Ten Hail Marys

by Kate Howarth

Frank and funny, this memoir vividly recounts the first 17 years of the author’s life in Sydney’s slums and in New South Wales’ countryside. Abandoned by her mother as a baby and by her volatile grandmother as a young girl, Kate Howarth was shunted between Aboriginal relatives and expected to grow up fast. It was a childhood beset by hardship, abuse, profound grief, and poverty, but buoyed with the hope that one day she would make a better life for herself and her child. Incredibly moving, this is the compelling true story of a childhood lost and a young woman’s hard-won self-possession.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Australia

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jenn]

I'm unsure how to comment on this book. Not a favourite, and a book that jumped around a bit too much for my liking, but nevertheless this was a powerful story about an aboriginal girl growing up in poverty in 1950's. Her story is one of abandonment and abuse, and her experiences as a pregnant, unmarried girl were horrific. This was a story of strength and determination to fight the system, but ultimately the prejudices of this period won out. A tragic and compelling story about a shameful peroid of Australian history.

[Kylie Purdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I picked up off the shelving trolley at work. It tells the story of Kate Howarth and her fight to keep her baby as an unwed mother in the 1960's. It details her life as a child passed from family member to family member at the drop of a hat, for no apparent reason. Like several other books I have read recently it provides a glimpse at a life so different from my own and situations I know I will never find myself in.
Howarth portrays her family as one that holds many secrets and troubles. Aunts that are abused, mothers that are really grandmothers and prodigal children that appear and disappear on a whim. Given her background, Howarth's strength in the face of everyone (including her mother, her boyfriend and the nuns at the home for unwed mothers) trying to make her give up her baby, is inspirational.
As is often the case with true life books, the end isn't quite what you expect, but it left me with a great admiration for Kate Howarth and a want to know more. There is mention of a sequel called Pray For Us Sinners, but I am unable to find a publication date. All I know is that I will be keeping an eye out for it.

[Alison Giles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book to read on a long haul flight across the globe. Very funny in some parts, heart-reaching in others and Kate's life in Harris Park brought tears to my eyes. How this girl survived her childhood and teenage years is remarkable. She's obviously made of strong stuff. Yes, a few typos, a bit jumpy ( I had to flick back a few times to remember who was married to who, etc). But a story that many others need to know about.

Being aboriginal has little influence on Kate's story. It is the appalling abuse of the many Australian women of that era (where men and boys got off very lightly, or walked free altogether), and girls bore the brunt of the social stigma alone, that has stained Australian society; abuse and its effects which still continues today.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read from Kate Howarth. I couldn't put it down and stayed up late last night to finish it even though I was very tired. Kate makes you feel like you are there every step of the way with her through her difficult childhood and teens and you want so much for her to get a chance to achieve some happiness. A person who has a hard life given to them and she tries very hard to make the best at every turn.

I can't wait for the next book, the sequel that Kate Howarth is currently writing to come out.

Makes me proud as an Australian to have such a great writer as one of ours.

[Te Maere · Rating 5 out of 5]

AH! How can I possibly describe this book? I loved every second, every grueling detail, every feeling Kate Howarath describes in her re-encounter of her childhood. Her childhood makes me feel overly privileged in mine. I am not envious of her life, or the hardships she's encountered, but everything she has been through must of made her stronger in life. The only thing I did wish to happen was reconcile with her 'Mamma'. However mean she had been to her, she was nevertheless, the most solid person in her life. This book makes me appreciate my life more. Looooovvvvve it.

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This achingly poignant memoir is filled with pathos, energy and insight.
It is shocking in its revelation of the Catholic Church’s treatment of unwed mothers—abuse and intimidation tactics failed to convince Kate Howarth to give her baby up for adoption. Her ability to withstand such cruelty is testament to her indomitable spirit. This compelling story is an important part of Australia’s social history.

[Jessica Micallef · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting read. I will admit I found a few spelling errors and at times it became a little confusing to keep up but only because this poor woman's life was so hectic.

Kate Howarth goes through the first 17 years of this hectic life in exceptional detail. I felt I could not put the book down. I think it is books like this, true stories seen from a fresh perspective that really make you grateful for what you have.

[Ros · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an astonishing, heart-wrenching, appalling, historical snapshot of an Australia I hope will never be revisited. An interesting document for young women to read as it is an historical record of what life could be like for young women in those years. It shows the enormous changes in attitudes, honesty, responsibility and caring that most women enjoy now. Young women, after reading this you may want to thank your mothers, aunties and grandmothers who said,"Enough!"

