Johno
Kathleen O'Reilly Johnston
Reviewed by Helen
This is a heart-wrenching and heart-breaking story, the story of Norman Johnston who comes to be known as Johno, during World War two as a baby he is sent to an orphanage in Aberdeen Scotland and then after the war at seven years of age he is sent to Australia to live in homes run by the Catholic church, the brothers who run these home are not the type of people you would think would run a home for children.
Johno is expecting a lot more than he discovered when he arrived after his long trip on a ship with many other young boys, the land of sunshine, fruit trees and kangaroos that he was expecting never eventuated and what he found was a life of cruelty and abuse, not just physical but mental abuse as well, not much food and they are worked to the bone, but throughout these years Johno did his best to keep his head down until the day he was sent to a farm to work as a farmhand and although not quite as bad as the boys home it was not much better, until eventually he found his way to a home in Perth and lived with a couple and their children and he learnt what life should be about but the damage over the years had left its mark on his mind.
As Johno got older he joined the Australian army was sent to Vietnam married and became a father himself but his life was never what it should have been, but over the years he did a lot to help fight for justice for the children who were sent to Australia after WW2 the ones who were supposedly orphaned but many were not.
This is not the easiest of stories to read but it is well written with empathy and heart as we get to know Johno and see him grow into an adult, it will open the reader’s eyes to events that happened and yes I did know about these things happening but they still shock as you read and if true stories are for you then this is one that I would recommend.
Johno is expecting a lot more than he discovered when he arrived after his long trip on a ship with many other young boys, the land of sunshine, fruit trees and kangaroos that he was expecting never eventuated and what he found was a life of cruelty and abuse, not just physical but mental abuse as well, not much food and they are worked to the bone, but throughout these years Johno did his best to keep his head down until the day he was sent to a farm to work as a farmhand and although not quite as bad as the boys home it was not much better, until eventually he found his way to a home in Perth and lived with a couple and their children and he learnt what life should be about but the damage over the years had left its mark on his mind.
As Johno got older he joined the Australian army was sent to Vietnam married and became a father himself but his life was never what it should have been, but over the years he did a lot to help fight for justice for the children who were sent to Australia after WW2 the ones who were supposedly orphaned but many were not.
This is not the easiest of stories to read but it is well written with empathy and heart as we get to know Johno and see him grow into an adult, it will open the reader’s eyes to events that happened and yes I did know about these things happening but they still shock as you read and if true stories are for you then this is one that I would recommend.
5 stars
September 9, 2026 by Hawkeye Publishing
