Far From Home: The sisters of Street Child

by Berlie Doherty

The sisters of STREET CHILD tell their story…

A companion novel to bestselling story of Victorian orphan Jim Jarvis based on the founding of Dr Barnardo’s homes for children.

When Jim Jarvis is separated from his sisters, Lizzie and Emily, he thinks he will never see them again. Now for the first time, the bestselling author of STREET CHILD reveals what happened to his orphaned sisters.

In Victorian London, Lizzie and Emily are left in the care of a cook but their story takes them to the mills of northern England. There, under the keen eyes of the mill owners, the girls are made to work in harsh conditions and any chance of escape is sorely tempting…

An incredible new STREET CHILD story based on the true experiences of Victorian mill girls.

Genres: Historical Fiction

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Berlie Doherty née Hollingsworth is an English novelist, poet, playwright and screenwriter. She is best known for children's books, for which she has twice won the Carnegie Medal.She has also written novels for adults, plays for theatre and radio, television series and libretti for children's opera.

Reviews

[Elise Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book as it is set in the Victorian times, I love books about history even though it isn't based on a real story. There are so many twists and turns. I love the dramatic bits best. This book can get really tense as there are lots of cliffhangers, it's so addictive.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book out of curiosity as my daughter read the prequel a few years ago at school. For an adult it was a nice quick read and helped me understand more clearly the harsh conditions children worked under in the cotton mills.

I think it would have helped to read the first one properly as I felt like bits of the puzzle were missing

[Tokesy2000 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastically written insight into the lives of poor victorian girls. When I read street child I thought the author had completely overlooked the harsh conditions of girls in Victorian Britain as young girls seem to be completely absent from the setting (except for the beginning part when Jim is separated from his sisters). Far From Home tells us the girls story, and let's us see into their lives. It's an easy read but very interesting, simple and sweet. I would definitely recommend reading Street Child before Far From Home, as FFH makes numerous references to events that happened in it.

I would definitely recommend this to young girls as the protagonists, Emily and Lizzie, are very easy to relate to, despite the 150 or so year gap between now and then.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Tragic and beautiful at the same time. I can't imagine what these poor children lived through.

The cotton mills in London in the 1800's were not a safe place for anyone who worked there. Cotton dust in the lungs was the least of their problems, and that was a big problem.

Unsafe working conditions, children as young as 9 working long hours in hot, cramped spaces. Underfed, under-clothed, treated like rubbish.

When a fire is set at a mill, necessary change happens and a good daughter takes the lead in making things better for the poor children around her.

[Daisy Leather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. We read 'Street Child' in y5 and I've been intending to read this since a child from my class last year bought it as a Christmas present. And it was brilliant - maybe even better than 'Street Child'! I liked how the bulk of the novel was set inside a cotton mill, as opposed to following Jim's story through every nook and cranny of London. And how beautifully optimistic the ending was after so many terrible childhood experiences. Loved it 💖

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant sequel to Street Child (the forming of Barnardo children's homes) which charts the fictitious lives of Emily and Lizzie. In Street Child you last hear of the girls being left at Rosies as Ma and Jim enter the workhouse. This what happens to them in Victorian England. A children's book that hooks you in so you really want the girls to survive the harshness of their lives.

[Rosalind Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, in every way, and much loved by many. Straightforwardly told and easy to read, it is a really good story; informative, too, about the dreadful conditions in the nineteenth-century textile mills and child slave labour. Thank goodness for the happy ending, even if it does feel (for an adult at least) a bit too good to be true. (But perfect for children!)

[Thobeka Ndamase · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a very good and exciting book. I for one have learnt to never judge a book by its cover , it looks boring but is actually based on the Industrial Revolution in Britain. You learn how children were used in factories and the value of friendship.

[Sung Ju · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I didnt read street child..... this book was still amazing. I cant wait to read street child.

[norma bourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it

Loved this book please do more 😊
In fact I would love to read on
But you finished it too quickly

[Leanne Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic sequel to street child. A wonderful read.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great follow on story with potential for more. Made me think about some places I visited recently with my uncle. Would recommend :)

[Jack Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a kid along with “street child” and they’re both really good and do a great job teaching people about conditions children encountered in an interesting way.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another granddaughter led book. Such an accurate description of Victorian orphans lives but an entirely saccharine ending

[Erum Rauf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book it was about life in the Victorian era and about how they had very rough times in there life but at last found peace and happiness!

[Sophie Turcu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wouldn't recommend actual children reading gets a bit boring 😴 street child Is better but overall really good book one of my faverioutes needs improvements tho

[Holly Hourihan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book was okay not as good as the first one in my opinion but still enjoyed it

[hif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so, we use to read this book in primary. But I actually bought the book and this book is quite mysterious and fun to read. It made me upset when they got separated but it just shows how life back then really was. Nice book

[Magpie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story! I've been a fan of Berlie Doherty since I was an eight year old first reading Children of Winter, a spellbinding tale of a group of siblings during an outbreak of the plague. I read it many times. Far From Home is similarly well written. It is simple but not dumbed down. Doherty is a writer of genuine literature, aimed at a younger audience.

Far From Home is an introduction to the realities of life for the urban poor in the Victorian era. It spans Victorian London and the industrial North. Of course, being a children's book, it has a happy ending. I was so pleased for the characters. They felt like friends by the end. I'm only saddened by the fact that for many children, if they survived, life was a prolonged endurance trial through one hardship after another.

Far From Home also made me think about the realities for some workers today in countries with unscrupulous working practices, and how we in the privileged West can at least try to make purchases from ethical sources. If anyone reads this and would like to know more about what is being done to help present day factory workers in the exploitative clothing industry, please visit https://labourbehindthelabel.org/

[Hara A]

This is an outstanding book to read that explains life in England in the past. Two girls who have been left by their mother and their younger brother are now left with the cleaning lady in a hotel, working for a rich family. Cooking for the family was definitely not easy on the two girls, with no money to feed themselves. The young girls went to buy a pie and were suddenly taken by a man with a long beard. They were never seen again. Where were they? Where were they going? Where was their brother? Their mom?
My favorite moment of this story was definitely when the two girls figured out the truth about their mom and brother. I would 100% recommend this book to young adults over the age of 14 because it is an amazing book that can make you understand more about life in England in the past and how young kids were affected and controlled by some people around them.

[Beth Yeary]

A decent read for the middle school child.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous follow up to Street child. Loved reading Emily and Lizzie's story.

[Khadija · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book love the drama

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Street Child as a child so naturally I leapt at the chance to tie up loose ends. Unfortunately that is the only thing I can recommend about this book.