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it in a day, easy read, sad read but i would have liked to have known abit more about her aboriginal back groud. it was said she was half cast so abit of a family tree would have been good and i was abit confused as to the last part about the aus government when nothing was mentioned during the book.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unbelievably sad, the reader cannot help feeling angry and frustrated by the authors ordeal as she fought to keep her baby as an unwed mother. The ending is so disappointing, but as with real life, a tale cannot always finish with loose ends being idealistically tied up.

[Claire Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This woman's story is incredible and her book well-written and compelling. It was a fascinating, tragic and inspiring read that ended kind of abruptly. I'm hoping she'll write a sequel that goes into more detail of her adult life and her struggle against the odds.

[Sarah Woollard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this in a day and found it to be such a sad story but such a common one of the day. Both the forced adoptions and the treatment of the First Australians was of interest to me but I was Left wondering.....what happened to Peter?

[Fatema Johera Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale of resilience born out of multiple abandonment, it becomes also the suppressed story that reveals the underside of the Stolen Generation in Australia when the state and the church colludes in misogyny and racism against Aboriginal women.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest tale of a heartbreaking childhood which I couldn't put down. I just wanted to hug and encourage the young protagonist and wished her tormentors could be brought to task for their wrongdoings.
A sad tale that was hopefully cathartic to the author during it's writing.

[Elizabeth Keating]

Book Club November 2011

[Kirsten]

Fantastic book! Especially what hospitals did to unwed mothers!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic story.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started to read this book because I was one of those girls but didn't have the past nor was I as young as Kate. I was a waiting girl at St Margarets Unmarried girls home.Her experience was completely opposite to mine. This was not a harsh brutal place were you were continually abused and treated badly. The checks up were carried out ever one a months or fortnightly as your time got near. The Dr that looked after me was a very well known and respected specialist in Sydney. I had many blood tests as I had negative blood.
I only saw St A twice in all the time I was there. I had a single private room as did all the girls, I think there were 14 rooms upstairs from where the intern Drs slept. When my mother took me there,, St A actually did not speak to me about anything to do with adoption. Nor at any time during the months I was there, information about me and my family was taken towards the end but no one approached me to sign anything until after the baby was born.
We woke about 7 and had breakfast which was edible and then we went to work. We worked until lunch time and then rested in the afternoon. Some worked in the kitchen, others in the laundry and I folded the washing and made beds. This was to keep us busy and after all we were being housed and feed while waiting for ours babies to be born. I was not abused her bullied at any time while I was there. I guess I just accepted that this was what I had to do. My parents were very ashamed. I can't remember giving birth nor ever asking for my baby. I think I had just steeled myself as to what had to be done. Moving from this, it took me many many years and breakdown to even acknowledge that I had a baby. I certainly could not put the loose of my baby down on paper.
Every mother has a very personal story and while Kate has written what she feels is her story, it does not match up with the care at St Margarets.

[Carol Kemister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate’s memoir of her experience as an unwed teenage parent with aboriginal heritage details the social and religious mores of the day imposed on her and others through punishing judgemental institutions posing as carers as well as family members trying to keep up appearances and social acceptance and survival as aboriginal families. Stigmatised and seemingly alone, she fights to keep her child against all comers particularly the Nuns at the home where her confinement takes place.
Throughout, Kate’s spirit is evident and this is no “woe is me” work, but a clear eyed recounting of her experience bound to set your heart aflame against the injustices she has overcome, including some of the healing that has come since then.
If you are interested in social justice, adoption reform, aboriginal issues or family dynamics you will not be disappointed by Kate Howarth’s sharing of her early years. If you are not interested in these things, reading this will leave a powerful human response that will not leave you.

[Miss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting read. I will admit I found a few spelling errors and at times it became a little confusing to keep up but only because this poor woman's life was so hectic.

Kate Howarth goes through the first 17 years of this hectic life in exceptional detail. I felt I could not put the book down. I think it is books like this, true stories seen from a fresh perspective that really make you grateful for what you have.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking and hauting

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love memoirs because a lot can be learned from others stories. As a foster parent, I value the voices of children in fostercare and this particular childhood devastated me.
It was well written and powerful how strong she was through all life threw her way. There was a LOT of language that I was not good with and had to skim over and why the average review.

[Louise Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s just unimaginable how young children are treated

[Rachael O'connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked Glass Castle, you'll like this!

[Salve58 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful story. So well written, it left me shocked many times.