Inspired by a true story, The Home Child is a beautiful novel-in-verse about a child far from home

‘Ground-breaking’ Benjamin Zephaniah
‘Beautifully crafted’ Guardian
‘Extraordinary’ Hannah Lowe

In 1908, Eliza Showell, twelve years old and newly orphaned, boards a ship that will carry her from the slums of the Black Country to rural Nova Scotia. She will never return or see her family again.

With nothing to call her own, the wild beauty of her surroundings is the only solace Eliza has – until another Home Child, a boy, arrives at the farm and changes everything.

Inspired by the true story of Liz Berry’s great aunt, this spellbinding novel in verse is an exquisite portrait of a girl far from home.

‘One of the outstanding books of this year. Although this is a historical tale its resonance is timeless’ Sunday Times

‘Deeply moving. A graceful, delicate book, stunning in its emotional depth… I know I’ll return to it many times in the future’ Megan Hunter, author of The End We Start From

‘A profound act of witness to a long injustice, and a beautifully crafted conjuring of a life lived as truly as possible‘ Guardian ‘Book of the Day’
‘Ground-breaking’ Benjamin Zephaniah
‘Exquisite’ Hannah Lowe, author of The Kids

‘Home’s not a place, you must believe this,
but one who names you and means beloved.‘

In 1908, Eliza Showell, twelve years old and newly orphaned, boards a ship that will carry her from the slums of the Black Country to rural Nova Scotia. She will never return to Britain or see her family again. She is a Home Child, one of thousands of British children sent to Canada to work as indentured farm labourers and domestic servants.

In Nova Scotia, Eliza’s world becomes a place where ordinary things are transfigured into treasures – a red ribbon, the feel of a foal’s mane, the sound of her name on someone else’s lips. With nothing to call her own, the wild beauty of Cape Breton is the only solace Eliza has – until another Home Child, a boy, comes to the farm and changes everything.

Inspired by the true story of Liz Berry’s great aunt, this spellbinding novel in verse is an exquisite portrait of a girl far from home.

‘A haunting, deeply compelling narrative‘ Andrew McMillan, author of physical

‘Only Liz Berry could write such raw and staggeringly beautiful poems‘ Fiona Benson, author of Vertigo & Ghost