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Faraway Home
Karl and Rosa's family watch in horror as Hitler's troops parade down the streets of their home city -- Vienna. It has become very dangerous to be a Jew in Austria, and after their uncle is sent to Dachau, Karl and Rosa's parents decide to send the children out of the country on a Kindertransport, one of the many ships carrying refugee children away from Nazi danger.
Isolated and homesick, Karl ends up in Millisle, a run-down farm in Ards in Northern Ireland, which has become a Jewish refugee centre, while Rosa is fostered by a local family.
Hard work on the farm keeps Karl occupied, although he still waits desperately for any news from home. Then he makes friends with locals Peewee and Wee Billy, and also with the girls from neutral Dublin who come to help on the farm, especially Judy. But Northern Ireland is in the war too, with rationing and air-raid warnings, and, in April 1941 the bombs of the Belfast Blitz bring the reality of war right to their doorstep.
And for Karl and Rosa and the other refugees there is the constant fear that they may never see their parents again.
Based on a true story -- there was a refugee farm at Millisle and among its occupants was a young boy called Karl.
Isolated and homesick, Karl ends up in Millisle, a run-down farm in Ards in Northern Ireland, which has become a Jewish refugee centre, while Rosa is fostered by a local family.
Hard work on the farm keeps Karl occupied, although he still waits desperately for any news from home. Then he makes friends with locals Peewee and Wee Billy, and also with the girls from neutral Dublin who come to help on the farm, especially Judy. But Northern Ireland is in the war too, with rationing and air-raid warnings, and, in April 1941 the bombs of the Belfast Blitz bring the reality of war right to their doorstep.
And for Karl and Rosa and the other refugees there is the constant fear that they may never see their parents again.
Based on a true story -- there was a refugee farm at Millisle and among its occupants was a young boy called Karl.
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 1999
About the author
Marilyn Taylor
28 books2 followersMarilyn Taylor was born and educated in England, and has an economics degree from London University. She was a school librarian in a Dublin secondary school for 16 years and a college librarian.
Her first novels for young adults were the Jackie and Kev trilogy, Could This Be Love, I Wondered? (1994), Could I Love a Stranger? and Call Yourself a Friend?.
Faraway Home was a new departure for Marilyn, having a strong historical basis and being set in Northern Ireland during the Second World War. It won the prestigious Bisto Book of the Year Award and was followed by 17 Martin Street, set in Dublin during The Emergency (as the Second World War was knows in Ireland). Both have been hugely popular with schools throughout Ireland and beyond.
Her first novels for young adults were the Jackie and Kev trilogy, Could This Be Love, I Wondered? (1994), Could I Love a Stranger? and Call Yourself a Friend?.
Faraway Home was a new departure for Marilyn, having a strong historical basis and being set in Northern Ireland during the Second World War. It won the prestigious Bisto Book of the Year Award and was followed by 17 Martin Street, set in Dublin during The Emergency (as the Second World War was knows in Ireland). Both have been hugely popular with schools throughout Ireland and beyond.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 28, 2018
Ha sido interesante poder leer sobre la perspectiva de Irlanda en la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
December 22, 2019
I liked it. It was easy to read and the story is indeed interesting, but I feel like there should be more pages. I feel that the book is incomplete.
January 5, 2019
Although fictional this book gives great insight into a side of ww2 I knew nothing of. The story of the refugee farm in millisle co down is very interesting and Karl and Rosas story is very touching.
May 2, 2019
brilliant read
February 15, 2023
one of my favourite books when i was 12
March 13, 2021
I read this book impatiently - twice! Honestly, I don’t think I could ever get bored of it. There is a great attention to detail and a multitude of little anecdotes. Some moments have very little to do with the main intrigue but still give us information about the characters, their personalities and their daily lives, as well as showing us that, no matter what, life goes on. Even in times of distress.
Taylor describes the lives of Jewish refugees in Northern Ireland during WW2. They work on a farm where they make new friends, learn English and have all sorts of escapades. As the Nazis gradually spread in Europe, we follow 13-year-old Karl who fears for his family - still in Austria - despairs when listening to the never-ending radio, torments himself as he feels powerless to help the many trapped Jews but also founds ravishing relationships with loving people. The book demonstrated the anxiety that refugees have to go through everywhere and how, despite having escaped one savagery, they still endure hardship and face confusion, fatigue and grief.
