The Throwaway Children

By: Diney Costeloe

Narrated by: Anne Dover

Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rita and Rosie Stevens are only nine and five years old when their widowed mother marries a violent bully called Jimmy Randall and has a baby boy by him. Under pressure from her new husband, she is persuaded to send the girls to an orphanage, not knowing that the papers she has signed will entitle them to do what they like with the children. And it is not long before the powers that be decide to send a consignment of orphans to their sister institution in Australia. Among them - without their family's consent or knowledge - are Rita and Rosie, the throwaway children.

©2016 Diney Costeloe (P)2016 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Long, But So Worth The Journey!

Really loved this one! At times, it was difficult to hear, due to the subject matter, such as physical and sexual abuse, but the story drew me in and wouldn't let go. The seventeen plus hours spent listening were hours well occupied. The story is without a doubt, a real tear jerker, and I made sure to have tissues handy while absorbing each and every word. Ann Dover was an excellent choice for narrating the audiobook. She managed to bring all of the characters to life, and it was very clear which person was speaking, based on the change in her voice and pronunciation of words. Although the novel is a solid read for sure, Ms. Dover's performance puts reading the text as second choice. I will now look for other books by the author, and will definitely download audiobooks by the same narrator as well. Don't miss purchasing this! It's sad and powerful, but beautifully written and grabs at the heart.👍🏼

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Depression Era Story

So much poverty created hard times for everyone. the desperate decision many parents faced , to give up their children, is beyond our comprehension. The narrator did an awesome job of creating the personalities of all characters in the story. it was a very enlightening and interesting read.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Emotional story

This book and the performance take you all of your emotions. It really makes you think. So sad that some children were/are treated so poorly and what a difference 1 person can make in a child's life.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Heart wrenching

I could not stop listening... loved the story and cried more than once. Would highly recommend

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Well written but SO SAD

The narrator was amazing! The book is well written and the story is engaging. You just can't imagine how much goes wrong! 14 hours of tragedy gets to you even if it's based on true events.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Heartwarming

Loved the story and the narrator was perfect
This is a novel that while sad at times, reveals the courage of young girls and their persistence through adulthood.

couldn't put it down

this was such a sad story! I learned a lot about how the system worked back then.

What a wonderfully written story

This book tells of many hardship people went through after World War II. Some were very resilient and some were very self centered. It also shows the horrors of orphanages. Well worth reading, and this was my second time

predictable in every way

Girls go to orphanage, get treated poorly. No surprises here. There were also unanswered questions at the end. Don't think I will purchase another audio by this author. The narrator was quite good. Probably a better listen than read.

So very sad

This book was very well written and drew me in immediately, however at times it was difficult to read given how sad and depressing the storyline. Just when you thought life couldn’t get worse for the two little girls it did!
I found myself eager to complete the story desperate for a happy ending.