A well-written debut for Ms. Hutchinson. Early 1900s - When Cara Flowers sees the terrible conditions in the local workhouse, with families brutally separated and mistreated, she decides to do something about it. Putting herself up against the callous master and the overseeing council, it is an uphill battle she is determined to win.

The Workhouse Children is a debut novel by Lindsey Hutchinson. It is 1901 in the small town of Bilston (which is in the industrial West Midlands). Cara Flower’s grandmother, Henrietta Selby, has just passed away, and left Cara very well off (house and money). Her grandmother left a letter for Cara giving her the task of looking for any lost relatives and to care for them. This is puzzling to Cara who believed she had no other family. Cara had been raised by her grandmother, and she would never speak about Cara’s parents. It turns out that Cara’s mother, Elizabeth married someone inappropriate causing an estrangement. Martin Lander, the family solicitor, suggests that Cara check the Bilston workhouse. Cara is shocked by the conditions in the workhouse and how it is managed by the Master and Matron (Fred and Ada Tulley). She does, though, find her thirteen-year-old brother, Charlie. There is a sister, Daisy, but Fred Tulley had sold her as a servant (and pocketed the money). It seems Fred and Ada are doing everything possible to run the workhouse cheaply so they will have extra money (so they can live comfortably). Cara sets out to empty the workhouse and make it obsolete (after finding Daisy). But the local Magistrate of Bilston, Joseph Purcell (as well as the Tulley’s) is not happy with Cara’s plans. Will Cara succeed with her mission? Will Cara be able to find out what happened to her parents and why they did not raise her?

The Workhouse Children is nicely written and easy to read. I did find The Workhouse Children to be an uplifting, sweet story (unrealistic, but a good read). It would be lovely if there were more people like Cara in this world. I did enjoy reading how Cara tackled the problem of the workhouse and discovered her family history. I give The Workhouse Children 3.5 out of 5 stars. I did find that the author would sometimes go into a little too much detail with her descriptions (it bogs down the story). The Workhouse Children is a British novel so it contains British expressions and slang (must of them can be figured out). I did find some information to be repeated (do authors think we forget things one chapter to the next). The story is told from different viewpoints which can be confusing (I wish the author had stuck with the third person point-of-view). The Workhouse Children could do with a little editing (just a little too long). The Workhouse Children is a good first book and the story will linger in your mind long after you finish it. Ms. Hutchinson’s next book The Wives’ Revenge.

This is a very poignant, feel-good-factor novel. It is 1901. The altruistic Cora Flowers is left a challenge and money on the death of her grandmother. Her challenge is to find her missing family members. This leads her to the Workhouse. The conditions there shock her to such an extent that she is determined to improve the lot of the residents. Against all odds she manages to get the residents housed and employed. It struck me as strange that although the Workhouse folk would have been worn down from the system and long incarceration there were no quarrels between them over property, food, clothes and job allocation. It was all unbelievably civilised and went so perfectly. There was a Workhouse on a hill near where I lived. It had been converted into a hospital but the older generation could not forget the fear of its origins which were almost equal to an asylum. As a youngster I heard many tales of older people becoming hysterical if they needed normal medical treatment there. The novel did however make me reflect sadly that more than a century later there are homeless people, food banks, hostels and soup kitchens etc. There is a housing shortage, a council house shortage and high unemployment. The Salvation Army and other charities do a wonderful job but it's never enough.

When Cara Flowers loses her beloved Grandma she is tasked with finding a family she hasn't know about. She finds a younger brother in the Workhouse and although she is a very young girl herself she makes it her mission to save families from the awful conditions she witnessed.

I loved learning more about the workhouses and then the ways she came up with to improve things for the town she lives in.

It deals with relationships, family and friendships along with the tough life in poverty stricken times contrasting with the comfortable life Cara had led.

It leaves itself open for us to return to see where Cara takes her life next- although I'm not sure whether that is planned or not. Lindsey is described as an exciting new talent and she writes the sorts of sagas I really enjoy. I will look out for more work by Lindsey. I also enjoyed reading about local areas

Excellent story! Wonderful main characters and really well written. I would recommend this book.