Scattered
Scattered is the first novel by Australian, Nola Lorraine, author of many published short stories. A Victorian-era historical novel, Scattered will also appeal to lovers of mystery, romance and young adult coming-of-age novels. Setting her story in Nova Scotia in the 1880s, Lorraine immerses us in the disturbing world of the British-Canadian Home Children Migrant Scheme, with scenes evocative of a Dickens novel.
Nineteen-year-old Englishwoman Maggie O’Loughlin is on a life-and-death quest to find her missing younger siblings. The recently orphaned children have been sent to Canada from a workhouse, and she will stop at nothing to find them. The search tests Maggie in ways she didn’t anticipate and yields some unexpected outcomes.
For the reader, Scattered illustrates the similarities and differences between our modern-day experiences and that of the 19th century, not least of which are the challenges of finding a lost loved one in an age that didn’t have fast transport, mobile phones and the Internet.
Before pursuing her passion for creative writing, Lorraine was an academic whose research included the topic of children and adoption, so she is well-versed in the fractured family aspect of her novel. Scattered bears no resemblance to an academic text, however. Lorraine’s writing is simple and a pleasure to read. The historical scenes are both well researched and a feast for the senses.
The protagonist, Maggie, is loveable in her naivety, whereas the antagonists are complex, dark individuals. The characters stayed with me long after I’d finished reading. The narrative is fast-paced and packed with action, featuring many twists and turns. Scattered extracts a range of human emotions; loss, sadness, fear, hope, love, faith and trust, as you travel with Maggie on her desperate mission to reunite her family.