I think it was a beautiful story; the characters came to life with every word. Karl, having lived a life as arduous as it is, can only be sympathised with. Though, as much as I felt compassion for the refugees I feel that the characters with whom we associate the most are the Irish, because they and the reader discover the horrors of war concurrently and have never lived a nightmare like the one these refugees have to undergo.
I find that there is a lot of hope in this novel. A great sentence here is “We must have hope, without hope, we have nothing.” I think it sums up a key idea and is a message which all those who are suffering need to hear. Through the story, we understand that it is better to have something to do in a country that is not at war, than to be locked up in a house in a Nazi-occupied land knowing that things will get worse and worse with every new dawn. As the refugees work together on the farm we see that what they are creating is doing their hearts good, it is like a distraction from the ache that possesses their souls.
Taylor describes the lives of Jewish refugees in Northern Ireland during WW2. They work on a farm where they make new friends, learn English and have all sorts of escapades. As the Nazis gradually spread in Europe, we follow 13-year-old Karl who fears for his family - still in Austria - despairs when listening to the never-ending radio, torments himself as he feels powerless to help the many trapped Jews but also founds ravishing relationships with loving people. The book demonstrated the anxiety that refugees have to go through everywhere and how, despite having escaped one savagery, they still endure hardship and face confusion, fatigue and grief.
I think it was a beautiful story; the characters came to life with every word. Karl, having lived a life as arduous as it is, can only be sympathised with. Though, as much as I felt compassion for the refugees I feel that the characters with whom we associate the most are the Irish, because they and the reader discover the horrors of war concurrently and have never lived a nightmare like the one these refugees have to undergo.
I find that there is a lot of hope in this novel. A great sentence here is “We must have hope, without hope, we have nothing.” I think it sums up a key idea and is a message which all those who are suffering need to hear. Through the story, we understand that it is better to have something to do in a country that is not at war, than to be locked up in a house in a Nazi-occupied land knowing that things will get worse and worse with every new dawn. As the refugees work together on the farm we see that what they are creating is doing their hearts good, it is like a distraction from the ache that possesses their souls.
April 24, 2012
I remember reading this in 4th class or 5th, and I remember adoring it. Everyone in the class loved it. We all wanted to know if Karl and Judy would evr fall in love and kiss. As a 10-11 year old girl in class room full of girls, romance does seem to over shadow the war, yet its always there above the horizon and we were all aware and waiting for the bombs.
I remember the teacher giving this to me, and the classmates started reading it to one another one by one. We all had a Page each or paragraph if it suited the teacher. From the beginning of the book i was caught! The Homework was to go home and read the next chapter. I read all the way to the middle of the book, and forced myself to stop.
I adored it.
Even in class when I would speed ahead of everyone else being a chapter or so ahead of them, I reached the ending before they did. EVERYONE was gobbed smacked. We all just sat there in silence until finally the teacher asked us what we thought.
Everyone thought it was brilliant.
Just recently i was talking to my friend who was in the other class and had to read it as well,and how unfair it was that they got to read more books then we did. She mentioned Far away home. We went off to talk about how good it was and how much we loved the characters.
We went as far as to ask some of the other girls who read the book with us what did they thinik, surprisingly they all remembered it, all sung its praises saying how fantastic it was and how they wished it was longer.
soooooo, Yup....Go read this like now. No matter what age!!
The characters were so indepth and it was just amazing. It blew my 10 year old mind. Since i loved the history behind WW2, i really knew what was happening, but not the whole story. Not about what happened at the camps or how jews were treated. It left a lasting impacted on all the girls and I.
I remember the teacher giving this to me, and the classmates started reading it to one another one by one. We all had a Page each or paragraph if it suited the teacher. From the beginning of the book i was caught! The Homework was to go home and read the next chapter. I read all the way to the middle of the book, and forced myself to stop.
I adored it.
Even in class when I would speed ahead of everyone else being a chapter or so ahead of them, I reached the ending before they did. EVERYONE was gobbed smacked. We all just sat there in silence until finally the teacher asked us what we thought.
Everyone thought it was brilliant.
Just recently i was talking to my friend who was in the other class and had to read it as well,and how unfair it was that they got to read more books then we did. She mentioned Far away home. We went off to talk about how good it was and how much we loved the characters.
