Review - The Pencil Case by Lorraine Cobcroft

My Rating 5 stars


The Pencil Case set in New South Wales, Australia, is the story of Paul Wilson who at the age of seven was wrongfully removed from his home along with his sister, by government authorities because of so called neglect. Paul came from a poor but loving family where he and his sister were secure and happy. Both children were sent to a Catholic orphanage where they endured unbelievable cruelty and hardship at the hands of the nuns. Beatings and not enough food were commonplace.

Paul was a resilient little boy with a strong sense of justice who somehow survived the challenges of living in an orphanage.  He was a good kid, but he dreamed of revenge for the unfairness of everything that had happened to him and his sister. The burning need for revenge never leaves him. He is emotionally scarred for life by the government’s bungling and the cruelty he endured from the nuns.

The story traces Paul’s life into adulthood and is beautifully written with sensitivity and understanding. It will pull at your heartstrings, make you cry and awaken anger in you because of the extreme cruelties, lies and disappointments no child should have to endure. Paul was a stolen white child but his ability to face life head on can only be admired.

You won’t be able to put “The Pencil Case” down until you reach the last page.




View">http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/9855075-carol">View all my reviews