Mother of Ten

What happens to children who are robbed of family?

Myrtle Rowley's first three children grew up without any knowledge of their mother after Myrtle was forced to give them up when they were still toddlers. Not only were the children deprived of contact with their mother, they also grew up devoid of any knowledge of each other after being placed in separate facilities.

In this sequel to Whisper My Secret, award winning writer JB Rowley explores what happened to the three half-siblings she never knew. As one of the children of Myrtle’s second family, JB also offers a personal view of a mother making a new life without her first family.

Although the devastating loss of her first three children remained with her, Myrtle became a caring and committed mother of seven more children living in near isolation in the Australian bush. This mother’s strength of character is matched in her first three children who survived and thrived despite being cheated of the nurturing that should have been their birthright.

Their stories are sad, sometimes heartbreaking but ultimately courageous and inspiring.

JB Rowley is a writer of books, teller of stories and teacher of English and lives in Melbourne, Australia. She has been honoured with awards for her written stories as well as her oral stories. JB spent her childhood chasing snakes and lizards down hollow logs, playing Hansel and Gretel in the bush with her brothers, climbing trees, searching the local rubbish tip for books to read and generally behaving like a feral child. She still grasps every possible chance to be free and feral but regrets those opportunities are too few. JB Rowley's full name is June Barnes-Rowley. June was the name given her by her parents but used only by her mother as her father called her Brigid. Rowley was the name she inherited from her father. Barnes was the name she inherited from her ex-husband. JB is the name most people now call her but she will answer to June or Brigid or Barnsey and many other names but never to 'hey you' or 'hey girlie'.