We went as far as to ask some of the other girls who read the book with us what did they thinik, surprisingly they all remembered it, all sung its praises saying how fantastic it was and how they wished it was longer.
soooooo, Yup....Go read this like now. No matter what age!!
The characters were so indepth and it was just amazing. It blew my 10 year old mind. Since i loved the history behind WW2, i really knew what was happening, but not the whole story. Not about what happened at the camps or how jews were treated. It left a lasting impacted on all the girls and I.
July 7, 2021
Although Karl’s story was fictional it helped me understand more about what really happened on another person’s perspective and opinions.
I also don’t read that many WWII books as I’ve said - found that the author has described everything so well and as realistic as possible.
Also real quick:
I have massive respect to the author for going out to where this story is based (County Down) and to find out the background of the Farm and where everything was placed, the meaning of the place etc.
I also don’t read that many WWII books as I’ve said - found that the author has described everything so well and as realistic as possible.
Also real quick:
I have massive respect to the author for going out to where this story is based (County Down) and to find out the background of the Farm and where everything was placed, the meaning of the place etc.
February 5, 2022
Summary:
Under the new Nazi rule in Vienna, all Jews were beaten up, driven out of their homes & sent to prison camps. Some of the children were lucky enough to escape this massacre & were allowed entry into Britain without a visa. Siblings Karl and Rosa were considered one of the lucky ones. However, once they got to Belfast, they got separated. While Rosa was adopted by a new family, Karl was sent to work on a farm with other refugees. However, the war wasn’t far away & Karl feared for his remaining family back in Vienna. Could he find a way to help them escape the country?
My Thoughts:
This book is based on real events that happened during World War II & it is really good. You can tell a lot of research went into it & you’ll feel for Karl and his family, as well as the other characters in the book. It’s definitely a book I’ll remember for a long time.
My Rating: * * * *
Under the new Nazi rule in Vienna, all Jews were beaten up, driven out of their homes & sent to prison camps. Some of the children were lucky enough to escape this massacre & were allowed entry into Britain without a visa. Siblings Karl and Rosa were considered one of the lucky ones. However, once they got to Belfast, they got separated. While Rosa was adopted by a new family, Karl was sent to work on a farm with other refugees. However, the war wasn’t far away & Karl feared for his remaining family back in Vienna. Could he find a way to help them escape the country?
My Thoughts:
This book is based on real events that happened during World War II & it is really good. You can tell a lot of research went into it & you’ll feel for Karl and his family, as well as the other characters in the book. It’s definitely a book I’ll remember for a long time.
My Rating: * * * *
June 17, 2011
I read this book and I must say it is amazing I couldn't but it down.I felt so bad for poor Karl a Rosa being taken away from their family like that. I was nearly crying when I read the part where Goldie dies and the part where uncle Rudie dies.The book was sad and happy.I think that everyone should read this book to understand what was happing to family's during the second world war.I can tell you right now that after I read this book I really understood more about how family's and people were treated during WW2. I am aware that the family in this book is fictional but still. I really suggest that kids aged 11-12-13-14 and up read this book because it is so amazing.It really doesn't matter if you 25 and reading this book because it is one of hose books for all age groups.
March 25, 2024
What an absolutely beautiful book!! ❤ Yet another 20p thrift store find worth its weight in gold!! Again a WW2 novel like so many others I have read ... but at the same time completely different.
As much as I love historical fiction and books about WW2 in general, it was refreshing to read about it from a different perspective as this book is about child refugees coming to Northern Ireland (where I am from) on Kindertransports!!
Highly recommend this book to everyone regardless of age or genres which you usually choose.. its wonderful on every level!
As much as I love historical fiction and books about WW2 in general, it was refreshing to read about it from a different perspective as this book is about child refugees coming to Northern Ireland (where I am from) on Kindertransports!!
Highly recommend this book to everyone regardless of age or genres which you usually choose.. its wonderful on every level!
April 17, 2018
I enjoyed this book. I presented the events simply but without taking away their impact or importance. However, this book ended so abruptly with no conclusion. It was as if the author didn't know how to finish it so she simply stopped writing.
All in all, I liked it.
All in all, I liked it.
December 31, 2020
Great young adult story about kindertransport community that found refuge in The Farm, Millisle. I could visualise the places mentioned in the book having visited all the places without realising the history that happened there.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews