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Murphy's Last Law-bookcover

By: Peter Hodson

Murphy's Last Law

Pages: 154 Ratings: 5.0
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Murphy’s Last Law:

‘If child abuse can happen, child abuse will happen.’

Two sets of siblings—both with an elder brother and a younger sister—from opposite sides of the world, with completely different backgrounds, and yet their lives are quite similar.

London, 1944. John (10) and Margaret (7) are evacuated and rendered orphans after being bombed out. After three years in an orphanage, they are shipped to Western Australia to become part of the so called ‘Lost Generation’.

At the same time, Barega and Gedala, part-aboriginal siblings, of the same age and gender as of the English orphans, are swept into the anglicisation programme and become part of what was later described as the ‘Stolen Generation’.

The siblings are separated and they suffer through intolerable abuse and shocking circumstances. Will they succumb to the horrors of this life that they have been thrown into, a life none of them had any choice in? Or will they be able to eventually escape the images that haunt them?

Through the peril of the Vietnam War, the brothers’ lives become entwined and they form a close and trusting friendship bonded by a close comradery, having suffered a similar teenage upbringing.

Read as this friendship not only brings the brothers but also the sisters together and eventually romantic bonds are formed.

Peter was born in Manchester, UK, and educated at Manchester Grammar School, not one of its more outstanding pupils. Indeed, it is rumoured on his departure, a collective relieved sigh of relief was heard through the hallowed cloisters of that prestigious establishment.


Following tertiary studies in forestry, Peter spent much of his career in the forestry profession, migrating to rural Western Australia at mid-life as a manager of the wood-chipping industry.


Later, for the sake of our children’s education, he moved to Perth, WA, taking a managerial role in the precast concrete industry.


Approaching retirement, Peter studied horticulture and, with his daughter, set up a landscape design business specialising in water-efficient gardens.


Peter is married, with a son, a daughter and four grandsons all living locally – a closely knit family. His pursuits are gardening, bowling, canoeing and striking slightly dangerous activities off his bucket list.


Now retired, Peter has set about writing novels as this has been a lifelong ambition of his. This his second published novel.

Customer Reviews
5.0
1 reviews
1 reviews
  • Mary Lynch

    A must read for Western Australian’s, Confronting and compelling story of kids, stolen from their families, their homes, their cultures. Placed into institutions, alone and scared they endure deprivation and abuse. The sibling bond is unbreakable and the bonds of friendship grow stronger through war.
    A thoroughly enjoyable read, hard to put down. Not for the faint hearted with institutional abuse and racial discrimination. A Western Australian story which will resonate with many.
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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