AustLit

'This is an important story that has long been neglected. We are familiar with stories of the stolen generation and the British child migrants, but there is a third group about whom very little has been written: their white Australian contemporaries who as a result of family breakdown, court orders or abandonment were institutionalised as children.

Kate Shayler (pseudonym) grew up a 'homes kid' in the fifties and sixties. Her memoir is more than just an account of her experience as an institutionalised white kid: it's a heartbreaking story of what happens to a child in the absence of emotional support and affection.

Far from being a litany of despair, Kate manages to weave into her journey of self-discovery a sense of community, camraderie, and humour of a childhood of sorts - a 'family' that she was forced to create for herself.

The Long Way Home: The Story of a Homes Kid will strike a chord with anyone who has ever suffered discrimination, insecurity or the pain of separation from family. It's a timely and profound reminder that every child deserves to be cherished and valued.' (Random House Books Australia)