can feel her desperation to know why is she there and how it hurts so much that she can't be with her family because she is illegitimate. It's so sad that this is happening reality . But overall, I enjoyed the story so much and to be honest I wanted to know what happen to peg on her way to her future.

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Definitely, a second book is needed:)
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To the narrator: she did well to deliver the story .
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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🌹 shaye.reads

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of The House Children by Heidi Daniele in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting book with beautiful narration. I loved the musical Irish voice to go with a heartbreaking, aggravating, inspiring story. The life of a woman in the early 1900s in Ireland was rough to listen to. Hearing about how unwed pregnant women were treated and then their iligitemate children, was horrible. I heard about big riots and a revolution there in the last few years and didn't realize the extent of oppression from religion. Enlightening story and I'm very glad I read it.