Around 500,000 Australian children grew up in "care," or Childrens' Homes, throughout the 20th century. Penglase, who is a co-founder of an Australian advocacy group, was one of these children, and this book is an extension of her Ph.D thesis which portrayed what is was like to grow up in these cold, distant and sometimes brutal environments. Penglase casts an eye toward the future, and warns the Australian government how these social policies will affect her country in the future. This is a passionate and intelligent read for anyone interested in Australian history, or child-related social issues. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation 2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
