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The Foundling
by Stacey Halls
Published by Bonnier Books (Allen and Unwin)
ISBN 9781838770075
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Mrs England, and heard about The Foundling, by the same author, I expected it would be a good book to read. My expectations were correct, this is a most enjoyable book.
Stacey Halls is an incredibly good storyteller and writer. Set in the mid 1770s in The Foundling, the dilemma of what to do with a child born out of wedlock, was difficult decision that Bess Bright had to make. In this era it was a shameful and unfortunate situation, with little to no prospects for the child and the mother. It was especially difficult if the father was not around and the mother an ordinary working-class girl.
In this carefully crafted, descriptive text, the reader can imagine what this poor young woman went through within hours after giving birth. She had made up her mind that this child would go to the Foundling Hospital. It is, in fact, a real hospital, and it was recently in the news, when the Duchess of Cambridge visited the Foundling Museum in London.
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He begins by saying that always considered himself to be a good German who was proud of his country, although he knew there was rampant anti-semitism and studied at boarding school under an assumed name so that his religion would not be revealed.
However that all changed dramatically in 1938 when after he returned home to see his loving parents, from studying several hours away. He arrived home to find they were missing, hoping they had escaped the Nazis. As he was tired from the journey he went to sleep in his bed in his old childhood room. He was brutally awoken by ten Nazis who pulled him out of his bed and was badly beaten and his beloved dog was shot trying to protect him. This was on the infamous Kristellnacht - Night of the Broken Glass.
He was arrested and from there he lived through the horrors of Buchenwald, Auschwitz and then forced to march as so many others were, on the death march.
Eddie Jaku OAM has written this book as if he was talking to the reader as someone would talk with a friend explaining in some detail what happened throughout the coming years.
Fortunately and thanks to his father insisting on him getting a good education as an engineer, not only did it save his life, but there were times when some guards or factory managers showed a little kindness to him. He was considered to be economically viable to the German war efforts and therefore saved from being sent to the gas chambers.
His determination to live shines through.Despite so much suffering he felt he owed his survival to his parents who were murdered, his sister whom he eventually found and was suffering as she worked in unimaginably cruel circumstances in the concentration camp factory and for all his relations who were killed.
Not only did Eddie Jaku OAM survive against all odds, he went on to create a happy and successful life in Sydney. He vowed that once free he would do what he could to lead a happy life.
Indeed, he did and married, came to live in Australia, had children, grand children and great grandchildren. He also was an integral part of founding the Sydney Jewish Museum. He spoke to thousands of school children, was invited and spoke at a TEDx in Sydney that has now been viewed almost 1.4 million times on YouTube.
You can watch it TEDx talk here.
Highly recommend reading, it will keep you riveted and you may be inspired by Eddie Jaku's outlook that happiness can be achieved despite all the odds.
In my imagination at first I expected that it was an awful place, but actually it wasn't. The children were well cared for. However, the process by which babies were admitted was harsh and humiliating for the mothers with paying guests watching the whole drawn out procedure.
The beautifully written story, with several sub-stories, explores the aspects of family relationships at the time, and their secrets, class and the crossing over between classes. It explores the power within these relationships over others and the strong ties of motherhood, both birth-mother, Bess Bright, and adopted mother, Alexandra. It makes one think of how fortunate we are to be born in these times, even though some of the relationship issues still exist, but in a different context.
It gives a great insight into the life in the mid 1700's and the vast differences between classes and what was expected of people in their respective classes.
Once Bess Bright had left her baby daughter, whom she named Clara, to be cared for, it was her intention to collect her child when she could afford to pay the fees for her care. Eventually, after six years of diligently saving, she went to the Foundling hospital not knowing how much the fees would be. However, it turned out the fee wasn't the problem, as they preferred to unite the children with their mothers.
What she encountered was that someone claimed her daughter, Clara, by assuming Beth's name, address, the identifying token she had left as a form of assurance and the baby's number. But how could that be and how could they know where she lived? Who impersonated Beth? And so the mystery begins. Thanks to the help of the kindly Dr Mead, eventually she is reunited with Clara, but not in the way you would think.
Here lies the full story and another life changing / scarring situation, as Beth, now called Eliza, starts working for a young, reclusive widow, who only ventures outside the house to go to church on Sundays,. She expects her servants to live as she does, it is a condition of their employment. Further into the story, we find out the reason for this innate fear of life beyond the front door and her obsessive and cold behaviour. She is aware that she says the wrong things and her cold heartedness. but she cannot help herself.
It is an intriguing read and I was surprised to find that I'd read half the book within a couple of days. I whole heartedly recommend this book, and purchasing Mrs England, by the same author.
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