The Home Child

Forward Prize–winning poet Berry’s (The Republic of Motherhood; Black Country) latest book is described as a novel in verse and, indeed, it exists as a lyrical and at times meditative story about Home Children. From 1860 to 1960, hundreds of orphaned or neglected British children were sent to territories within the British Empire. The goal was to provide children a home, an education, and work. Most were abused and exploited, however, as farmworkers or domestic laborers. The history surrounding the program didn’t come to light until the 1980s, and a formal government apology wasn’t issued until the 2010s. Berry’s book is not a detailed account of this history. Instead, through vivid, flowing prose she focuses on her great-aunt Eliza Showell, a Home Child who was shipped from England to a farmstead in Canada. Sometimes, the poetry takes on a vernacular voice, which is interposed with bits from historical records. Most often, the poetry focuses on the physical rather than the personal. For example, Berry’s descriptive imagery makes readers immediately see eyes looking out of a window, tattered clothing, the cold weather, ships setting sail for a place unknown, and even fear.