'Half a million Australian children have been raised in institutional care. Staunch is the story of one boy's life as a ward of the state.
'Given up at birth and 'divorced' from his adoptive parents at ten, Andy spent his adolescence in institutions and foster homes. It's not until he meets Mez, a kind-hearted carer, that Andy finds a parent figure he can trust and a reason to hope. But can he escape the cycle of self-destruction set off by years of neglect?
'Staunch is a poignant portrayal of Andy and his friendship with Mez. It's also testament to the many thousands who survived harrowing experiences as Forgotten Australians.' (From the publisher's website.)
Epigraph:
'In some ways I feel like wasted potential, I feel that because I was full of potential as a child and if I'd had a different childhood I could have done anything and been anyone I wanted but instead I was lumbered with a childhood where I had no rights and the government 'carers' did whatever they felt like doing to me, so instead of being anything I wanted I've had to deal and cope with the horror of my childhood.'
–Sub 246, Forgotten Australians
